The Southern Line
Alabama's Dijon Lee Jr. bouncing back after DeBoer sideline flap, teammate says
Zabien Brown says Alabama DB Dijon Lee Jr. has responded well after his viral sideline moment with Kalen DeBoer, as the Tide prepare for Tennessee.
Alabama defensive back Dijon Lee Jr. has handled the fallout from his widely shared sideline exchange with head coach Kalen DeBoer well and had a strong practice this week. That is the word from teammate Zabien Brown as the Crimson Tide get ready for Saturday's trip to Tennessee.
HEAVY reported that the incident happened during Alabama's loss to Georgia, and the video spread quickly online. Brown, speaking to reporters, played down any worry about how Lee was taking the attention. "He's responded good. He's a very strong-minded dude, and he had a great practice out there today," Brown said, according to HEAVY, which cited reporter Colin Gay.
The outlet did not say whether the exchange will affect Lee's role against the Volunteers. But Brown's comments suggest the defensive back has not let it get in the way of his preparation, and that is what the Tide most needed to hear.
A test of composure in Knoxville
DeBoer's message to the whole roster after the Georgia defeat was about emotional maturity. He told his players they could not let Georgia beat them twice, according to HEAVY. In other words, one bad Saturday should not turn into a second one through self-pity or distraction.
That message is aimed at everyone, but Lee's situation makes it concrete. A clean, steady game from him against Tennessee would move the conversation away from the sideline clip and back to his development in the secondary. A shaky one would keep the spotlight on him in one of the loudest road environments in the conference.
The stakes are clear. No. 6 Alabama (5-1) visits No. 14 Tennessee (5-1) on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. EDT on ABC in a rivalry game between two ranked one-loss teams. The loser takes a second defeat into the back half of the season and falls further behind in the SEC race. Unbeaten No. 1 Georgia, which handed Alabama its only loss, is home against Auburn at the same time.
The market still trusts the Tide despite last week. Alabama is favored at -317 on Novig, one of the venues pricing the game, and the best sportsbook price on Alabama is -320 at theScore Bet. The spread has Tennessee getting 9.5 points at home, and the total sits at 51.5. Full prices are on our Alabama at Tennessee odds page.
A margin that wide on the road means the market expects Alabama's defense to be settled and sharp, not rattled by the fallout from Georgia. The Tide are counting on Lee to help show that Brown's description of him holds up once the game starts.
