The Tennessee Vols gutted out a tough 24-17 win against the Alabama Crimson Tide, giving UT its second against Bama in the last three seasons.
Tennessee was shut out in the first half against Bama -- the third week in a row that the Vols haven't scored in the game's first 30 minutes -- but they managed to put up 24 points in the second half.
The Vols secured the win thanks to a clutch interception by safety Will Brooks.
Beating Alabama is obviously a huge deal for Tennessee. For years we've said that for the Vols to be truly "back" that the game against Alabama has to at least be a toss-up game every year. And that's certainly the case now that Tennessee has two wins against Alabama in the last three seasons.
But the thrill of beating Bama isn't the only reason why Saturday night was important for the Volunteers.
The win against Alabama moves Tennessee's record to 6-1 on the season. The Vols have five games left in 2024 -- Kentucky, Mississippi State, at Georgia, UTEP, at Vanderbilt.
Tennessee should be favored in all of those games but one (against Georgia).
The Vols should be able to get into the 12-team College Football Playoff with a 10-2 record, which means they can afford one more loss this season. Realistically, the game in Athens is the game the Vols are most likely to lose the rest of the season. That means that if the Vols take care of business during a favorable part of the schedule (the Georgia game notwithstanding), they should be able to lock up a playoff spot (though they'd likely be playing on the road in the first round at 10-2).
Now, Tennessee can certainly beat Georgia and contend for an SEC Championship. A first round bye is still in play for the Vols and they don't really need any help to get there -- just keep winning, basically. On the flip side, it's not like the favorable part of the schedule is full of games that Tennessee can sleepwalk through. Kentucky, Mississippi State, and Vanderbilt are formidable opponents. All three are capable of beating Tennessee if the Vols play like they did against Arkansas earlier this month.
The point is that Tennessee set itself up nicely for the rest of the season. They don't have to beat Georgia to have a real shot at the playoff. There's work to be done, but the Vols have some breathing room thanks to their win against Alabama.
Tennessee fans can relax a bit with another bye week coming up. As frustrating as the Vols' loss to Arkansas was a few weeks ago, Tennessee is now coming off wins against Florida and Alabama in back-to-back weeks and they're still in the hunt for a national championship. Enjoy it, these seasons have been rare since the turn of the century.
Related: Former Vol makes hilarious cameo during Josh Heupel's press conference after Tennessee's win against Alabama
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