Photo by Michael Patrick, copyright © 2011
Another ho-hum number one ranking in the BCS Standings for the Alabama Crimson Tide is vital to the fans, but even they know it is where they finish by the first week of December and the second week of January.
Alabama shockingly is not the top-ranked voted team in the computer rankings, which makes you question the BCS right out of the gates. The Tide are still first overall and have the tools in place to once again come out victorious at season’s end. A.J. McCarron (knee) is bruised up a tad and while that isn’t the best of news, the star quarterback is healthy to start.
Whole all the injuries that Alabama has suffered has not been catastrophic, they continue to roll over opponents, but the ability to obliterate foes has been impressive. Sure, Ole Miss and Missouri are two of the worst in the SEC not named Kentucky or Auburn, but this team is as balanced as it gets.
There are still at the moment three offensive linemen in Alabama that could play in the NFL this very second. D.J. Fluker, Chance Warmack and ‘Mr. Everything’ (my personal nickname) Barrett Jones are superstar lineman.
They all have scouts drooling and this team is so scary that the most productive player in Jones may take a back seat to his two hog mollies thanks to their upside on Sunday’s.
Alabama’s ability to run the ball downhill enables them to keep it simple and stupid in all aspects of the game. They lost every player imaginable from their BCS title run and yet most believe they still have the top defense on the planet.
Robert Lester and Dee Milliner are performing like All-Americans in the secondary, and they will finally get tested against the Vols receivers. If there is a weak link going right now for the Tide, it would easily be the secondary (despite leading nation in pass D, they do as well for run, scoring, total D).
Tennessee has Cordarrelle Patterson and Justin Hunter running-circles around opposing defensive backs, but Rajon Neal (ankle) is unlikely to play Saturday. Many fans are very upset with the way the season has gone and two tough losses to Georgia, Florida and Mississippi State has given the fan-base a brutal taste thus far.
Tyler Bray has been a bit frustrated with the way things have gone this season, and it would help if the defense were able to hold the opposition under 30 points once in a while.
Nothing will change in this one since Alabama is far too balanced and their discipline under Nick Saban is ridiculous. While this one would smell upset had Neal been fully ready to go, this potential stunning upset will die in the fourth quarter.
Network: ESPN
Time: 7 p.m. Eastern
Experts Pick: Bama by 20.5
Danny V’s Pick: Alabama 38, Tennessee 24
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