The morning after: Tennessee's Alabama win, revisited

A day after Tennessee's victory over Alabama, Sports Illustrated paused to take stock, offering a set of thoughts and comments on the win once the celebration had a night to settle. The piece looks back at the Volunteers' performance and what it means with a little distance from the final whistle.

Day-after reflections are where a result gets sorted into the bigger picture of a season, and this one arrives at a telling moment for Tennessee. The Vols have turned a signature win into a new set of expectations, and the schedule now asks them to back it up, with South Carolina waiting as the next test of whether this team can sustain what it started against Alabama.