Where Tennessee and Alabama are expected to be ranked for this years Third Saturday in October matchup in Knoxville
Tennessee and Alabama are both 5-1 at the midway point of the 2026 college football season.
The Tennessee Vols and the Alabama Crimson Tide will meet in Knoxville next weekend in the latest installment of the annual Third Saturday in October rivalry.
Tennessee is coming off a hard-fought 24-17 win on the road over Arkansas.
Alabama, meanwhile, lost its first game of the season in Week 6, falling 20-17 to the Georgia Bulldogs in Tuscaloosa.
Where Tennessee and Alabama are expected to be ranked for this year’s game
Tennessee entered the weekend ranked No. 15 in the AP Top 25 poll.
On3 and CBS Sports both think that Tennessee will move up one spot to No. 14 after the win over Arkansas.
Alabama entered the weekend ranked No. 6.
On3 and CBS Sports both have the Crimson Tide falling to No. 7 this week.
The official AP Top 25 poll will be released later on Sunday afternoon. But for now, the best guess is that this year’s Third Saturday in October matchup will feature No. 7 Alabama and No. 14 Tennessee. The winner of the game will kick off the second half of the season in prime position to reach the College Football Playoff.
