National outlet lists biggest game in history of Tennessee-Alabama football series that many Vol fans would agree with
The Tennessee-Alabama football series is undoubtedly one of the most historic and intense in the history of college football. Even Nick Saban has admitted that it was far easier to get his players up to play the Vols than it was against Auburn in the Iron Bowl, which speaks to the meaning of one of […]
The Tennessee-Alabama football series is undoubtedly one of the most historic and intense in the history of college football. Even Nick Saban has admitted that it was far easier to get his players up to play the Vols than it was against Auburn in the Iron Bowl, which speaks to the meaning of one of the country's biggest cross-border rivalries.
Over the years, the schools have battled in some of the most exciting, memorable, and impactful games in the country with national title implications on the line. The Athletic put forth this week the rankings of the top 100 rivalries in the sport, and in ranking The Third Saturday in October the 11th best (which seems low), they noted the biggest game in the rivalry's history.
That's not easy to pick in a rivalry that's spanned over a century, but one that is very recent was listed – the 2022 classic at Neyland Stadium.
This is what The Athletic had to say about what they called the biggest game in series history:
The rivals entered their 2022 matchup unbeaten for the first time since 1989. The No. 6 Vols built a 28-10 lead, then No. 3 Alabama stormed back and took a 49-42 lead midway through the fourth quarter. Tennessee tied the score on Jalin Hyatt’s fifth touchdown catch. After getting the ball back with 15 seconds left, the Vols picked up a pair of chunk plays, then kicked a 40-yard field goal as time expired for a 52-49 victory.
In a way, I can see how some might claim recency bias here. After all, there have been some incredible moments for both sides in the series' rich history. And you don't have to look too many decades back to find a true classic in the 2003 matchup – a 51-43 6 overtime win by the Vols in Tuscaloosa, which happens to be Tennessee's last win in the series there.
But, with that being said, I'm hard pressed to think of a game that had more hype coming in between the teams, who were both undefeated and ranked in the top 10. I'm still hard pressed to think of a game with as many thrilling moments and massive plays, with Jalin Hyatt's heroics lighting up the scoreboard like a pinball machine. And I'm also hard pressed to think of a game that had more meaning to Tennessee fans than snapping a 15-game losing streak to their biggest rival.
So, while it might be recent, it really is fair to consider Chase McGrath's wobbly 40-yard field goal that just cleared the crossbar as the culmination of the greatest matchup in the history of The Third Saturday in October. Particularly if you wear orange on Saturdays.
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