TUSCALOOSA, Al. – The Alabama Crimson Tide once again proved they're a national championship contender by defeating the Tennessee Volunteers. When all was said and done, the final score of the game was 37-20.

At the end of the first half, it was all Alabama. From the very start of the game, it was clear that the Crimson Tide wanted to make a statement.

Heading into halftime, Alabama held a 23-7 lead. On the final play of the first half, Zabien Brown picked off Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar at the goal line and returned it 99 yards for a touchdown. In the second half, the Crimson Tide did not take their foot off of the gas pedal.

Head coach Kalen DeBoer and company improved to 6-1 on the season.

When the season started with a crushing loss to the Florida State Seminoles, Alabama was quickly written off by many. Instantly, fans and the media started questioning whether or not DeBoer was the right man for the job. Plenty of people urged the program to bring Nick Saban out of retirement.

Now, there is a resounding sentiment that DeBoer might just be the perfect man to replace Saban. He has the program looking like a serious contender once again.

Throughout the course of the game, quarterback Ty Simpson completed 19 of his 29 pass attempts for 253 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions. Germie Bernard also put together another big game with five catches for 60 yards and four carries for 49 yards.

Ryan Williams chipped in with a solid game as well, catching five passes for 87 yards.

Defensively, the Crimson Tide gave the Volunteers headaches all night long. Tennessee was able to make some big plays and still put up points, but the work wasn't easy.

Looking ahead at the schedule for Alabama, there are still tough games to come. Next week, the Crimson Tide will hit the road to take on South Carolina, with matchups at home against LSU and Oklahoma in the following two weeks.

There is a lot of work left to be done for Alabama. Nothing has been won yet. However, each and every week the team continues to look better.

DeBoer has done an excellent job of turning this season around after the season opener. If the Crimson Tide can continue playing at the level they have shown over the last six games, a trip to the College Football Playoff is in their future.