Tennessee 26-10 Alabama (Oct 17, 2026) Final Score

Team pages: Alabama · Tennessee

No. 6 Alabama5-210

No. 14 Tennessee6-126Final

Sat, Oct 17 · Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, Tenn. · Crowd 101,915

No. 14 Tennessee beat No. 6 Alabama 26-10 as a 7.5-point underdog.

We had Alabama favored. Tennessee won.

Next: Alabama vs Texas A&M, Sat Oct 24 · 3:30 PM ET · Alabama favored by 14

Next: Tennessee at South Carolina, Sat Oct 24 · 3:30 PM ET · Tennessee underdog by 2.5

Top comment in the game thread

I think he grabbed the ear hole which I believe is still a facemask penalty

Q2 12:18 · r/CFB game thread · Sat, Oct 17

How it swung

The turning point: Ranvier 33-yd field goal, Tennessee leads 6-0 (Q1, 8:59). Tennessee went from 49% to 72% to win.

Before kickoff, our ratings gave Tennessee a 22% chance, and the closing betting line (Tennessee was a 7.5-point underdog) put it at 27%.

FinalTennessee 26-10 AlabamaTennessee wonMove across the chart, or tap a numbered swing, to see any play.

The two plays that swung it

1Q1 8:59Ranvier 33-yd field goal, Tennessee leads 6-0Tennessee 49% → 72% (+23)
2Q3 5:05Bishop 5-yd TD run, Tennessee leads 19-10Tennessee 57% → 79% (+22)

The two plays that swung it

1Q1 8:59Ranvier 33-yd field goal, Tennessee leads 6-0Alabama 51% → 28% (−23)
2Q3 5:05Bishop 5-yd TD run, Tennessee leads 19-10Alabama 43% → 21% (−22)

What fans said, play by play

The line in bold above each quote is written by our model from the thread’s comments and the play-by-play.

Q1 3:11Russell's interception by Lane sparks frustration over Tennessee's stalled offenseWasting that INT sucksr/CFB game thread
Q2 12:18Fans argue refs missed a facemask penalty on Alabama's punt returnQuoted at the top of the page.
Q2 4:04Tennessee fans condemn Rouse for fumbling punt returnRouse should never play another down of football for Tennessee.r/CFB game threadI don't get that at all Honestly though, if they lose now I'll be like it's because they're dumb, not because they're bad at football. Easy cope, sor/CFB game thread
Q4 0:48Tennessee fans celebrate as Alabama's Russell throws an interception to LeeJosh Huepel is undefeated against Bama at homer/CFB game threadSEC Shorts and Roll Call are going to be great on Monday.r/CFB game thread

Tennessee’s chance to win after every play.

How to read this chart

Starts from the pregame line (Alabama -7.5), at 41% for Tennessee (the play-by-play feed's kickoff number, moved to match the line; our model's and the betting line's own numbers are in “The betting line, and the fans”). Dots are the biggest swings; ticks under the chart are scores. Under the scores, r/CFB comments per minute from fans with a Tennessee or Alabama flair (2,400 and 1,745); both sides share one scale, regulation only. A gold diamond marks a play fans were reacting to.

Watch the plays

The bar and the arrow show Tennessee’s chance to win after each play; the logo is the team the play helped.

Every drive

Tennessee scored on 6 of its 13 drives; Alabama on 2 of its 13.

Tennessee’s drives are teal, Alabama’s amber. A line runs from where a drive started to where it ended; a filled dot means it scored.

From Alabama’s side

Alabama’s best moment: 38-yd punt (Q1 6:47). It lifted Alabama’s win chance by 17 points.

How Alabama fans took it: “Are they playing Dixieland Delight 😭😭” r/CFB game thread

“I love how we’ve been begging for a QB that will pass, and now that we’ve finally got that, everyone has forgot how to catch.”

A Tennessee fan

How fans reacted

Steady

Fans peaked in the second quarter.

Jump to the loudest stretch

The jump was steady; the crowd was loud.

Two crowds, one game

The words each side’s fans used far more than the other side, from the game thread.

