Where to buy tickets to Alabama vs. Tennessee college football game in Tuscaloosa
The Alabama Crimson Tide are hosting the Tennessee Volunteers in what’s the most anticipated game in the SEC this weekend.
Alabama has won five in a row heading into this one, while Tennessee is winners of its last three in a row. Kickoff is 3:30 p.m. ET on Oct. 21 at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
Fans looking to attend this college football game in person have plenty of options and can shop around at StubHub and *VividSeats.
*New customers who purchase tickets through VividSeats can get $20 off a $200+ ticket order by using the promo code MassLive20 at checkout.*
If you need to travel outside your local area to get to this game, head over to TripAdvisor, VRBO or Booking.com for deals on everything from car rentals to airfare to hotels.
Who: Alabama Crimson Tide vs Tennessee Volunteers
When: 3:30 PM, October 21, 2023
Where: Bryant-Denny Stadium
Stream: fuboTV (free trial); or Sling; or DirecTV Stream
Tickets: StubHub and *VividSeats.
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No. 11 Alabama holds off Arkansas comeback, wins 24-21 to stay perfect in SEC
By JOHN ZENOR AP Sports Writer
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Alabama had taken over the game, reeling off 24 consecutive points and seemingly poised for an easy win.
Nothing’s coming quite so easily for this team.
Jalen Milroe passed for two touchdowns and rushed for a third, and No. 11 Alabama survived a second-half Arkansas rally in a 24-21 victory over the Razorbacks on Saturday.
The Crimson Tide (6-1, 4-0 Southeastern Conference) blew most of an 18-point third-quarter lead before summoning a big final drive to keep KJ Jefferson and the Razorbacks offense off the field at the end, The celebration for a close win over a three-touchdown underdog seemed muted.
“We should be dominating games rather than just winning games, and there’s a difference,” Alabama offensive lineman Tyler Booker said.
The Tide remained the only SEC West team without a league loss, but they’re not coming in dominant fashion. Alabama had to recover a late onside kick to hold on for a 26-20 win over Texas A&M a week ago. This time the offense recovered from three straight three-and-out possessions to milk the final 5:19 off the clock.
“We had the resilience to take the clock at the end of the game and not give them the ball back,” Tide coach Nick Saban said after picking up his 200th career win. “Hopefully we can learn how to beat the other team, not just win the game but beat the other team.”
The Razorbacks (2-5, 0-4) dropped their fifth straight game but not before putting a scare into the Tide.
Milroe completed 10 of 21 passes for 238 yards, including a 79-yard touchdown to Kobe Prentice, but was sacked five times. He was on a 1-of-9 stretch in the second half before the final drive, when he also scrambled for a third-down conversion.
Jefferson, meanwhile, stepped up his play after halftime. He completed 14 of 24 passes for 150 yards overall and two second-half touchdowns.
“We knew it would be a tough task for us,” Arkansas coach Sam Pittman said. “But we wanted to be in it in the fourth quarter with an opportunity to win it, and that’s what we were.”
Alabama pushed it to 24-6 with a field goal midway through the third quarter. Roydell Williams ripped off runs of 16, 19 and 35 yards on consecutive carries to start the drive before it stalled.
“We thought that was gonna be the first points of many in the second half,” Booker said.
Added Milroe: “I think we just got complacent.”
Jefferson then muscled Arkansas right back into the game.
On consecutive drives, Jefferson had scrambles of 22 and 23 yards before capping them with touchdown passes: 5 yards to Isaiah Sategna and 14 yards to Rashod Dubinion.
A two-point conversion cut it to 24-21 with 10:59 left. The 247-pound Jefferson also busted out of the grasp of Terrion Arnold to turn what seemed a sure sack into a 25-yard pass on that drive.
“That was one of the most impressive plays I’ve ever seen a player make,” Saban said, comparing it to a cow flicking off a gnat.
Arkansas pushed it near midfield with a chance to at least tie but Alabama ended the threat with a third-down sack by Dallas Turner and Justin Eboigbe.
Alabama didn’t give the Razorbacks a second chance, ending with two kneel-downs.
Cam Little kicked field goals of 55 and 49 yards to stake Arkansas to a a 6-0 first-quarter lead.
It only lasted until Milroe’s deep ball to a wide-open Prentice on third-and-long late in the opening quarter, It was his only completion of the quarter.
