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Tuscaloosa, AL (Sports Network) - Alabama's Terrence Cody blocked a 44-yard field goal attempt as time expired, and the top-ranked Crimson Tide survived Tennessee, 12-10, in an SEC tussle.

Jonathan Crompton finished off Tennessee's previous series with an 11-yard TD pass to Gerald Jones with 1:19 to go. The Vols came up with the onside kick at the 41, and Jones made a 14-yard catch into 'Bama territory on second down.

Following a false start penalty and an incompletion, Luke Stocker made a 23- yard catch to the Tide 27 with four seconds left, and a rush for minus-one yard set up a potential game-winning field goal from Daniel Lincoln, but the try was blocked before it was airborne.

"I just knew we had to make a play. I had to make a play," said Cody. "We couldn't wait on anybody else to make a play. If they would have made the field goal, it would've been a tight game or they would've won it, so I dug down deep and told myself I was about to block it. The ball snapped, I got a good jump off the line, pushed the guy back and just stuck my arm up."

Greg McElroy finished 18-of-29 for 120 yards, and Leigh Tiffin booted four field goals for the Crimson Tide (8-0, 5-0 SEC), who are off next week before hosting LSU on November 7. Mark Ingram rushed 18 times for 99 yards for the Crimson Tide, who entered the week No. 2 in the Bowl Championship Series standings, just behind Florida.

Crompton was 21-of-36 for 265 yards, one score and a pick for the Volunteers (3-4, 1-3), who have dropped two of three. Jones wound up with seven receptions for 72 yards in defeat.

"It's a difficult loss to deal with," said Vols coach Lane Kiffin. "You come into a hostile environment and play the No. 1 team in the country, as I said before by far the No. 1 team in the country and the best-coached team around. You come in here and outgain them I think by over 100 yards and miss three field goals. I'm really proud of how hard our players played. I don't believe in moral victories, we should have won that game."

An interception by Mark Barron at the Alabama 19 led to the Crimson Tide's first score, a 38-yard field goal by Tiffin with 1:22 remaining in the opening quarter.

Lincoln split the uprights from 24 yards away with 11:38 remaining in the second quarter, but Tiffin moved Alabama back in front with a 50-yarder with nearly eight minutes left in the half.

A 22-yard boot by Tiffin capped a 13-play, 64-yard drive, moving the hosts to a 9-3 edge with 1:11 to go in the second quarter.

Lincoln's 47-yard field goal at the end of the half came up short, and his 43- yard try early in the fourth was blocked.

Tiffin's 49-yard kick on the ensuing possession moved the Tide to a 12-3 edge, until the game got tight in the dramatic final minutes.

Tennessee's touchdown came after Ingram fumbled the ball away.