Tennessee fans

bishop“Guy wasn’t even close to tackling Bishop. Didn’t need to throw that block. But that is absolutely not targeting”

don“If Alabama scores a TD here I genuinely don’t see any way Tennessee can win”

Alabama fans

grubb“We might lose 27-0 via 9 field goals unless Grubb and Keelon remember how to run an offense”

facemask“He shouldn't have put is facemask on the defenders hand. That's on bama”

yards“Should have accepted that penalty to actually get positive yards on the box score.”

penalty“The rule book say facemask is a penalty unless you grab an Alabama players facemask”

Both sets of fans kept coming back to: now, back, take, field.

Too close to call on 52% of plays.

What it cost

Alabama’s chance to make the playoff fell from 77% to 66%.

Make the playoff

Alabama · lost77% → ▼66%

Tennessee · won22% → ▲32%

Win the conference

Alabama · lost20% → ▼11%

Tennessee · won2% → ▲4%

Win the title

Alabama · lost11% → ▼10%

Tennessee · won1% → 1%

Before the game (October 16, 2026) → after this result, in our model.

Alabama plays vs Texas A&M on Sat Oct 24 with a 66% chance to make the playoff. Tennessee plays at South Carolina on Sat Oct 24 with a 32% chance to make the playoff.

Box score

Tennessee 26, Alabama 10

Tennessee covered +7.5 by 23.5. The total, 36, stayed under 50.5.

Team totals	Alabama	Tennessee
Total yards	201	347
Passing	19 of 29, 147 yds	21 of 31, 197 yds
Rushing	26 for 54 yds	41 for 150 yds
First downs	12	20
Third down	2 of 13	6 of 15
Fourth down	1 of 3	1 of 1
Turnovers	4	2
Penalties	10 for 68 yds	8 for 65 yds
Time of possession	24:16	35:44

Alabama leaders

Passing Keelon Russell 19 of 29, 147 yds, 2 INT
Rushing Daniel Hill 7 for 34 yds; Trae'shawn Brown 6 for 12 yds
Receiving Rico Scott 4 for 54 yds; Marshall Pritchett 6 for 39 yds

Tennessee leaders

Passing George MacIntyre 21 of 31, 197 yds, 1 INT
Rushing DeSean Bishop 32 for 159 yds, 2 TD; Daune Morris 4 for 12 yds
Receiving Mike Matthews 7 for 85 yds; Dasaahn Brame 3 for 39 yds

No rain through the game

61° at kickoff · no rain recorded

The usual here around this date is 64°, with about 7 in 10 games between 56° and 74°.

October game-day temperatures at Neyland Stadium

Drag along the chart, or step through the game.

First quarter, 8:59 left4:03 p.m.

Alabama 0, Tennessee 6 · Tennessee 72% to win

no rain · 61°

Ranvier 33-yd field goal, Tennessee leads 6-0

Measured at Knoxville Downtown airport, 2.9 miles away, and Knoxville Municipal airport, 10 miles away. Wind and rain are airport readings near the stadium, not on the field. Game times come from the play-by-play, good to a minute or two. Source: National Weather Service, through the Iowa Environmental Mesonet. Field direction from OpenStreetMap contributors.

Before kickoff

Recent games, the series and the betting line below are as they stood going in; the season profile is the season so far.

This is Third Saturday in October — see the full head-to-head history →

Recent games

Last three games

Alabama · 5-1

Rated 21st in our preseason ratings, 6th now, up 15 spots.

2-1 in its last three, 2 over ranked or top-40 competition.

L 17-20 vs GeorgiaTop 25 #1 of 668

lost by 3 as a 2.5-point favorite

W 56-23 @ Mississippi StateTop 25 #66 of 668

won by 33 as a 5.5-point favorite

W 49-18 vs South Carolina #31 of 668

won by 31 as a 12.5-point favorite

W 50-36 vs Florida State #90 of 668

won by 14 as an 18.5-point favorite

W 45-17 @ KentuckyTop 25 #95 of 668

won by 28 as a 9.5-point favorite

W 48-10 vs East Carolina #76 of 668

won by 38 as a 28.5-point favorite

Last three games

Tennessee · 5-1

Rated 30th in our preseason ratings, 30th now.

