The 10 games that define the Alabama-Tennessee rivalry
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — It’s been at least two decades, and arguably three, since the Third Saturday in October was engulfed by this much anticipation.
Alabama and Tennessee, two of the SEC’s most storied rivals who traditionally meet this weekend of the season, square off Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET in Neyland Stadium in a top-10 matchup that marks the first time since 1989 that both teams have been unbeaten going into the game. For perspective, at that time Nick Saban was still an assistant coach in the NFL … with the Houston Oilers.
It hasn’t been much of a rivalry on the field lately, certainly not since Saban arrived at Alabama in 2007. The Crimson Tide have won 15 in a row, by an average margin of 25.9 points, and the Vols have been at least a two-touchdown underdog in every game going back to 2008, when Alabama was a 5-point favorite and left Neyland Stadium with a 29-9 win.
But this year, there’s genuine hope on Rocky Top that the Vols, fueled by one of the country’s most explosive offenses, may finally be the ones passing out victory cigars in a smoke-filled locker room, another tradition of a rivalry that was first contested in 1901.
Let’s take a look back at 10 of the most memorable (and defining) games in the rivalry as well as five worthy of honorable mention.
1. Tennessee 35, Alabama 28
Oct. 16, 1982, at Knoxville
The smile on former Tennessee coach John Majors’ face says it all in the iconic image of him being carried off the field by his players and leaning down to shake Bear Bryant’s hand. It was Bryant’s final game in the rivalry and one of the biggest upsets. The unranked Vols, who lost to Duke and Vanderbilt that season, snapped an 11-game losing streak against the No. 2 Tide. Chuck Coleman’s 34-yard touchdown run was the big blow offensively for Tennessee, and the Vols’ Mike Terry intercepted a pass in the end zone with 17 seconds remaining to preserve the win. It was bedlam at Neyland Stadium, as fans stormed the field and ripped down the goalposts within minutes.
2. Alabama 17, Tennessee 17
Oct. 16, 1993, at Birmingham
In the days before there was overtime in college football, No. 2 Alabama and No. 10 Tennessee played to a memorable 17-17 tie at Legion Field in Birmingham, snapping the Crimson Tide’s 28-game winning streak. The game felt more like a loss for the Vols, who turned the ball over five times, including a James Stewart fumble at the 1 when it looked like he was going in for a touchdown. With no timeouts, Alabama drove 83 yards in the final minutes and pulled within 17-15 on quarterback Jay Barker’s 1-yard plunge. David Palmer aka “Deuce” moved from receiver to quarterback on the 2-point conversion try and sprinted around the right end of the line and into the end zone to tie the game with 21 seconds remaining. The game was later forfeited to Tennessee because of NCAA sanctions levied against Alabama.
3. Alabama 25, Tennessee 0
Oct. 19, 1935, at Knoxville
Before he was a record-setting coach at Alabama, Bryant was a tough, hard-nosed left end for the Crimson Tide and played one of the best games of his career against the Vols. Both teams were down that year, but the Bryant legend was kindled in that game when he played despite having a cracked fibula that he suffered the week before. That same mental and physical toughness would go on to define his teams at Alabama. After the game, Bryant famously said, “It was one little bone.”
4. Tennessee 41, Alabama 14
Oct. 15, 1995, at Birmingham
Peyton Manning beat Alabama three times during his career, but none of those wins was more soothing for Tennessee fans than the 1995 blowout of the Tide. The Vols had gone nine straight years without beating Alabama. And on the first play from scrimmage, Manning hit Joey Kent on an 80-yard touchdown pass — “Play No. 1,” as legendary Voice of the Vols John Ward described it — and Tennessee never looked back. It was the Vols’ most lopsided win over Alabama since 1969, and Manning, who threw three touchdown passes, directed the Tennessee band after the game.
