The Tennessee Volunteers actually put together their first victory against a Division I (FBS) foe last week when they beat Mississippi State. But they better not have celebrated all that long, as they have a tough assignment on their hands if they even want to stay competitive. They have to travel to Tuscaloosa and meet up with the top-ranked team in the land when the Alabama Crimson Tide will be awaiting them, in an SEC battle that begins at 9 PM ET at Bryant-Denny Stadium. It will be shown on ESPN, and if you are a BetAnySports customer, you'll have the chance to place wagers on it even after the kickoff when you take advantage of what Live Betting Ultra has to offer.

The Vols registered seven sacks in last week's win, but it came at a cost, as freshman Brian Maurer, who had stepped in and given some semblance of life to the Vols' offense, had to leave with a concussion after landing rather awkwardly on his head. He has been deemed a "game time decision" by coach Jeremy Pruitt. And Tennessee could certainly go with Jarrett Guarantano, who was their starter last year and was removed in favor of Maurer, only to go in and finished the last three quarters of last Saturday's contest.

There is one absence we can definitely confirm. Henry To'o To'o (we really just wanted to write that name) is going to be held out of the first half of the game because of a targeting call he got in the last game. He's a rare guy with experience in that linebacking corps, as well as someone who was considered one of the top talents in the country at the position when coming out of high school. So those of you who are first-half bettors may be interested in that bit of information.

In the NCAA football odds posted on this game - with reduced juice attached - at BetAnySports, the Crimson Tide is favored to roll:

Alabama Crimson Tide -34.5 (-105)
Tennessee Volunteers +34.5 (-105)

Over 61 points (-108)
Under 61 points (-102)

Tennessee fans love the potential upside of Maurer. After he had committed to the program last year, he went out and threw for 513 yards, adding 195 more on the ground, in a high school game in Florida.

But hey - let's not get carried away with ourselves. Maurer has only completed 46%, and he's thrown four interceptions in 48 attempts, with five sacks. And he's had 29 net rushing yards. The idea of the this game being such a lost cause that players like Maurer should rest and heal has been floated; local sports columnist John Adams (Knoxville Sentinel) thinks Pruitt should start J.T. Shrout, the third-stringer, at quarterback. "What's the point of risking injuries to key players in a game Tennessee can't win?," he writes.

Meanwhile, it's relatively insane what Tua Tagovailoa has been able to do in pursuit of the Heisman Trophy and possible status as the #1 pick in the next NFL Draft (especially if Miami is selecting). He has thrown 27 touchdown passes and been intercepted only once, with almost 74% completions.

There's been talk about how Alabama's defense is a notch or two down this year. And it would appear to be, as it ranks 37th overall and 46th against the run. At the same time, Tennessee (104th in total offense) has been hard-pressed to put points on the board against any semi-worthy foe (although one of the "sucks" on the schedule, Georgia State, beat them). We give them credit for working hard on the defensive end, though.

Pruitt was the defensive coordinator for two of Alabama's championship teams, but Nick Saban has never been known to take it easy on former assistants. We think this will manifest itself in a rough day for the offense, so we'd be willing to go "under" in this one.

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