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Week 7 of the 2022 college season is here, which means it is time for some Alabama football bold predictions. The No. 3 Crimson Tide will travel to face the No. 6 Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday. This should be one of the most exciting games of the week as both are battling for a spot in the College Football Playoff.
Alabama is coming off a close 24-20 win over the Texas A&M Aggies. Playing with backup quarterback Jalen Milroe, the Crimson Tide had only 111 passing yards, plus four turnovers. Despite the hiccup, the team is still undefeated at 6-0 and on pace for another SEC title run.
However, the Volunteers are also undefeated. They have also faced three ranked teams, while Alabama only did it once.
With that being said, here are some bold college football predictions for Alabama’s SEC road clash against Tennessee.
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3. Bryce Young returns
While Milroe did throw for three touchdowns, the turnovers and low yardage almost cost the Crimson Tide the game. As a result, Alabama football only scored once in the second half. Relying on its defense, Nick Saban's team came up with big stops in the last minutes to get away with the win.
As much as Milroe did a solid job for a first start in college, Alabama really missed Bryce Young. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner sat out due to a shoulder injury he suffered the week prior.
Things are still uncertain about Young's status for Saturday. With such an important game against a top-10 team, Saban and the coaching staff might consider utilizing the quarterback, even if he is not 100% yet.
But if there is one game for his return, this is the one. The Volunteers' defense is only No. 128 in the nation, allowing 307.4 passing yards per game. Since his shoulder might affect his throwing abilities, playing versus a weaker defense could be a good way to get back in rhythm.
Considering the circumstances, especially the opponent, Young should return to the starting lineup on Saturday.
2. Crimson Tide's defense forces at least three turnovers
One thing that Tennessee is doing very well in 2022 is taking care of the ball. In five games, the team has a total of just five turnovers, all being lost fumbles. That includes no turnovers against the then-No. 25 LSU Tigers.
On the other hand, Alabama's defense has forced just five turnovers across six games. Three were fumble recoveries and two were interceptions. Even though those numbers are not exactly impressive, there are still many reasons to believe the Crimson Tide's defense could get an advantage over quarterback Hendon Hooker and the Volunteers.
First, Tennessee has allowed eight sacks. That means Alabama football could pressure Hooker to bad throws or force fumbles when sacking him.
Most importantly, Alabama has plenty of high-level players who can force those turnovers. The Crimson Tide have linebacker Dallas Turner who is coming off a two-sack performance against the Aggies. They also have Will Anderson Jr., who is expected to be a top pick in next year's NFL draft. Anderson already has five sacks, plus an interception.
Because of that, Alabama is the team most likely to break the efficiency of Tennessee's offense. The bold prediction is that the Crimson Tide will force at least three turnovers on Saturday, which could be determinant to the matchup's final result.
1. Alabama wins on a last-minute score
A contest between two high-ranked teams is always a must-see. Every possession counts. Every score counts. Also, whatever happens can have serious effects on the conference title and CFP selection. Because of that, fans should expect one of the best games of the season on Saturday.
It should be a back-and-forth type of contest with many scores and forced turnovers from both sides. When the season is over, people will look back at this game and still talk about how it changed the course for the Crimson Tide and the Volunteers, for better or for worse.
All things considered, Saban and Alabama still have more experience on the big stage than Josh Heupel and Tennessee. The Crimson Tide are perennial CFP members and always competing for the conference title. On the other hand, the Volunteers are under Heupel for just their second season, so there is still a transition happening in Knoxville.
Yet, the Volunteers should still put up a fight. It will come down to Young's ability to play in clutch time. The quarterback will lead the Crimson Tide to a game-winning drive in the last minute of the game. He will make big throws that will put Alabama football in a great field position for a score.
Alabama will win, but it should be one of the tougher matchups of the 2022 season.
