We can talk about Hendon Hooker. We can talk about Jalin Hyatt.

Hell, we can even talk about Chase McGrath.

There's zero debate the Tennessee Volunteers received major contributions from all over the roster during Saturday night's epic 52-49 win over the Alabama Crimson Tide. The Vols needed every single inch of grass and every single drop of blood, sweat, and tears to get the job done – which was expected coming in.

And everyone delivered, for the most part. From the players to the coaches, everyone hand their hand in the pot to an extent.

But none of Saturday's success would've been possible without the performance from the offensive line. On a night when the Vols needed their offense to be at its peak, it was the offensive line that set the tone and paved the way for Hooker and co. to finally put Tennessee's 15-year losing streak against Alabama to rest.

And as a result, the offense hung 52 points on a Nick Saban-coached defense.

It all started with the Vols' rushing attack, which the coaching staff vowed to stick with after ditching it early in 2021. Alabama boasted the nation's eighth-best run defense coming into Saturday afternoon, allowing just 84.5 yards per game. That mark included a 187-yard output from the Arkansas Razorbacks, as well.

Teams averaged just 2.39 yards per carry against the Crimson Tide's stout run defense. Said opponents found the end zone via the ground game just four times in six games.

The Vols obliterated those marks on Saturday night. Tennessee ran for 182-yards on the ground and averaged 4.7 yards per carry. They also matched Bama's season-high mark of two rushing touchdowns allowed in a single game.

It didn't stop there, though. The Tide's pass rush was considered by many to be one of the nation's best coming into the contest and the numbers reflected as much. Alabama averaged exactly 3.0 sacks per game and had 18.0 total sacks on the season – both top-20 marks in the country.

Once again, the Vols offensive line took care of business. Hendon Hooker was sacked just once and avoided heavy pressure for most of the night. Sure, Bama won some reps -most notably on Hooker's interception- but the offensive line kept their QB clean and effective for a large chunk of the night.

Nothing says that more than ESPN's metric stating Hooker was not hurried once all night long.

Not. One. Single. Time.

And this is with potential first-rounder Will Anderson leading the way for the Tide.

"It starts with [offensive line] coach [Glenn] Elarbee, who does a phenomenal job with those guys," head coach Josh Heupel said after the game. "They continue to grow together. Fundamentally, they've gotten better. Communication, we've been fortunate that we've been able to have guys play at their position – you know our left tackles changed back-and-forth a little bit, we've had some consistency.

"… It's all of it together. Obviously, the offensive line is where it starts for us."

No one really talked about the offensive line during the game, which is an ideal situation for both whatever team one is rooting for and the team, itself.

But there will be -and there should be- plenty of chatter surrounding the group today and in the coming days. Especially once people start going back and reviewing the tape.

And Heupel and co. wouldn't prefer it any other way.

Featured image via Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports