The No. 6 Alabama Crimson Tide entered Saturday’s clash with the No. 14 Tennessee Volunteers having not won a game in Knoxville since 2020.
That streak continued as Alabama struggled to put last week’s loss to the Georgia Bulldogs behind it and was outplayed by the Volunteers in just about every area throughout the game.
Tennessee won 26-10 and never trailed, as the Crimson Tide struggled to find any offensive rhythm.
Keelon Russell Places Blame After Alabama’s Loss
Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell, who’s been a pleasant surprise this season, had the worst game of his young college career.
He completed just 9 of 29 pass attempts for 147 yards, no passing touchdowns and two interceptions. He also rushed 11 times for six yards and a touchdown, but lost a fumble.
After the loss, Russell made it clear that he blamed himself for Alabama’s defeat.
“Me, I had a horrible game. I put it all on myself,” Russell said postgame, via Brett Greenberg. “I couldn’t even lead my team down the field.”
Alabama QB Keelon Russell: “Me, I had a horrible game. I put it all on myself. I couldn’t even lead my team down the field.”
— Brett Greenberg (@BrettGreenberg_) October 17, 2026
Looking at Alabama
Head coach Kalen DeBoer’s message throughout the week leading up to the Tennessee game was to not let Georgia beat them twice.
That meant putting last week’s loss behind them and focusing solely on the Volunteers. While Tennessee deserves immense credit for the way it played from start to finish, Alabama didn’t appear to do that.
Now, the Crimson Tide’s margin for error moving forward is slim to none. They sit at 5-2 overall and will almost certainly fall out of the top 10 in the AP Top 25 rankings when they’re released on Sunday.
They still have multiple high-profile SEC showdowns remaining in late October and throughout November. And will gear up for a showdown against Texas A&M in Week 8 at home in Tuscaloosa.
Alabama QB Keelon Russell Places Blame After Upset Loss to Tennessee