By Mark Nagi
It is the Third Saturday in October, and you know what that means!
Alabama Hate Week.
One of southern football’s greatest rivalries will be renewed on Saturday afternoon at Neyland Stadium as Tennessee hosts Alabama. And in a neat nod to history, both teams will be wearing their preferred uniforms, Orange jerseys clashing with Crimson.
This has often been a streaky series. Between 1995 and 2001, the Vols won this game seven straight times. But Alabama had an 11-game winning streak between 1971 and 1981, and a 15-game winning streak between 2007 and 2021, which was finally broken in one of the greatest games in SEC history. In 2022, the Vols won 52-49, and a goalpost was tossed into the Tennessee River.
That 2022 game marked a change in how Tennessee and Alabama view each other. For a matchup to be a true rivalry, one side must win every now and again. And these teams have now split the last four meetings, with the home team winning each time.
Nick Saban dominated that rivalry while Alabama’s head coach, winning sixteen of the seventeen meetings. Unfortunately for Tennessee fans, it looks like Saban’s replacement, Kalen DeBoer, has found a way to bring bully ball back to Tuscaloosa.
Now in his third year as Alabama’s head coach, DeBoer has Keelon Russell running his offense. Despite only being a sophomore, Russell looks like one of the best quarterbacks in the nation. The offense looks more efficient with Russell than it did a year ago with Ty Simpson, which is really saying something because Simpson was a first-round NFL Draft pick.
It will be an interesting battle between Russell and Tennessee’s defensive line, which is one of the best, if not the best, groups in the FBS when it comes to QB pressure.
Tennessee’s QB situation is not as set in stone. True freshman Faizon Brandon and redshirt freshman George MacIntyre are each capable, but neither appears ready to dominate. This is why the Vols offensive line and running backs, led by Karns alum DeSean Bishop, need to be ready to carry the load and not put their young QB in too many pressure situations, no matter who it is under center.
My first time seeing this game in person came in 1994, which was another year when Tennessee was featuring young QBs. At that time, it was true freshman Peyton Manning starting and Branndon Stewart as the backup. The Vols lost a close game that night, but the Vols were about to begin their most successful era. They went 45-5 over the next four seasons, including two SEC titles and one national championship.
In an era of NIL, unlimited transfers, congressional battles, and bloated conferences, it is nice to know that some traditions have not been touched. Well, at least not yet. This is an annual affair, played 108 times, with the first meeting happening back in 1901. No team has beaten Tennessee more than Alabama (60), and no team has beaten Alabama more than Tennessee (41).
The cigar smoke will be present at Neyland Stadium this weekend. The only question is who will be taking the puffs.
