The third Saturday in October. Which actually is now technically the forth Saturday in October. Either way, this is one of the most storied rivalries in college football and the older I get the more I am beginning to appreciate the opportunities I get to witness it live. It was a no brainer then that I had to jump on the chance to head down to Tuscaloosa with a couple of my friends to watch Tennessee take on the Crimson Tide in Bryant Denny. I had been down once before and all I remember was how much the Alabama fans A) loved and worshiped Bear Bryant and B) were incredibly awful hosts. That was when they were bad. I could only imagine what it was going to be like now that they were good.
Jordan and Phil met me at my apartment around 9 and we were on our way to watch either one of the biggest losses in Tennessee history, or one of the biggest upsets. We stopped in Birmingham for some ribs at Dreamland BBQ then back on the road we went. When we got to Tuscaloosa I was pretty floored with how evident the damage from the tornado was even 6 months after it had ripped through in April. there was a very clear path leveled through the middle of Tuscaloosa.
We drove right down the middle of University Blvd. and caught plenty of stink eyes seeing as how we had our Tennessee flags flying from the car. I feel comfortable in saying that we were three of the bravest souls there for about 30 minutes. We parked about 6 blocks away from the stadium and to my surprise the first Alabama fan we came in contact with was extremely inviting and just when I began to debate if I had fallen into some type of paradox, another Alabama fan went out of his way to welcome us to town and wished us well. Surely the rapture was next, as the lamb was laying down with the lion. It didn't take long for things to change. Shortly after these encounters we made our way to Denny Chimes and I got separated from Jordan and Phil. I asked a fan who was tailgating with his friends if I could cut through in order to catch up. He said sure but after I did this another one of his buddies made it very clear he was unhappy with my action. After cussing me out and threatening my face, I told him he didn't have the intestinal fortitude to back up his threats.
I will say, Alabama's campus is surprisingly beautiful. Very obvious that it is southern.
It was finally time for the game to start, and it couldn't have started any better. Alabama got the ball to start the game, then out of no where Austin Johnson intercepted an AJ McCarron pass and Tennessee was in business. Parlady kicked a field goal and Tennessee was on the board first. That's right. Tennessee was leading the Alabama Crimson Tide. In order for Alabama to win this game they were going to have to come back and win. If I wasn't sitting in the stratosphere I would have taken a picture but the scoreboard was about a half mile away so it was not happening.
Alabama answered with two field goals but with about three minutes to go in the half Parlady hit his second field goal of the game, this time from 52 yards out. Tennessee was doing something to Alabama that no one has been able to do all year, be within 14 points of them at halftime. The score was 6-6 going into the break. The Pride of the Southland Band won the halftime battle by performing the circle drill. That is always a crowd favorite.
The best part is leaving the field in the form of a giant Power T.
Alabama came out looking like the team we all knew they were. What surprised me more than anything was after they scored their first touchdown, some random Alabama girl ran up about 6 rows, got in my face throwing the bird, and cussed me out. I had never met her before in my life, and she passed 6 rows of Vol fans to get to me. I must have really made an impression on her. It was the most bizarre thing I have ever witnessed in my life. The assault of points continued and after the Tennessee defense looked so good in the first half, the Vols looked equally terrible in the second. Alabama dominated in every facet of the game during the second half. The final score was 37-6 meaning Alabama covered the spread. Jordan, Phil, and I all left the stadium defeated.
More Alabama high jinx ensued as while we were walking down the ramp with the 99,000 other people that were at the game, one Alabama fan decided Jordan wasn't moving fast enough for him and ran right up his back, then informed him he should walk instead of texting. Where do you want us to go Usain Bolt. We can only move as fast as the people in front of us. While walking down University some Alabama sorostitutes made it known that they could not wait for the puke orange to be out of their city. News flash hun, we are even more eager to be out of this crap hole. Glad we are back in Knoxville for the next two weeks. Fayetteville looms.
Every time I see the Alabama state flag, I wonder how long it took some of Alabama's finest to think of that design. "Guys, I got it! A red x!"
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