The Third Saturday of October: Tennessee vs. Alabama

The Third Saturday of October

Week 8 of college football brings with it one of the best Southern rivalries in one of the most strident places to do it. The No. 11 Tennessee Volunteers host the No. 7 Alabama Crimson Tide this weekend at Neyland Stadium.

The Alabama-Tennessee rivalry is unique in that it’s widely known not by a nickname, but by a date. The nickname of this rivalry is simply the Third Saturday in October. Starting in 1928, it began to be the date the game was played on annually. As that trend continued, it adopted its nickname in 1939 and has been known by that ever since.

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The Vols

Tennessee started slow but pulled out just enough offense to finally get past rival Florida over the weekend. The Volunteers then moved to 5-1 overall, with a 2-1 mark in SEC play. This includes an astonishing loss at unranked Arkansas two weeks ago. The Vols’ offense looked unstoppable during the first three weeks of the season, but they slowed down significantly as the schedule got tougher. They are still ranked 9th in total offense (484.5 yards per game).

Tennessee’s young quarterback Nico Iamaleava was one of the most highly anticipated quarterbacks coming into the 2024 season. Yet, the freshman has only exceeded the 200-yard passing mark twice this season, both coming in the first two games—against FCS Chattanooga and NC State. In the four most recent games, finding an open receiver and throwing deep hasn’t come as easy.

The Third Saturday is closing in!

Defensive coordinator Tim Banks and running backs coach De'Rail Sims give insight into @Vol_Football's matchup against No. 7 Alabama.

"Understanding how teams are going to try to attack us… nothing is by accident."https://t.co/WRQvM792B1

— Tennessee Athletics (@Vol_Sports) October 16, 2024

Crimson Tide

Alabama is coming off a very close win over South Carolina, trailing late in the game and almost giving it away because of a special teams hiccup that put the Gamecocks in scoring position. The Crimson Tide was still able to put it away to avoid yet another big upset.

When it comes to this game and talent overall, quarterback Jalen Milroe and wide receiver Ryan Williams make for a dangerous duo on the offensive side. Milroe, the junior starting QB, has completed 72.7% of his passes. He has 23 touchdowns with 12 passing and 11 rushing.

Josh Heupel on preparing for Alabama-Tennessee rivalry even without Nick Saban. pic.twitter.com/ATqvSrnI67

— Touchdown Alabama (@TDAlabamaMag) October 15, 2024

The last time these two SEC rivals faced off in 2023, and Alabama won 32-20.