What was that quote from Alabama offensive lineman Roger Shultz back in 1990? Ah, yes. We ought to pay property tax on Neyland Stadium because we own it. The All-SEC center uttered those words following Alabamas 9-6 win against a favored Vols team in 1990. It was the Crimson Tides fifth straight win against UT and ninth in Neyland Stadium in 11 tries, going back to 1972. It might be time to call the Tennessee state tax accessor again. Alabamas riding a 15-game win streak over Tennessee, including seven straight in Knoxville. Alabamas going for No. 8 this season when the two rivals clash on Oct. 15. It hasnt been much of a rivalry during this Alabama win streak. Its had its momentsRocky Block in 2009 and Derrick Henrys late touchdown to seal a 19-14 win in 2015but this rivalry has been one-sided for quite some time. Tennessees tried to make the right moves to be more competitive. Josh Heupel is the sixth head coach since 2008 and went 7-6 his first season. Hes made some significant changes, but has he done enough to break the Crimson Curse and turn the program around? OffenseHeupel is an offensive guy. More than that Cooper Mays Jersey, hes a quarterback guy. He was a Heisman Trophy runner-up and led Oklahoma to a national title in 2000.His impact was immediate as the Vols offense kicked into high gear, averaging 39 points and 475 yards per game last season. Hendon Hooker passed for 2, 945 yards and 31 TDs with just three interceptions.Hookers primary receiver, Cedric Tillman , is back. Add in Southern Cal transfer Bru McCoy, a few more returning receivers and tight ends and its safe to say Tennessees passing offense could be among the best in the SEC. Hooker can run, too. He scrambled for 616 yards and five TDs behind leading rusher Jabari Small , who returns to the backfield. The only big concern is on the offensive line, which returns Darnell Wright, Cooper Mays and Jerimiah Crawford. The Vols allowed 44 sacks last season, which cant happen if UT expects to improve on a 7-6 record. DefenseIf you look at last years game with Alabama, the Vols held their own for a majority of the game. Then the fourth quarter happened, where Alabama scored four times on the Vols defense to make it a 52-24 rout. Tennessees defense will be an improvement in 2022, and it starts with the defensive line, which was the bright spot for the unit last season. Defensive end Byron Young and linebacker Jeremy Banks each had 5.5 sacks to lead the team. Linebacker Aaron Beasley is another returning player who can help take the defense to the next level. The Vols will be solid in the secondary Jalen Smith Jersey, too. Safeties Trevon Flowers and Jaylen McCollough will lead an experienced group. The big improvement needs to be getting off the field. Opponents converted on third down 42% last season and converted 19 of 36 times on fourth down. UT got into the backfield a lot, but opponents still passed for 273 yards per game. ScheduleTennessee has four SEC road games, including LSU and Georgia. Winning these two is asking a lot from the Vols. Road games at South Carolina and Vanderbilt are the final two of the season, and both are winnable. The other road game is against Pittsburgh in Week 2. Thats a must-win game if Tennessee wants to start the season with confidence. The key game is a home game with Florida in late September. If Tennessee is serious about winning an SEC East crown, something it hasnt done since 2007, it has to win the showdown with the Gators. SEC games with Kentucky and Missouri should be locks for UT, as should non-conference games against UT Martin, Ball State and Akron.OutlookWeve seen this movie before. Tennessee starts the season strong and all looks fine and dandyuntil disaster strikes and the season turns into a trainwreck. That might not happen this time. Heupel appears to be what the Vols need and hes got the ability to get them to the mountaintop. It may not happen this season, but the potential is there. The offense should take care of itself, and if the defense sees some big-time improvement, Georgia may be contending with the Vols for the top spot in the East.The GameDate: Oct. 15 Time: TBDTV: TBDLocation: Neyland StadiumSeries: 58-38-7. The Crimson Tide has won 15 straight. Last meeting: Alabama won 52-24. The Crimson Tide scored four touchdowns in the fourth quarter, including three touchdown in a little over six minutes. Bryce Young passed for 371 yards and two touchdowns, and ran for two additional scores, plus Brian Robinson Jr. totaled 107 rushing yards and three touchdowns at Bryant-Denny Stadium.Navy Shuler Jersey