It has been this way since General Robert Reese Neyland roamed the Oak Ridge Mountains honing his Seven Maxims for perfection in college football.
It has been this way since Paul William Bryant wrestled a bear, heeded mama’s call and built what was at the time the most dominant program in America.
It has been this way from the beginning, this looming Third Saturday in October. Tennessee vs. Alabama, now and always, is a monumental game for both the Volunteers and Crimson Tide as well as their fans near and wide.
Saturday’s latest edition, the 108th edition of one of the most storied rivalries among all the storied rivalries in the Southeastern Conference, is upon us once again. The 11th-ranked Tennessee Volunteers visit the 6th-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide with so much on the line for both teams that reams of newsprint (virtual and literal) will be dedicated to breaking it all down before the 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff.
But which team – Tennessee or Alabama – needs a victory more? And which team – Tennessee or Alabama – will be most harmed in defeat?
The Volunteers are on the rise in the fourth season under coach Josh Heupel, having earned a spot in the 2024 College Football Playoff and re-asserting themselves among the SEC elite. Heupel ushered the Vols into the 21st century with an aggressive, fast-paced style that scores points by the bushel and attracts recruits by the busload.
That also means victories – an average of 10 per year after Heupel’s introductory season in Knoxville in 2021. Heupel also engineered a sort of one-player coup this spring, not giving into former quarterback Nico Iamalevea’s extortionary NIL demands and adroitly replacing him with UCLA transfer Joey Aguilar.
The Vols have faced only 1 true test so far in 2025, and while the 44-41 home loss to then-No. 6 Georgia was technically a failure it still showed Tennessee’s offense is good enough to score on anyone in the country.
The Alabama dynasty that Nick Saban wrought on the SEC was shattered less than 2 years ago when Saban abruptly announced his retirement. Crimson Tide athletic director Greg Byrne reached out to the Pacific Northwest to tap Kalen DeBoer as Saban’s successor – to decidedly mixed results.
DeBoer’s debut season in Tuscaloosa was marked with huge success (knocking off then-No. 1 Georgia) but also with huge failure – including a 24-17 loss to the Volunteers in Knoxville that helped trigger a tailspin out of College Football Playoff contention.
The 2025 season didn’t start much better for DeBoer and the Tide, losing on the road as a nearly 2-touchdown favorite to Florida State. But Alabama righted the ship, handing Georgia yet another loss and then vanquishing Vanderbilt (which still sounds odd to hear…) and Mizzou for 3-straight wins against ranked teams. Quarterback Ty Simpson is becoming a Heisman Trophy contender, and left tackle Kadyn Proctor is becoming one of the largest – literally – folk heroes in the program’s storied history.
Which brings us to Saturday, when both fanbases will be squirrelling in Arturo Fuentes and Cohibas and Swisher Sweets with hopes of sparking up in victory. A victory either way cements the winner as a team with hopes of earning 1 of the coveted 12 CFP spots – just as a loss throws the loser down the well of uncertainty and despair.
Should Tennessee don the road whites and knock off Alabama for just the fifth time in program history at Bryant-Denny Stadium, the victory will be proof of concept that Heupel’s team is loaded for a deep run into January.
But should the Vols lose, well, losing on the road in the SEC isn’t the end of the world – especially to a Top-10 team. Heupel’s job wouldn’t be in any jeopardy and the corn-from-a-jar will flow just as sweet mixed with the occasional tear rolling down the cheeks of the congregation.
Alabama seemingly has more to both win and lose Saturday. DeBoer breaking his personal seal against Tennessee means he might be able to metaphysically unpack just a smidge more than he has been able to so far within the minds of the beloved.
But a Crimson Tide loss? That would undoubtedly send the faithful home seething about DeBoer’s inability to beat the hated Vols and the team itself likely tumbling headlong toward a second straight season to forget.
Which teams gets more out of a win on this blessed Third Saturday in October? Probably Alabama. Which team suffers more from a loss on the same blessed evening? That would also be the Crimson Tide.
Just the way Gen. Neyland and Coach Bryant would have liked it.
Third Saturday in October, win or lose, is massive for both Tennessee and Alabama Saturday Down South.
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