Alabama's Response Against Tennessee Will Tell Us Everything

The Alabama Crimson Tide lost a heartbreaker to the Georgia Bulldogs this past weekend, falling 20-17 in a nail-biter that featured some questionable officiating.

But regardless of the referees, Alabama lost the game, and it now sits at 5-1 heading into its Week 7 matchup against the Tennessee Volunteers.

The Crimson Tide did not move in the newest AP top 25 poll, as they remain at No. 6. Clearly, the voters still have faith in Alabama and weren't prepared to punish Kalen DeBoer's squad for such a close loss to the new No. 1.

But are the Tide still legitimate national championship contenders?

Chances are, yes. Alabama remains one of the most talented teams in the country, and the Crimson Tide were this close to toppling Georgia.

However, we are about to find out what 'Bama is really made of in Knoxville this Saturday.

Tennessee is not quite as talented as Alabama, but it is still a good ballclub with a dangerous rushing attack. The Volunteers are also a physical group with one of the better defenses in the SEC, so this will be a challenge for the Crimson Tide.

But how Alabama responds in this game will tell us everything we need to know.

Obviously, the Georgia loss was tough, but the Crimson Tide can't let it stick with them. Especially not with such a challenging opponent on tap.

Over the first two years of DeBoer's tenure in Tuscaloosa, Alabama was largely accused of being too soft. This represents a great opportunity for the Tide to break that trend.

Personally, I feel this Alabama team has already proved it's different from its first two iterations under DeBoer, but a loss at Tennessee would definitely comprise a major setback.

It would also represent a devastating blow to the Crimson Tide's national championship chances. Heck, it could even put their CFP hopes in peril.

A tough club would absolutely rebound here and put together a strong win on the road. That is what Alabama needs to do.

The Crimson Tide are the better team than the Vols. I don't think anyone would argue otherwise. But that doesn't mean this Saturday is a guaranteed victory. Not even close.

If Alabama bounces back and improves to 6-1, everyone can resume touting 'Bama as a serious championship contender. Lose, and the same questions regarding DeBoer will resurface.

We'll see which Crimson Tide squad decides to show up this weekend.