No. 6 Tennessee (5-0, 2-0 Southeastern Conference) welcomes No. 3 Alabama (6-0, 3-0) for a game-of-the-year candidate this Saturday. Here’s what to know about the intriguing rivalry matchup.

• WHAT: Alabama at Tennessee
• WHEN: 2:30 p.m. CT Saturday
• WHERE: Neyland Stadium
• SERIES: Alabama leads, 59-38-7
• TV: CBS
• LINE: Alabama by 7.5

The Tennessee Report: Alabama on 121-year-old rivalry, Vols on the Tide

THREE THINGS TO LOOK FOR

1. No surprise here, the quarterbacks: Bryce Young has been “on a pitch count” at practice as he returns from his sprained AC joint injured against Arkansas. He didn’t play last week but watched in full uniform from the sidelines. Jalen Milroe played with “anxiety” in his place, Saban said, but the Tide’s offense managed enough big plays. If Young can go, Alabama will need its Heisman Award winner sharp in front of a raucous crowd. If it’s Milroe, the Tide will need to significantly reduce the giveaways after four last week and create a few against one of the better turnover-ratio teams in the SEC (+5). Both Milroe and Young should be able to thrive against the Volunteers’ secondary. Tennessee yields 307.4 passing yards a game compared to Alabama’s 116.3.

2. Time of possession: For as efficient and explosive as these offenses can be, they don’t hold onto the ball for very long. Each side ranks among the bottom of the conference in time of possession, which is somewhat expected given Tennessee’s up-tempo offense and Alabama’s success when going no-huddle. Josh Heupel’s side is one of four teams in the country with a 100% success rate in the red zone (27-for-27, 21 touchdowns and six field goals) and finds favorable matchups against teams that can’t substitute defenders. Alabama’s unit has had multiple defense sets work this year, like the speed-rush “cheetah” package. But, the Tide have been caught on some blown assignments after late substitutions.

3. Crowd control: The early-afternoon CBS matchup seems fitting for a game like this. A sellout crowd of 101,915 is expected and the program is attempting to host an “Orange Out.” Alabama faced one of those against the Razorbacks and emptied the stands with a flurry of fourth-quarter runs. More importantly, the Crimson Tide will have to handle crowd noise. Saban spoke this week about how the team should be used to loud environments after the Texas and Arkansas games. A false start or delay of game penalty can be some of the mental errors preventing the Tide from stringing together a complete performance on the road.

KEY MATCHUP

Alabama offensive line versus Tennessee front seven: The SEC’s two best run defenses will face off. While the Vols excel at moving the ball through the air, a Milroe-led offense likely features heavy runs. Alabama’s Seth McLaughlin has delivered a jolt at center for the injured Darrion Dalcourt and the tackles have done better in pass protection. Bill O’Brien showed glimpses of quarterback power with Milroe, but even if Young plays, expect a reliance on Jahmyr Gibbs to top Tennessee’s 89.2 rushing yards allowed per game.

BY THE NUMBERS

$458 — The cheapest ticket, with fees included, on Stubhub as of Thursday morning for the game. Knoxville-area cigar shops have seen an uptick in sales as Vols fans prep for a potential postgame celebration.

TENNESSEE PLAYER TO WATCH

QB Hendon Hooker: The sixth-year senior is having an “outstanding year,” per Saban. He’s thrown for 10 touchdowns, 1,432 yards and no interceptions this season. If he throws for a score against Alabama, he’ll tie a Volunteers’ record for consecutive weeks with a touchdown pass (matching Heath Shuler’s 1992-1994 mark). Hooker’s career passing efficiency is even higher than Bryce Young’s (172.14 to 167.41). Hooker is the best quarterback Alabama will face in the regular season. Like KJ Jackson at Arkansas, stopping the quarterback can be the key to a road win.

Nick Alvarez is a reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @nick_a_alvarez or email him at [email protected].