Rece Davis picks Tennessee-Alabama winner on Saturday

The “Third Saturday in October” carries a familiar drumbeat, and this week it comes with a clear voice from ESPN’s College GameDay podcast. On Wednesday, college football analyst Rece Davis said he is siding with Alabama against Tennessee. The conversation with cohost Pete Thamel touched on recent history, defensive trends, and pressure on the quarterback, then landed on a confident call for the home team.

Davis framed it as a high-scoring clash. He credited Alabama’s improvement in coverage while acknowledging that run fits have sprung leaks at times. He pointed to freshman cornerback Dijon Lee Jr. as an emerging piece on the back end, and he circled the need to get receivers Germie Bernard and Ryan Williams involved against a Tennessee defense that challenges in man coverage. He also spotlighted Ty Simpson’s ball security as a hinge point in a game where short fields could decide momentum.

“I’m going to take Alabama, too. I think this is going to be a wild, high-scoring game. Alabama still hasn’t solved all of its problems in rush defense. Though they did a really good job against Ahmad Hardy, they still gave up some chunk plays against Missouri. Alabama’s pass defense, as you said, has been very good. And I’m going to tell you, this freshman Dijon Lee Jr., he’s got NFL written all over him in a couple years. He’s been terrific, and he will be challenged by the downfield passing attack that Tennessee has.

"I think Alabama gets Ryan Williams going; he didn’t have anything. I think they get Germie Bernard going, because I think Tennessee likes to challenge you and play a little bit of man. The big deal is going to be, can they get pressure on Ty Simpson? If they can and force some mistakes, which he has not been prone to do, it will help the Vols’ cause greatly. But I’m going to go with Alabama at home winning the game.”

Rece Davis’ Alabama Pick Emphasizes Coverage Strength, Turnover Avoidance

Davis’ reasoning pulled together what Alabama has done well over the last month and where the matchup tilts. The secondary has settled, which gives Alabama flexibility to live in split-safety looks without conceding space downfield. That is central against a Tennessee passing game that pushes vertically and attacks one-on-one.

Naming freshman cornerback Dijon Lee Jr. as a difference-maker underscored an expectation that Alabama can win enough isolated snaps at corner to survive Tennessee’s tempo and spacing.