Neyland Stadium. It’s where the noise can become the game. Nick Saban knows that better than most. During his Alabama years, Tennessee was one of the road environments he singled out when talking about the SEC’s toughest places to play. Now, with No. 1 Texas heading into Knoxville, he has a warning for his former assistant Steve Sarkisian.

Nick Saban joined The Pat McAfee Show this week and was asked about what awaits Texas in Tennessee. His answer quickly moved beyond the bright orange and the 100,000-plus crowd.

“First of all, to answer your first question, this was one of the most difficult places to play in the SEC,” Saban said. “I mean, I always thought LSU, A&M, and Tennessee were the most difficult places to play, especially if the game is a game and the fans can stay in the game.”

Nick Saban’s point was that Neyland becomes a different problem when Tennessee gives its fans something to believe in. And Josh Heupel’s team has an obvious way of doing that by running the football. The Vols enter Saturday averaging 281.3 rushing yards per game, fourth nationally and first in the SEC. DeSean Bishop has carried 43 times for 286 yards, while Daune Morris is averaging a ridiculous 14.9 yards per carry when the team is running “12 personnel.” That is why Nick Saban kept circling back to the ground game.

“They’re going to have to stop the run and make this freshman quarterback make the plays in the game to win the game,” he said.

Josh Heupel’s offense puts even more pressure on the defense. Tennessee lines its receivers out wide and makes defenders cover the whole field. That can leave openings in the middle, especially when the Vols get the running game going. Then there is freshman QB Faizon Brandon, who can hurt a defense with his legs when a pass play breaks down. He has already rushed for 137 yards and three touchdowns this season.

Nick Saban also pointed out the other side of the equation. Tennessee has not allowed many explosive passing plays, while Texas has not consistently created them through the air. That puts more pressure on the Longhorns to establish their own rushing attack and make Arch Manning’s short passing game matter.

“Arch hadn’t been very good at throwing the ball down the field so far this year,” he said. “Even though he’s been pretty good at throwing the short stuff in the screens… To make explosive plays down the field, which, if you’re running the ball, opens a window for that. I don’t know if Texas can take advantage of that or not.”

That is an interesting warning for Steve Sarkisian, because he has already solved the Neyland puzzle twice while working under Nick Saban.

In 2016, Steve Sarkisian was an Alabama analyst before taking over as OC for the CFP title game. In 2019, he returned to Tuscaloosa as OC and QBs coach. Both of his Alabama stints produced wins in Knoxville. The first came in 2016, when top-ranked Alabama rolled Tennessee 49-10 at Neyland. The Tide piled up 594 total yards, including 438 on the ground.

Four years later, Steve Sarkisian’s Alabama offense went back and won 48-17. That 2020 team went on to win the national title, beating Ohio State 52-24. Now things are different. The former assistant is back in Knoxville with the No. 1 team in the country, while Nick Saban is watching from the outside and talking about what makes Neyland such a tough place.

Steve Sarkisian knows the stadium. He knows the noise. And he knows how hard it is to win there. Nick Saban’s message is clear. Deal with Tennessee’s running game first, then find a way to handle everything that comes with playing in Knoxville.