2-1 in its last three — but nothing on this résumé beats a top-40 team yet.

W 24-17 @ Arkansas #118 of 668

won by 7 as a 13.5-point favorite

W 24-14 vs Auburn #56 of 668

won by 10 as a 6-point favorite

L 17-20 vs TexasTop 25 #5 of 668

lost by 3 as a 5.5-point underdog

W 42-9 vs Kennesaw State #153 of 668

won by 33 as a 35.5-point favorite

W 45-24 @ Georgia Tech #84 of 668

won by 21 as a 12.5-point favorite

W 56-9 vs Furman #166 of 668

won by 47 as a 49.5-point favorite

Week by week

Tennessee

Wk 2Wat Georgia Tech45-24
Wk 3Wvs Kennesaw State42-9
Wk 4Lvs Texas17-20
Wk 5Wvs Auburn24-14
Wk 6Wat Arkansas24-17

Alabama

Wk 2Wat Kentucky45-17
Wk 3Wvs Florida State50-36
Wk 4Wvs South Carolina49-18
Wk 5Wat Mississippi State56-23
Wk 6Lvs Georgia17-20

Power rating by week

Alabama is rated 6.2 points ahead as of week 6. Our power rating by week; higher is better.

Matchups

Biggest mismatch: Alabama’s explosive plays against Tennessee, 25 points

Each row ranks the two sides among all teams. The longer the line, the bigger the mismatch.

Alabama’s explosive plays against Tennessee’s defense
Alabama offense, 70th percentile · Tennessee defense, 95th
Tennessee’s EPA/play against Alabama’s defense
Tennessee offense, 63rd percentile · Alabama defense, 86th
Alabama’s passing EPA against Tennessee’s defense
Alabama offense, 76th percentile · Tennessee defense, 95th

Season profile, all the rows

Season profile

AlabamaTennessee

EPA/play, offense

EPA/play, defense

Success rate, offense

Success rate, defense

Explosive-play rate, offense

Explosive-play rate, defense

Rush EPA, offense

Rush EPA, defense

Pass EPA, offense

Pass EPA, defense

The series

Alabama leads the series 61-39-7

107 meetings since 1903 · Alabama won the last meeting

2025Alabama 37-20
2024Tennessee 24-17
2023Alabama 34-20
2022Tennessee 52-49The 2022 game and what was said
2021Alabama 52-24

Each line is Tennessee’s chance to win through that meeting. Tennessee is 2-1 in the meetings since 2018 that were still close in the fourth quarter.

Line, fans and home field

The betting line, and the fans

Tennessee fans are in a better mood than Alabama fans (53rd vs 19th among FBS fanbases), even with Alabama favored.

Alabama favored by 7.5 · Total 50.5

How games like this usually go

Alabama by 7.5, on the usual path until Q1 14:51

Half of games8 in 10 gamesThis game

The band is where a favorite’s chance ran in the 385 games since 2025 with a favorite of 7.5 to 14.5 points.

The market

The spread moved 6 points toward Alabama.

The total fell 6 points.

The books’ cut: 4.2%, the margin built into the odds

Home field

Tennessee is worth +6.6 points (±4.8) more at home than on the road since 2018 — top third of FBS, 90th percentile.

66% at home, 49% on the road against FBS opponents (35-18 home, 18-19 away).

Our model gives every stadium the same flat 2.3-point home edge (why); the books use about 3. Against the closing line this stadium reads +1.6 at home vs. away over 98 games — inside the ±6.7 noise, so the flat number is the honest one here.

The visitors travel about 280 miles to get here.

Last meeting in our History pages

Alabama 37, Tennessee 20Oct 18, 2025

Our History pages cover 11 of their meetings since 2015.

Where next

Conference standings

Place in the conference, then conference record.

Tennessee6th2-1
Alabama2nd3-1

Full SEC standings

No. 14 Tennessee upsets No. 6 Alabama 26-10