Former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky struggled to keep it together as his ABC colleague Booger McFarland used a bikini analogy to sum up the Tennessee Volunteers.

The Volunteers pulled off a huge victory on Saturday, defeating the Alabama Crimson Tide 24-17. However, two-time Super Bowl winner McFarland couldn’t believe that Tennessee was still in the game, pointing out their “ugly” offense play in the first half, where they trailed 7-0 at the break.

“How is Tennessee still in this game?” McFarland said. “Because it’s been ugly on the offensive side no doubt. There’s an old saying I learned a long time ago: Stats are like bikinis, they show some things but not all things. You look at the stats Tennessee should be getting blown out in this game. Two missed field goals, three turnovers.

“They can’t run the football. But because of their defense specifically, that defensive line there in this game. They played seven to eight, nine guys up front on defense – that defensive line is single-handedly keeping this team in a football game. They got to figure out a way offensively to manufacture some offense and run the football This is a running football team and until they start doing that they’re gonna be in trouble.”

All while McFarland was preaching his beliefs on Tennessee, ABC colleague Orlovsky was struggling to hold back his laughter. Tennessee were listening, though, as they scored all of their 24 points in the second half.

And two of their three touchdowns on Saturday afternoon were rushing touchdowns by Dylan Sampson, who also carried for a total of 139 yards. What a night on Rocky Top,” Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel said after the game. “This is college football absolutely as good as it gets. I love our fans. They hung in there with us tonight, a big part of the game. Hell of a day to wear orange.”

Tennessee also limited the Crimson Tide to 75 rushing yards and 17 points. “This group believes that they’re really good, and that if they play 11 guys together and play physical, that these guys got a chance to be really special,” Heupel added.

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Tennessee listened to Booger McFarland's half-time assessment and won the game in the third and fourth quarter

Tennessee listened to Booger McFarland’s half-time assessment and won the game in the third and fourth quarter ( 

Image:

Getty)

As for Alabama, they’re now 5-2 and ranked No. 7. It was their second defeat in under two weeks, having fallen to Vanderbilt on Oct. 5, before getting back to winning ways the next week, a 27-25 win over South Carolina.

“Just can’t play team football, just can’t bring it together,” first-year head coach Kalen DeBoer said. “Try to look inward after every game and will continue to do it… just frustrating that we can’t get over the hump.”

After two defeats, the Crimson Tide has just over a 50% chance of making the college football playoffs this year, according to projections on The Athletic. They had 15 penalties for 115 yards and turned the ball over twice, while quarterback Jalen Milroe completed just 55% of his passes and threw two interceptions.