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Alabama 12, Tennessee 10. Every championship team has to win one like this, when its offense fails to reach the end zone all game, it's outgained two-to-one in the second half, its sure-handed, Heisman-bound tailback fumbles away the clock-killing drive in the final two minutes and its escape comes only via the nearly impossible combination of two 50-yard field goals in its favor and two field goal blocks on the other end. A perfect season is nothing without its death-defying moments.

More than at any other point this season, though, Alabama's presumptive perfection has to be in doubt. At the very least, as insanely good as it is on defense (and, apparently, at blocking crucial kicks), 'Bama may have to prepare for a few of these close shaves -- this one, in fact, has been brewing for almost a month, as the Tide passing game has increasingly declined and the emphasis has increasingly shifted to running Mark Ingram at every available opportunity.

Tennessee's defense, though, is the first 'Bama has encountered this year that ranks in the top 70 nationally against the run, and the consequences for the Tide offense were clear: Ingram pounded out some yardage (99 on 18 carries before the nearly fatal fumble in the fourth quarter), but Greg McElroy never found a rhythm with his receivers, was never able to challenge the Vol secondary deep (the long completion on the day was 19 yards) and 'Bama was only able to sustain one drive into the UT red zone, where it stalled before the half and had to settle for another three. Julio Jones had seven catches after being completely ignored against South Carolina, but only for a pedestrian 7.7 yards per catch with no real damage. For the second time this year, Tennessee went on the road against the No. 1 team and gave its offense all it could handle.

Still, if not for Ingram's fumble at the end, the Tide would have almost certainly closed out their third straight game without allowing a touchdown, without incident. The drama down the stretch was totally at odds with the rest of the game, at no point in which did Tennessee's offense seriously threaten to crack the end zone. The Vols finished with season highs against the 'Bama D in passing and total yards only after the fumble and onside kick recovery, and the Tide found a way to get out of it. But next up is LSU following a bye week, where the luxuries of settling for field goals and tossing out lifelines ahead of an adrenaline rush at the gun can't be taken for granted.