5. Alabama 9, Tennessee 6
Oct. 20, 1990, at Knoxville
The No. 3 Vols were riding high and a prohibitive favorite at home against an Alabama team that limped in at 2-3 in Gene Stallings’ first season as coach. Tennessee fans were eager for a celebration after four straight losses in the series. But Alabama’s defense had other ideas and shut down a Tennessee offense loaded with talent. The finish to the game was bonkers. With the game tied at 6-6, Tennessee lined up to try a 50-yard field goal with 1:35 to play, but it was blocked by Stacy Harrison, who came knifing up the middle. The ball ricocheted back 23 yards, all the way to the Tennessee 37, where Alabama recovered. A few plays later, Phillip Doyle drilled a 48-yard field goal to win it for the Tide.
6. Alabama 11, Tennessee 10
Oct. 15, 1966, at Knoxville
The “Snake” was a key part of some of Bryant’s best teams at Alabama before he went on to stardom with the NFL’s Oakland Raiders. Of course, the “Snake” was none other than Ken Stabler, who did a little bit of everything in leading a fourth-quarter rally in the rain to keep Alabama unbeaten. He scored the Tide’s only touchdown on a 1-yard run, then hit Wayne Cook with a 2-point conversion pass to pull Alabama within 10-8. Stabler then moved the Tide into field goal position in the final minutes. The holder on kicks, Stabler, was able to get a low snap in place on the muddy field, and Steve Davis knocked home a 17-yarder to put Alabama ahead. The Vols drove right back down the field. Gary Wright’s 19-yard field goal attempt from a tough angle appeared to sail over the top of the right goalpost, but his kick was ruled no good.
7. Alabama 12, Tennessee 10
Oct. 24, 2009, at Tuscaloosa
The biggest player on the field made the biggest play. Alabama nose guard Terrence Cody charged through the line to block Daniel Lincoln’s 44-yard field goal attempt as time expired, preserving the Tide’s win. Lane Kiffin was in his only season as Tennessee’s coach, and the Vols were huge underdogs. But they went toe-to-toe with the Tide, who went on to win Saban’s first national championship at Alabama. At their postgame handshake, Kiffin told Saban, “We’ll get you next year.” As it turned out, the next time Kiffin walked on the Alabama field, he did so as a Crimson Tide assistant coach.
8. Tennessee 16, Alabama 14
Oct. 19, 1985, at Birmingham
The “Sugar Vols” are one of the most beloved teams in Tennessee history. They went from unranked to start the season to winning the SEC championship and routing No. 2 Miami in the Sugar Bowl. The Vols didn’t lose again after upsetting No. 15 Alabama. Linebacker Dale Jones, now the defensive coordinator at Appalachian State, made a play that Tennessee fans will remember forever. With Alabama driving, Jones batted Mike Shula’s pass not far from the line of scrimmage and cradled the ball just before it hit the ground. Alabama still had one last shot, but Van Tiffin’s 61-yard field goal attempt was short.
9. Alabama 17, Tennessee 10
Oct. 21, 1972, at Knoxville
After No. 3 Alabama pulled within a point of No. 10 Tennessee on a Wilbur Jackson 2-yard touchdown run with 1:48 to play, Bryant was thinking about going for two points, but assistants Ken Donahue and Mal Moore (from the booth) and Pat Dye (from the sideline) convinced him to kick the extra point and tie the game. On the Vols’ ensuing possession, Mike DuBose, the Tide’s future head coach, forced a Condredge Holloway fumble that was recovered by John Mitchell. Alabama quarterback Terry Davis then raced 22 yards out of the wishbone for the winning touchdown. Alabama had integrated its football team the previous year, and Jackson and Mitchell were the Tide’s first Black players.
10. Tennessee 51, Alabama 43 (5 OT)
Oct. 25, 2003, at Tuscaloosa
The longest game in the series didn’t end until Tennessee defensive back Jason Allen tipped away Brodie Croyle’s fourth-down pass in the end zone in the fifth overtime. Tennessee had taken the lead on its possession in the fifth OT when quarterback Casey Clausen stretched out his left arm to reach the pylon for a 1-yard touchdown run. The Vols became the first visiting team to win three straight times at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Amazingly, it was a 6-3 game at halftime with Alabama leading, but things got wild after that in a back-and-forth marathon that took well over four hours to play.
Five more that just missed the cut
Tennessee 21, Alabama 0
Oct. 21, 1939, at Knoxville
Johnny Butler’s zigzagging 56-yard touchdown run against the Tide is still considered one of the greatest runs in Tennessee football history.
