Tennessee enters a critical five-game stretch still ranked in the AP Top 25 and mathematically alive in the College Football Playoff conversation, but the path forward has narrowed.
Saturday’s loss in Tuscaloosa added to a growing list of self-inflicted setbacks that have put the Vols in a familiar position: talented enough to compete with top teams, but unable to execute in pivotal moments.
No. 17 in the AP Poll, the margin for error is effectively gone.
The same issues have resurfaced for three consecutive weeks: missed tackles, empty possessions, miscommunication, and a failure to finish. Unless Tennessee corrects its defensive fundamentals and reestablishes its identity on offense, a once-promising season risks sliding into disappointment.
Defensive Breakdown Continues to Overshadow Progress
Tennessee’s defense continues to show flashes, but the inconsistencies are alarming.
The tackling remains the most glaring problem, and players are well aware of it.
After the Arkansas game when asked about defensive breakdowns, head coach Josh Heupel and company acknowledged the lack of decisiveness. Then again against Alabama, the same hesitation appeared. Even when defenders were in position, fundamentals broke down at the point of contact.
“Yeah we just got to trust ourselves. Go take a shot and win that one-on-one. When that space comes, take your shot and go make a play. As simple as that,” said linebacker Jeremiah Telander.
One of the most symbolic moments came on a trick play from Alabama. Ty Simpson had a backwards pass to Germie Bernard, and Tennessee had him caged in for a loss. Instead of containing and finishing, Bernard slipped through, turned a loss into a chunk gain.
The same receiver went viral earlier in the week for calling Tennessee’s defense “a field of dreams.”
Mississippi State’s Fluff Bothwell echoed a similar sentiment a couple of weeks earlier before rushing for 130 yards, saying there were “a lot of holes” in Tennessee’s defense.
At this point, those critiques are no longer trash talk. They are trends.
Another costly breakdown came in the red zone when Alabama’s Ricco Scott caught a short pass near the 11-yard line. Tennessee’s Ty Redmond had a clean angle to stop him several yards short, but instead of wrapping up, he lowered his shoulder. Scott stayed upright, regained balance, and muscled into the endzone.
VFL Todd Kelly Jr. has emphasized the same fix on Live Ball: it starts with contact, leverage, and intent. Until Tennessee becomes a consistent tackling team, opponents will continue attacking the edges and forcing one-on-one situations that the Vols are not winning.
“It’s in the details and we need to be more detail orientated, the ball rolled [Alabama’s] way [Saturday] night,” said Telander.
Offense Loses Rhythm and Abandons the Run
Offensively, Tennessee lacked rhythm and balance.
Joey Aguilar has been one of the more composed quarterbacks in the conference this season, but Saturday was one of his least controlled outings.
The end-of-half decision proved costly. DeSean Bishop was producing at nearly nine yards per carry, yet the Vols shifted away from the ground game. Instead of leaning on what was working, the offense forced a throw that Alabama returned for a momentum-shifting pick-six.
Bishop echoed the offensive frustration, saying, “Just need to execute better, overall. Kind of showed up throughout the whole game. You know, just hurting ourselves in situations where we could easily punch in for a touchdown or get a first down. Just making it a lot harder on ourselves than it needs to be.”
With Kentucky and Oklahoma ahead, Tennessee’s path is straightforward: run the football.
Kentucky ranks 85th nationally in rushing defense, and Tennessee is at its best when the ground game establishes tempo and opens the vertical pass.
Alabama players spoke all week about their trust in one another and the fight they play with.
Tennessee also talked about needing more trust, but on game day, only one team played like it believed it.
Passion, Connection, and Leadership
As the season tightens, emotional leadership becomes just as important as scheme.
Tennessee has individual sparks.
Bishop runs with juice. Aguilar stays vocal. Arion Carter sets a tone physically. But the collective energy has not matched the urgency of the moment.
“In this league is very margin is very small, you know, especially where every team is good no matter what their record says, you know, and we got to continue to just focus in on that what we want to do, you know, stay the course,” said Bishop.
The running back added, “You know, God’s already paved the way, you know, we we keep I feel like we keep trying to get off that path that he’s already paved, but we just got to keep walking that path strongly and trusting in him regardless of what the outside world is throwing at us.”
The Path Forward
If Tennessee wants to stay in the postseason conversation and avoid surrendering a season that still has potential, the corrections are clear:
Fundamentals: Clean up tackling and finish plays
Identity: Lean on the run to unlock the rest of the offense
Leadership: Emotional and vocal accountability in critical moments
The Vols are still capable of making a run.
The question is no longer about talent. It is about response. With Kentucky on deck, the Vols need to bounce back with a convincing win on the road to begin their climb in the rankings once again.