THE TAKEAWAY
Arkansas: The Razorbacks lost for the 17th straight time to Alabama. Ultimately it was another in a line of close losses for this team. Tailback Raheim Sanders (knee) didn’t play. Landon Jackson had 11 tackles and 3 1/2 sacks.
Alabama: Pass protection continues to be a major liability. Milroe has been sacked at least four times in five consecutive games, tying the longest streak for an FBS quarterback in the past 20 seasons, according to ESPN.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
Like the Texas A&M game, it wasn’t likely a performance that boosts the Tide’s stock much. This time it could easily go down.
SCORING RECORD
Alabama kicker Will Reichard became the SEC’s all-time leading scorer with his extra point in the first quarter, moving ahead of the record held by former Auburn kicker Daniel Carlson (480).
Arkansas hosts Mississippi State.
Alabama hosts No. 19 Tennessee.
AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll
AP Top 25 Reality Check: Group of 5 teams struggling to break into rankings with lack of P5 upsets
By RALPH D. RUSSO AP College Football Writer
The Group of Five teams have arrived in the AP Top 25.
For the first time this season, more than one team that plays in a non-Power Five conference is ranked in The Associated Press college football poll. Air Force from the Mountain West entered for the first time since 2019 at No. 22 and No. 23 Tulane of the American Athletic Conference re-entered the rankings after starting off the season that way but falling out after a Week 2 loss to Mississippi.
G5 teams tend to work their way into the rankings at this point in the year, but there could be a dearth this season due to a lack of marquee victories over Power Five teams.
Including the preseason poll, there were three weeks when there were no teams representing the group of FBS conferences that includes the American Athletic, Mountain West, Conference USA, Sun Belt and Mid-American.
Fresno State from the Mountain West is the only other G5 team to be ranked. The Bulldogs had a two-week stint.
Conference realignment is a factor, of course. Three of the American’s strongest programs, Cincinnati, UCF and Houston, moved to the Big 12 this year.
There also just haven’t been the notable upsets that propel G5 teams into the rankings.
The only Power Five teams with winning overall records to lose to G5 teams are Oklahoma State (routed at home by South Alabama of the Sun Belt) and Iowa State (lost at Ohio of the MAC) from the Big 12.
That’s going to be a stumbling block for all Group of Five teams this season. Big upsets like Tulane beating Kansas State or Marshall winning at Notre Dame last year trickle down throughout a conference.
So what G5 team is next to crack the Top 25?
James Madison (7-0) received the most points of any team not ranked this week, but the Dukes will be hard to keep out if they keep winning in a tricky Sun Belt East Division.
Liberty (6-0) received five points this week but getting into the Top 25 is going to difficult for the Flames without running the table. They don’t have a Power Five team on the schedule and Conference USA isn’t providing much of a test.
Reality Check believes a ranking is a reward, and encourages poll voters to keep an open mind for any team that navigates its schedule unscathed or close to it.
No. 1 Georgia (7-0)
Reality check: What does this defense look like against a quality passing game? South Carolina is the best it has faced so far and the Bulldogs had one good half and one bad. Florida, Ole Miss, Missouri and Tennessee should provide answers down the stretch.
Ranked: Just right.
No. 2 Michigan (7-0)
Reality check: The J.J. McCarthy Heisman Trophy campaign is likely to pick up. Winning every game by 30 holds down the counting stats, but the third-year quarterback is second in the nation in efficiency rating at 195.91.
Ranked: Just right.
No. 3 Ohio State (6-0)
Reality check: Buckeyes are going to need some healthy running backs this week after they were down to No. 4 on the depth chart last Saturday. Ideally, TreVeyon Henderson, who averages 6.7 yards per carry, will be ready to go.
Ranked: Too high.
No. 4 Florida State (6-0)
Reality check: After Keon Coleman put up 140 yards receiving and a 72-yard punt return against Syracuse, Orange coach Dino Babers said of the receiver: “God was showing off when he made him.”
Ranked: Too low.
No. 5 Washington (6-0)
Reality check: Keeping RB Dillon Johnson healthy is going to be essential for the Huskies. The reliable depth behind him isn’t great and he showed against Oregon he is a valuable weapon.
Ranked: Too low.
No. 6 Oklahoma (6-0)
Reality check: Sooners are tied for fourth in the country and best in the Big 12 in tackles for loss with 8.67 per game, led by LB Danny Stutsman (10 1/2).
