Alabama smoking cigars again vs Tennessee, and why that's bigger than one game | Goodbread
As it pertains to the SEC standings, Saturday's Alabama-Tennessee football game was unquestionably bigger for the Volunteers.
As it pertains to the history and flow of this storied, impassioned, fierce thing that is the Third Saturday in October rivalry, it was bigger for Alabama.
UA's 34-20 victory over the rival Volunteers, at least from the perspective of the crimson camp, snatched back much-needed command of a series that has historically been a streaky one. Control of it is vital, because as the series goes, so goes the trajectory of its winners and losers. That's not to say that Alabama has returned to prior championship form, nor that Tennessee is now doomed to crumble, but this series is a fairly telling barometer of where each program sits on the SEC ladder. The Crimson Tide's run of championships during its 15-year win streak over Tennessee certainly speaks to that, as does Tennessee's run of seven consecutive wins from 1995-2001, during which it won a national championship of its own, and won the SEC East three times.
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There's more than tobacco in those victory cigars. They burn with an air of supremacy as well.
Wresting back bragging rights in this game, particularly in the final year of SEC divisional play, and with future SEC schedules looming as an unknown, could not have been more important for the Crimson Tide. All that cigar smoke wafts with a message in every possible direction: toward Knoxville, to be sure, but as well to recruits and donors and pundits alike.
Alabama players who spoke after last year's thrilling 52-49 loss at Neyland Stadium had a keen awareness of the streak that had just been snapped, and what that meant for both programs. They were wide-eyed and shell-shocked, sounding as though they'd lost control of the rudder on the Titanic. Similarly, it was obvious in post-game interviews that they felt a ship had been righted.
"It was personal," linebacker Chris Braswell said.
As for what the game's outcome meant to the 2023 season, the Vols plainly needed it more. Now with two conference losses, their only real shot of winning the SEC East will require a head-to-head victory over unbeaten Georgia − a tall enough task in itself − plus another stumble by the Bulldogs elsewhere on their schedule. By contrast, Alabama entered with only a non-conference loss and at least a little breathing room atop the SEC West. In short, UT's championship hopes were damaged far more than Alabama's were improved.
In this series, however, victories have a way of reverberating beyond the season in which they're played. Two consecutive losses to Tennessee, which looked like a stark reality at halftime, would have been a bright, orange landmark in whatever distance lies between Alabama and its championship reputation.
Instead, the cigar smoke makes that distance just a little harder to see.
Practice week checklist
Punt returns. Kool-Aid McKinstry allowed at least two catchable punts to bounce for dozens of lost yards, and Nick Saban let him know about it when the junior cornerback came to the sideline. It was a classic example of why the fair catch can be just as valuable as a good return.
Faster starts. It can't be practiced − it's more of a mindset − but sluggish first quarters have been a problem for this team pretty much all season.
Rest up. Alabama, idle this week, just managed to play its best game of the season on its eighth consecutive week of action. That's not easy, and a one-week respite will be welcome ahead of a home showdown against LSU.
Tuscaloosa News columnist Chase Goodbread is also the weekly co-host of Crimson Cover TV on WVUA-23 and the Talkin' Tide podcast. Reach him at cgoodbread@gannett.com. Follow on Twitter @chasegoodbread.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Why Alabama smoking cigars again vs. Tennessee is bigger than one game
