By Garon Bach
Oct. 15, 2022, Chase McGrath’s field goal knuckled through the uprights of the south end zone as there was “jubilation on Rocky Top.”
For a then-19-year-old me, it was the first time I remembered the Volunteers beating the Crimson Tide. Only three times in my lifetime had that happened, with 2006 being the last time before then.
With both teams returning to wearing their home uniforms, it brings back a “tradition” that has not been seen since Oct. 17, 1970 — 56 years ago.
So, the word “tradition.” It’s a word that holds a lot of meaning for many people. From holidays to birthdays, weekly meetings or anything someone makes it, traditions hold value for a reason.
In Knoxville, the Third Saturday in October has always carried a weight that means multiple things: Crimson is an ugly color, “Roll Tide” does not make sense, and houndstooth has nothing on the checkerboard print. At least, that’s what I was taught living 10 minutes down the road near Island Home Park in South Knoxville.
A Rivalry Renewed
Since that pivotal day in 2022, the Third Saturday in October has gone back and forth with the home team winning. The last time the rivalry followed a pattern like this had not been seen since the 1945–48 seasons.
This is a contest that has always been about streaks. Typically, when a team finally breaks through, it starts a winning streak of its own. Now that “tradition” is uprooted, it is another example of how much has changed alongside college football.
As Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer and Tennessee’s Josh Heupel have acclimated themselves to a new chapter of this rivalry, the fans have been born into it and adapted along the way.
For the Crimson Tide, it’s been a series of success under multiple head coaches, with the Tide owning the series all-time, 61-40-7. From Paul “Bear” Bryant and Nick Saban’s dominance over Tennessee to others like Ray Perkins and Gene Stallings finding wins against the Big Orange, it’s always been a rivalry that has fallen Alabama’s way.
On the other side of the coin, Tennessee has had legendary coaches in the rivalry, with General Robert Neyland earning 14 wins over the Crimson Tide and Johnny Majors and Phillip Fulmer combining for 14 wins against Alabama as well.
For anyone familiar with the program, the three Volunteers head coaches named earlier were a part of what one could consider the “glory days” of the University of Tennessee’s football program.
Importance of the Rivalry
One can easily ask, “Why is this a rivalry?” Well, the answer is rather simple: SEC ties, legendary coaches and proximity to each other have made the rivalry step outside of the sports realm and become a state rivalry.
The campuses are only a five-hour drive from one another, which has led to many recruiting battles and fandoms not taking place in the schools’ home states.
However, proximity is not the only thing keeping these two schools from finding each other as rivals. Alabama and Tennessee are among the top three in the conference in SEC titles all-time. This falls back on the traditional aspect of the rivalry, one where both schools were neck-and-neck at the top of the SEC from the 1970s to the early 2000s.
However, regardless of when you were born into this rivalry, you were told about Peyton Manning’s naked bootleg in 1995, Alabama’s blocked field goal in 2009 and the Vols’ 2003 five-overtime thriller over the Tide.
Traditions are valuable in life, but especially in this day and age of college sports. Tennessee vs. Alabama will renew that rivalry, with Tennessee looking to earn its third straight home win in the rivalry. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC inside Neyland Stadium.