Ranked: Too low.
No. 7 Penn State (6-0)
Reality check: QB Drew Allar is the only quarterback in the country to have started all of his teams games and not yet thrown an interception. Can he keep up that ball security against the Buckeyes while not being overly cautious?
Ranked: Just right.
No. 8 Texas (5-1)
Reality check: Want a dark-horse Heisman contender to go with all those quarterbacks? Jonathon Brooks leads all Power Five running backs in rushing at 121.0 yards per game and has a chance to become the focal point of a playoff contending offense down the stretch.
Ranked: Little low.
No. 9 Oregon (6-0)
Reality check: The Ducks are 36th in the country in fourth-down conversion rate at 61.5 percent and their 13 attempts rank 41st. In case you were wondering.
Ranked: Just right.
No. 10 North Carolina (6-0)
Reality check: The addition of WR Tez Walker (three TDs against Miami), back from NCAA eligibility issues, could provide another jolt to an already good offense.
Ranked: Little high.
No. 11 Alabama (6-1)
Reality check: For all the concerns about QB Jalen Milroe’s ability to avoid mistakes, Alabama has the second-lowest turnover percentage in the country at 5.95% of its possessions, according to SportSource Analytics.
Ranked: Little low.
No. 12 Oregon State (6-1)
Reality check: Beavers play Washington and Oregon in their final two games of the season. The Pac-12 won’t be decided without them having a say.
Ranked: Just right.
No. 13 Mississippi (5-1)
Reality check: Few offenses are better at breaking off big plays than Lane Kiffin’s. The Rebels are second in the SEC in plays of more than 20 yards behind only LSU, despite playing one fewer game than most of the conference’s other teams.
Ranked: About right.
No. 14 Utah (5-1)
Reality check: Utes found a new offensive weapon, playing starting safety Sione Vaki at running back against Cal, but how far can a team go with one of the worst passing attacks in the country?
Ranked: Little high.
No. 15 Notre Dame (6-2)
Reality check: Despite the score, the Fighting Irish offense was just OK against USC. They’re just not going to be very explosive.
Ranked: Little high.
No. 16 Duke (5-1)
Reality check: Blue Devils made a statement by methodically burying North Carolina State without QB Riley Leonard (ankle). Probably not staying competitive at Florida State throwing 12 passes though.
Ranked: About right.
No. 17 Tennessee (5-1)
Reality check: This is a running team now, with QB Joe Milton having thrown just six touchdown passes with four interceptions against Power Five opponents. Fortunately, the Vols are in good hands with RB Jaylen Wright, who needs to get the ball more often.
Ranked: About right.
No. 18 Southern California (6-1)
Reality check: All of a sudden the defense might not be the Trojans’ biggest problem. The offensive line is making it hard to get the best out of QB Caleb Williams.
Ranked: Too high.
No. 19 LSU (5-2)
Reality check: If the Tigers could avoid playing teams with functional passing attacks they would be the best team in the country.
Ranked: About right.
No. 20 Missouri (6-1)
Reality check: Tigers are a win away from having a week off to ponder the possibility of the most exciting November the program has had since it won the SEC East in 2013 and ‘14.
Ranked: This is fine.
No. 21 Louisville (6-1)
Reality check: After a brutally disappointing loss at Pitt, the Cardinals still have a fortuitous road to the ACC championship. It’s just hard to have confidence they won’t slip up again.
Ranked: Probably should still be ahead of Notre Dame.
No. 22 Air Force (6-0)
Reality check: The Falcons finally crack the rankings, but do so with the status of QB Zac Larrier (knee) uncertain after he went out late in the Wyoming victory.
Ranked: Tad high.
No. 23 Tulane (5-1)
Reality check: Green Wave are back in the Top 25 and ready to roll, with QB Michael Pratt healthy. He has a 185.4 efficiency rating that would rank fifth in the nation if he qualified.
Ranked: Little low.
No. 24 Iowa (6-1)
Reality check: P Tory Taylor is a weapon, and a frequently used one. He averaged 50 yards on 10 punts and put six inside the 20 against Wisconsin.
Ranked: Too high, but the Hawkeyes are probably just going to keep on winning ugly.
No. 25 UCLA (4-2)
Reality check: Freshman QB Dante Moore has not improved quickly enough to make the Bruins a viable Pac-12 contender.
Ranked: Too high.
AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll
The Associated Press contributed to this article