Alabama 34, Tennessee 3
Oct. 21, 1961, at Birmingham
This was Bryant’s first win over Tennessee as Alabama’s coach and the Tide’s first win over the Vols since 1954. Alabama went on to win Bryant’s first national championship that season.
Tennessee 20, Alabama 13
Oct. 26, 1996, at Knoxville
The No. 6 Vols rallied from a 13-0 halftime deficit to beat the No. 7 Tide. Jay Graham’s 79-yard touchdown run in the final minutes against the SEC’s top-ranked defense was the difference.
Alabama 41, Tennessee 17
Oct. 20, 2007, at Tuscaloosa
Saban set the tone for his dominance of Tennessee by kicking onside to start the game. The Tide recovered to set up a field goal and have never looked back. It’s the last time the Vols (a 1-point favorite) have been favored in this game.
Tennessee 24, Alabama 13
Oct. 21, 1967, at Birmingham
With Alabama driving and looking to take the lead, Tennessee’s Albert Dorsey intercepted a pass and returned it 31 yards for the clinching touchdown in this battle of top-10 teams. Dorsey was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated the following week, and the Vols went on to win the SEC title.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A federal judge has denied NASCAR’s motions to dismiss an antitrust lawsuit filed against the stock car series.
U.S. District Judge Kenneth Bell of the Western District of North Carolina also denied NASCAR’s request that two teams — 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports — be ordered to post a bond to cover fees they would not be legally owed if they lose the case.
23XI Racing, a team co-owned by NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan, and Front Row Motorsports, which is owned by entrepreneur Bob Jenkins, are suing NASCAR to compete with charter recognition throughout the 2025 season.
NASCAR and the teams that compete in the top Cup Series operate with a franchise system that was implemented in 2016 in which 36 cars have “charters” that guarantee them a spot in the field at every race and financial incentives. There are four “open” spots earmarked for the field each week.
The teams banded together in negotiations on an improved charter system in an often-contentious battle with NASCAR for nearly two years. In September, NASCAR finally had enough and presented the teams with a take-it-or-leave-it offer that had to be signed the same day – just 48 hours before the start of the playoffs.
23XI and Front Row were the only two teams out of 15 who refused to sign the new charter agreement. They then teamed together to sue NASCAR and chairman Jim France, arguing as the only stock car entity in the United States, NASCAR has a monopoly and the teams are not getting their fair share of the pie.
Both organizations maintained they would still compete as open cars, but convinced Bell last month to give them chartered status by arguing they would suffer irreparable harm as open cars. Among the claims was that 23XI driver Tyler Reddick, last year’s regular-season champion, would contractually become an immediate free agent if the team did not have him in a guaranteed chartered car.
NASCAR argued Wednesday that it needs that money earmarked because it would be redistributed to the chartered teams if 23XI and Front Row lose.
Jeffrey Kessler, considered the top antitrust lawyer in the country, argued that NASCAR has made no such promise to redistribute the funds to other teams. Kessler said NASCAR told teams it was up to NASCAR’s discretion how it would use the money and didn’t rule out spending some on its own legal fees.
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Jorge Castillo, ESPN Staff Writer
For years, teammates have asked Devin Williams to teach them his changeup, a pitch so unusual and dominant it has its own nickname. Williams always helps. They just never get “The Airbender” right.
“I haven’t seen anyone replicate it,” Williams said.
Powered by The Airbender, Williams has established himself as one of the premier relievers in baseball since breaking into the majors in 2019. He has been so good that the Milwaukee Brewers, keeping with their frugal roster-building tactics, traded Williams to the New York Yankees last month for left-hander Nestor Cortes and prospect Caleb Durbin before he inevitably would become too expensive in free agency next winter.
So, for one season, at least, Williams will follow in the footsteps of another Yankees closer who perplexed hitters with one pitch: Mariano Rivera.
“Those are big shoes to fill,” Williams said of Rivera, whose signature cutter helped him become the first player voted unanimously to the Hall of Fame. “I feel he kind of ruined it for everybody else. I mean, after him, it’s hard to live up to those expectations. But at the end of the day, I can only be me.”
