Josh Heupel calls No. 6 Alabama a 'massive test' as Tennessee preps for Week 7

Tennessee coach Josh Heupel opened Alabama week by giving the Crimson Tide's offense a lot of credit. He said the unit has become much more efficient at running the ball and that its quarterback is making plays with his arm and his legs. He summed up what that means for his own defense in four words.

"It's a massive test," Heupel said Monday, according to Vols Wire, which covered his game-week press conference.

No. 6 Alabama (5-1) visits No. 14 Tennessee (5-1) on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. EDT on ABC. Both teams have one loss, and the winner comes out of mid-October in a much better spot in the SEC race.

Heupel spent much of his Alabama assessment on the quarterback. He described a passer who is throwing efficiently and piling up yards, and who can extend plays and scramble for yardage. Heupel added that the quarterback will also push the ball downfield when a defense fails to match up in coverage. For a Tennessee defense, that leaves little room to sell out against either the run or the pass.

He also pointed to the Alabama defense. Heupel called the Tide big, strong and physical up front, with an active group of linebackers behind that line. He said Alabama has made it hard for opponents to run the ball and has not given up many explosive plays. He also noted that the Tide have gotten their hands on plenty of passes and forced turnovers.

That last point carries extra weight for the Vols. Tennessee won at Arkansas last Saturday, its first win in Fayetteville since 2001. DeSean Bishop scored the go-ahead touchdown, and George MacIntyre made the start at quarterback. Vols Wire noted that MacIntyre is the first Tennessee native to start at quarterback for the program since Jauan Jennings. Heupel also spoke Monday about where the quarterback position stands heading into the Alabama game, and Vols Wire separately tracked the injury status of Ryan Coleman-Williams ahead of the matchup.

The market has Alabama as a clear road favorite. The Tide are favored at -317 on Novig, one of the venues listing the game. BetMGM has them at -325, the best sportsbook price on Alabama. The spread has Tennessee getting 8.5 points, and the total is 53.5. Full numbers are on the Alabama at Tennessee odds page.

That line means the market expects Alabama's balance on offense and its disruptive defense to travel. Heupel's message on Monday was that he has seen the same strengths on film. His team has five days to come up with a plan to slow a quarterback who can beat it in more than one way, while protecting the ball against a defense that has been taking it away.