[tps_header][/tps_header]
1. Alabama
The Vols closed the gap big time this year, taking a fourth-quarter lead against Alabama before ultimately falling 19-14 to the Tide in Tuscaloosa. Alabama may not feel like the unbeatable juggernaut that defeated the Vols by an average of 32 points from 2010-13, but the Tide remains on top in terms of toughest opponents until further notice. Alabama will likely lose a ton of talent to graduation/NFL including RB Derrick Henry, LB Reggie Ragland, DL A’Shwan Robinson and several others, but Alabama continues to show that it reloads, not rebuilds. Throw in the fact that this will be the fourth straight difficult game in a row, and Alabama has a less difficult path in the weeks leading up to the UT game in 2016, and this remains the top challenge for the Vols for now.
