Pruitt appeared on DawgNation podcast of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution ....excerpts of a few of his comments....

--- “I think who plays quarterback for Alabama will be a big tell in this game: If Bryce (Young) plays, I think Alabama has the advantage, if he doesn’t, it becomes kind of a toss-up.”

--- RE: UT DEFENSE vs. BAMA OFFENSE

“It really starts on third down,” Pruitt said. “If (Jalen) Milroe is playing, then you have to have someone that spies him all the time with his ability to scramble.

“Not that Bryce Young can’t scramble — he does — but when he does, he does more so to throw the football down the field.”

“It gives you a great idea that when so-and-so is quarterback, there are more balls thrown at 8 yards (as opposed to) 5 yards or less,” Pruitt said. “They will also do some kind of study about how they handle pressure.”

“A lot of it is not going to change when it comes to the run game,” Pruitt said, sharing that the Alabama QB decision doesn’t affect the majority of the Tide’s rushing attack.

“Could there be a few more designated runs from one quarterback to the other? Absolutely. But I really think you look at it, and it will be (more on) third down and red area. You get to the red area with a running quarterback, it’s really like Wildcat.”

--- RE: BAMA DEFENSE vs. UT OFFENSE

“Alabama is gonna say ‘we’re not going to let them run the football,’ " Pruitt said. “To do that, they’re going to have to give an extra guy in the box, because the runs with Hendon Hooker is like playing Wildcat , so it’s going to force them to play one-on-ones (in pass coverage).

“There will be a lot of one-on-ones in this game, so the ball will be thrown down the field.”

“He’s (Hooker) at nearly 50 percent, and that’s really, really good,” Pruitt said. “The thing that’s going come into play there will be the officials. How are they going to let them play down the field?

“Alabama is going to play bump and run, and when they get down there on contested balls, is it going to be incompletes, or pass interferences?”

--- KEYS TO THE WIN

“I think this will be on Tennessee’s defense, I believe Tennessee is going to score points — they’ve scored points ever since Josh Heupel has been there, except for a few games,” Pruitt said.

“So I think it will come down to if Tennessee’s defense can get some stops.”

Pruitt said it’s not “if,” but “when,” Alabama gets deep into the Vols’ territory.

“Alabama is going to move the football, when the ball gets into the red area, can they hold them to field goals?” Pruitt said. “Can they get a couple of turnovers, can they hold them to field goals in the red area?

“Look for the middle eight — the last four minutes of the first half, and the first four minutes of the second half — who wins the middle eight?” Pruitt said.

“I think Tennessee has got to win the middle eight, got to hold them to field goals in the red area, and got to get a few turnovers.”