Being himself has been more than good enough for the 30-year-old Williams. The right-hander won the 2020 National League Rookie of the Year Award with a 0.33 ERA in 22 games as the Brewers’ primary setup man during the COVID-shortened campaign. He was an All-Star in 2022 and 2023, his first full season as a closer.
Last season, after missing the first four months with stress fractures in his back, he posted a 1.25 ERA with 14 saves in 15 opportunities across 22 appearances. His 40.8% strikeout rate since 2020 ranks second in the majors among relievers. His 1.70 ERA is also second. His .144 batting average against ranks first.
“Obviously, he’s one of the best in the league, if not the best,” Yankees pitching coach Matt Blake said.
For Williams, it all starts with The Airbender. Williams grips it like a changeup and its 84-mph average velocity plays off his fastball like a changeup. But it’s a changeup with an exceptionally high spin rate that breaks to his arm side — opposite from the typical changeup — making it resemble a screwball or a left-hander’s sweeping slider. It is without precedent.
“It’s not anything to do with the grip,” Williams said. “The grip is nothing special. That’s why I think it’s funny when people are like, ‘Oh, don’t give it away.’ This is the most basic changeup grip they teach you when you’re 8 years old.”
Williams said his changeup is so different for two reasons: His elite extension, which ranked in the 98th percentile in 2024, and a singular ability to pronate his wrist.
“It’s the way my wrist works, the way I’m able to manipulate the ball is something unique, uniquely me,” Williams said. “It allows me to throw my changeup the way I throw it. I’m a really good pronator, not supinator. That’s why my slider sucked. You need to get on the other side of the ball. I’m not good at that. I’m good at turning it over.”
Williams did, however, modify his changeup grip to unearth the weapon. Entering 2019, Williams was a struggling minor league starter with a solid changeup, two years removed from Tommy John surgery. He was one year from reaching free agency, from perhaps seeing his career come to an end and going to college to play soccer.
That spring, seeking more movement, he altered his changeup grip from a two-seam to a four-seam, circle change grip. He first threw it during a live batting practice session to Trent Grisham, then a Brewers prospect. Grisham, now with the Yankees, told Williams the spin difference was noticeable. Williams stuck with it.
A starter through spring training, Williams was sent to Double-A as a reliever to begin the season. The demotion sparked desperation, and Williams decided to throw harder than ever, reaching back to lift his fastball into the high 90s. He was in the majors by August. But it wasn’t until the COVID shutdown in 2020 — when he realized spinning the ball more and dropping the velocity from high-80s to mid-80s created more movement — that his changeup reached another level.
“I took that into the season and at summer camp I’m facing my own teammates,” Williams said. “And Jedd Gyorko, I threw him one, and he swung and missed and he was just like, What is that? I’ve never seen [anything] like that. That gave me confidence and we just ran with it. And I literally started throwing it all the time.”
Coincidentally, Williams said the closest changeup he’s seen to his belongs to Luke Weaver, whose emergence as a shutdown reliever in 2024 was crucial in the Yankees reaching the World Series. Williams happened to be in New York when the Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers played in the Fall Classic. He was on his annual autumn vacation after the Brewers were eliminated from the postseason. Past trips have taken him all over Europe: London, Paris, Dublin, Amsterdam, Munich, Dortmund, with a soccer game invariably on his itinerary.
This time, he was in New York. He explored the city for 10 days. Instead of soccer, he watched the World Series from a bar. He shopped. He ate good food. He absorbed the city’s energy.
“I’m a city guy,” Williams said. “I love to explore cities. I like to immerse myself in the culture. I want to be like a normal, everyday person. You guys like bacon, egg and cheese? All right, I’m getting a bacon, egg and cheese.”
Less than two months later, as part of a series of moves executed in their pivot from Juan Soto‘s decision to sign with the crosstown Mets, the Yankees added Williams. On Thursday, Williams settled for $8.6 million to avoid arbitration.
He’ll partner with Weaver to create one of the best bullpen back ends in baseball — in hopes of helping the Yankees win their first championship since Rivera was dominating hitters with his cutter.
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