Alabama vs Tennessee: 4 Bold Predictions for Crimson Tide and Volunteers’ Showdown in Neyland

The rivalry between the Alabama Crimson Tide and Tennessee Volunteers feels alive again ever since Josh Heupel has gotten things back on track in Knoxville. This Saturday, we get another ranked-on-ranked matchup between these two storied SEC programs with both teams needing to make a statement to the rest of the college football world after what happened in Week 5.

Let’s dive into our bold predictions for Alabama vs Tennessee at Neyland Stadium.

DeSean Bishop Rushes for 140+ Yards, 2 Touchdowns

All-SEC running back DeSean Bishop, a Knoxville native, knows how much beating Alabama would mean for the program and fan base. He did his best to make it happen in Tuscaloosa last year, rushing for 123 yards and two touchdowns on just 14 carries (8.8 ypc). He now gets to face a Crimson Tide defense that just surrendered 206 rushing yards (5.3 ypc) to Georgia, with Dwight Phillips Jr. and Bo Walker combining for 189 yards on 27 carries. If there’s one thing Tennessee fans can have faith in, it’s Heupel’s ability to scheme up explosive runs. Bishop will hit them on Saturday, delivering his third consecutive 100-yard performance and finding the end zone twice at Neyland Stadium.

George MacIntyre is Sacked 4 Times

Josh Heupel hasn’t stated publicly who will be the Volunteers’ starting quarterback in Week 6. We’re operating under the assumption that George MacIntyre will be out there, with Faizon Brandon’s shoulder injury needing time to recover. The good news for Tennessee is that means there should be better timing in this passing game, and MacIntyre has demonstrated he can be accurate throwing downfield, which the Volunteers will want to try and exploit given Alabama’s penchant for giving up big plays downfield. However, there’s another side to that coin. Alabama ranks 18th nationally in sack rate (8.85 percent) and the Volunteers’ offensive line is already without guard Wendell Moe Jr. and has been very shaky throughout the fall in pass protection. MacIntyre, a pocket passer, doesn’t have the necessary athleticism to help him evade sacks, and that’s going to set up the Crimson Tide for a four-sack game on Saturday.

Xavier Gilliam Nets 2 TFLs, 1 Sack

Tennessee defensive tackle Xavier Gilliam is one of the best players in college football that not enough people talk about. He had a quiet two-year career at Penn State, but he’s blossoming in Knoxville after following Jim Knowles. Through his first six games, Gilliam already has 10 tackles for loss and 5 sacks, though those of course aren’t counting the pressures and disruptions in the backfield that he makes you won’t see on the box score. Gilliam can absolutely exploit the interior of Alabama’s offensive line, and he has the explosiveness to take down Keelon Russell. With a national audience watching, Gilliam will get more of the recognition he deserves with a standout performance on Saturday.

Keelon Russell Puts Up 300+ Yards of Total Offense, 4 Touchdowns

Keelon Russell’s athleticism is going to be a problem for the Volunteers defense. Tennessee has been outstanding defensively in 2026, allowing just 4.6 yards per play and 0.251 points per play (17th). However, as Byrum Brown (107 yards) can attest to, dual-threat quarterbacks have given them problems. Alabama isn’t going to have Russell run it 15-plus times in this one, but we do think Kalen DeBoer might see an opportunity here to have his 6-foot-3 quarterback log 10-plus combined scrambles and designed runs in this one. In total, we think Russell throws for 260-plus yards with three touchdowns, and he’ll tack on 40 rushing yards with another score.

Related: Week 7 College Football Predictions, including Alabama vs Tennessee