A weird Alabama-Tennessee week arrives with a limp rather than swagger

The Third Saturday has been a rivalry of streaks. One team dominates a decade (or 1½) in a row then swaps.

One such cycle closed in 2022 when Tennessee ended Alabama’s string of 15 straight wins before the Crimson Tide returned the favor last year.

Two years later, they’ll reunite in Knoxville in very weird places.

It’s hard to say who’s riding in with tailwind in the effort to start another streak in what’s looking more like an era of parity rather than rivalry control.

Once two of the hottest teams exiting September, both stumble into Neyland Stadium after two odd Saturdays in October.

After suffering twin road upsets to unranked teams last week, each bizarrely played home escapes against two more unranked teams on Saturday.

Alabama’s two spooky Saturdays included the road loss at Vanderbilt and a heart-stopping 27-25 win over South Carolina. A defensive disaster in Nashville was followed by general ineptitude in Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Anyone reading this is familiar with the Crimson Tide’s struggles in recent games.

So, what’s the deal in Knoxville?

It’s mostly about the offense that averaged 64 points in its first three games and 22 since. Of course, the level of competition rose from beating up on Chattanooga, NC State and Kent State.

Where Alabama’s defense is among the league’s worst in points allowed in SEC games, Tennessee suddenly can’t score.

This looks like a showdown of a very stoppable object meeting an equally moveable force.

A 25-15 Tennessee road win at Oklahoma was the first of three offensive performances ending with similar numbers. The Vols finished with between 345 and 312 yards in each of its three SEC games after rolling up 740 against Kent State and 718 against Chattanooga.

As with anything, the truth is somewhere in the middle.

Tennessee is nowhere near as explosive as it was against the cupcakes, but it is probably better than the low 300s in total yardage.

A 19-14 Vol loss at Arkansas on the same day Alabama lost to Vanderbilt took some of the outside attention away from this Third Saturday game. Georgia at Texas is the premier game on the national stage now.

Then Saturday, hours after Alabama’s narrow win over South Carolina, Tennessee’s offense was even more invisible against Florida.

Like the Tide, Tennessee escaped the second Saturday trap. It required overtime (winning 23-17) after going without points until 2:57 remained in the third quarter. The win could’ve easily been a Gator blowout if the visitors didn’t go 0-for-4 scoring touchdowns on first-half red zone trips.

A look at the Vols’ last three offensive games, statistically.

Opponent … Pass … Rush … Total … Points

Oklahoma … 194 … 151 … 345 …. 25

Arkansas … 158 … 174 … 332 … 14

Florida … 169 … 143 … 312 … 23

What’s the deal?

“I don’t think we’re far off, you know what I mean,” Tennessee coach Josh Heupel told reporters after the Florida game. “But, man, it’s not just the pass game, it’s the run game, too. Missed assignments, fundamentals, technique. It’s guys [are] open, we don’t hit it. Guys [are] open, we’re getting pressured. It’s everybody taking their turn, and at some point we’ve got to say, you know what I mean, we’re going to man up and do our job and make this thing go the way that it’s capable of.”

Talent isn’t the issue. This is clearly a capable group. That also sounds a lot like the situation in Tuscaloosa with the Alabama defense.

The last three games haven’t been anything to remember for them, either.

Opp. … Pass … Rush … Total … Points

Georgia … 439 … 80 … 519 … 34

Vandy … 252 … 166 … 418 … 40

S. Car. … 242 … 131 … 374 … 25

In conference games, Alabama’s allowing 437.0 yards per game. That’s good for 15th of 16 SEC teams.

The story isn’t much better for the Tennessee offense. Its 329.7-yard average against SEC teams is 14th of 16.

That said, Alabama’s offense is fifth in SEC games and Tennessee’s defense is sixth.

Statistics aside, the eye test isn’t impressive for either as they head to Neyland Stadium on Saturday. They were cruising in September but middle of the pack since then.

You’re looking at teams who lost as double-digit favorites on the first Saturday of October and then escaped near-death experiences as double-digit home favorites on the second.

What’s to come on the third?

In this wildly unpredictable season, this one’s as tough to forecast as any. In a rivalry as streaky as any, you’ll see two teams Saturday eager to end their suddenly sagging play with pride and playoff hopes at stake.

Michael Casagrande is a reporter for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @ByCasagrande or on Facebook.