Following their 35-40 defeat to Vanderbilt and their 27-25 victory over South Carolina, the Alabama Crimson Tide find themselves in a difficult situation once more. Their next game is against Tennessee, who are coming off a very close win against Florida Gators, 23-17. Now, both teams enter an SEC matchup on October 19. However, some analysts predict that Kalen DeBoer’s Bama will have a tough time against the Vols.

In a video posted on their X account on October 14, The Next Round questioned Tom Luginbill, “Do you think Alabama needs more of the traditional run game with the running backs?” in reference to the game between Tennessee and Alabama. To which he replied, “Yeah, I kind of look at Alabama a little bit with non-quarterback runs, the way I look at Georgia to some degree and, you know, not being able to just line up and run the football without the use of Jalen Milro.“ But what’s the reason behind choosing Jalen Milroe?

Tom Luginbill stated on the same show, “I think that Jalen Milroe is the X factor against a team like Tennessee,” Additionally, he said, “Because if you want to stop the run, but you want to play man-to-man defense, you don’t have anybody to account for the quarterback.” And with 964 passing yards and 10 touchdowns, Milroe is a nightmare for opposing teams because of his dual-threat skills. Not only that, but he also scored eight touchdowns and gained 273 yards in the air while rushing in 2024 season. Hence, you may see that Milroe strengthens Alabama’s defense, but what about Kalen DeBoer’s offense?

Does Kalen DeBoer’s offense pack a punch?

Alabama’s recent game against Vanderbilt made evident how much the defense is failing. The big takeaways from their previous game weren’t sacks. Vandy converted third downs at a rate of 67% and missed their lone try at a fourth down. Now, you can see where the problems were. With 166 yards on 54 runs and two touchdowns, Vanderbilt’s running attack tired out the Alabama defense.

On the other hand, it appears that Kalen DeBoer’s defense has improved in the game against South Carolina. Although, Milroe didn’t have a good game. He had several costly errors that included two interceptions and a safety. However, the QB proved to be mature in his desire to move past his errors and score when it mattered late in the fourth quarter.

But this time, Josh Heupel & Co. can test Kalen DeBoer’s offense. DeBoer’s team is a unique offensive design that emphasizes breaking down defenses and mastering particular route techniques. However, “There’s going to be a lot of our offense that we never install this year, just because of the players that we have,” said the head coach. But as of right now, the club is led by players like Miles McVay, Tyler Booker, Casey Poe, and others. So, can they defeat the Vols? Let’s wait and watch the game between Tennessee and Alabama.