Top 5 wins for Alabama football over Tennessee in Third Saturday in October rivalry

Alabama football's rivalry with Tennessee, known as the Third Saturday in October, is one of the most significant rivalries in college football history. Older Crimson Tide fans look at Tennessee as a bigger rival than even Auburn; the younger generation doesn't get that just because of the sheer dominance Alabama had in this game during the Nick Saban era.

In 17 years, Saban went 16-1 against the Volunteers, including 15 consecutive wins from 2007-2021. Tennessee broke the streak with a win in Knoxville in 2022, but Alabama took the last meeting in Tuscaloosa a year ago with a dominant second half showing.

Alabama has a significant all time lead in the series with a record of 59-39-7, but Tennessee's 39 wins over the Crimson Tide is more than any other program has.

The rivalry has been historically streaky. Alabama won 11 in a row from 1971-1981 before Tennessee took the next four in the series. After the Vols won in 1985, they didn't garner another victory over Alabama until 1995 with the Crimson Tide rolling off seven straight wins before a tie in 1993.

Tennessee rolled off seven straight wins after that, their longest streak in the series. It was back and forth between 2002-2006 before Saban arrived in Tuscaloosa and proceeded to dominate.

It's a new era in the rivalry with Kalen DeBoer on the Tide's sideline, but today we look back and examine Alabama's five best wins over Tennessee.

Alabama's best wins over Tennessee

5. 2007: Alabama 41, Tennessee 17 - Tuscaloosa, AL

In Nick Saban's first matchup with Tennessee as the Alabama coach, he set the tone for the decade and a half dominance to come. It was the first sure sign that things were about to be different in Tuscaloosa.

Alabama entered the game as a small underdog at home against Phillip Fulmer's 21st ranked Volunteers, and Saban came out swinging. Alabama opened the game with a surprise onside kick that led to an early field goal.

After forcing a Tennessee punt, John Parker Wilson hit Terry Grant for a short touchdown to give Alabama an early 10-0 lead.

Tennessee scored the next 14 points to take the lead, but Alabama responded with back to back touchdown drives to go up 24-14. The Vols added a field goal to cut the lead to 7 at halftime.

The second half was all Alabama. The Tide added three more field goals and a Grant rushing touchdown and two-point conversion to roll to a 41-17 win over Tennessee. QB John Parker Wilson had one of his best games in a Tide uniform, throwing for 363 yards and three touchdowns. DJ Hall had a monster game at receiver, catching 13 passes for 185 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

4. 2005: Alabama 6, Tennessee 3 - Tuscaloosa, AL

I must admit, this is probably my all time favorite game in the history of the rivalry. Defensive slugfests are traditional when these two teams meet, and the 2005 version of the game was no different. Following Tyrone Prothro's injury against Florida, it was also the only way the Crimson Tide was capable of winning a game in 2005.

The Alabama offense couldn't get much going all day on the ground, but the defense responded time and time again, ultimately forcing four Tennessee turnovers.

It was a scoreless first half in Tuscaloosa before Jamie Christensen connected on a 33-yard field goal as time expired in the third quarter to give Alabama a 3-0 advantage.

Following a big kickoff return, Tennessee got into scoring position and tied the game with a 33-yard field goal of their own.

Alabama quickly went three-and-out on offense, and it looked like Tennessee was marching down for the game winning scoring drive.

In the redzone, Corey Anderson caught a Rick Clausen pass and was barreling toward the endzone, but Roman Harper came up with the play of the game, putting his helmet on the football and knocking it loose and out of the endzone for a touchback.

Alabama went down the field, set up by a big 44 yard pass play from Brodie Croyle to DJ Hall, and Christensen hit a game winning field goal from 34 yards out.

3. 1966: Alabama 11, Tennessee 10 - Knoxville, TN

Alabama won back-to-back national titles in 1964-65, but probably should have won three straight. Most older Alabama fans still aren't over the 1966 team, coming off two titles, finishing third despite going a perfect 11-0.

That was a dominant Alabama team that played only a single opponent within single digits. That was the October 15th meeting at Neyland Stadium against Tennessee.

On a rainy day in Knoxville, the Vols broke out to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter and stymied the Tide's offense for most of the game.

But Kenny Stabler refused to be denied. He put the team on his back, scoring Alabama's only touchdown of the game on a one-yard run and connected on the two-point conversion pass to Wayne Cook to cut the lead to 10-8.

Stabler positioned Alabama to a game winning field goal, and was the holder on the kick, corralling a low snap that Steve Davis was able to punch through the uprights to give Alabama an 11-10 win.

2. 2009: Alabama 12, Tennessee 10 - Tuscaloosa, AL

2009 was Nick Saban's first national championship team at Alabama, and it had to withstand several scares throughout the season to remain undefeated on the quest to Pasadena.

Alabama's offense had been struggling for weeks, needing a herculean effort from Mark Ingram the previous week at home against South Carolina to beat the Gamecocks. QB Greg McElroy could not get it going in the pass game, and Tennessee did a better job containing Ingram and the ground game to position itself for the potential upset.

With Alabama leading 9-3 in the fourth quarter, Leigh Tiffin ht a 49-yard field goal to make it a two-score game with just six-and-a-half mintes to play.

A quick three-and-out meant Alabama just needed to run out the clock and escape with a 12-3 win. But with three-and-a-half minutes to play, Ingram put the ball on the ground and the Vols recovered. After doing nothing all day, the Tennessee offense immediately found life. Jonathon Crompton threw a touchdown pass to cut the lead to12-10.

Tennessee recovered an onside kick and with just one minute left, Alabama was on the ropes. A big pass play from Crompton to tight end Luke Stocker set the Vols up in field goal range.

But on the final play of the game, Terrence Cody broke through the line and blocked his second kick of the day, securing the Crimson Tide victory that was immortalized with the term "Rocky Block."

1. 1990: Alabama 9, Tennessee 6 - Knoxville, TN

1990 was the inaugural season for Gene Stallings as the Alabama head coach, and the Stallings era had gotten off to a pretty rocky start.

After opening the season ranked No. 13 in the AP Poll, Alabama started the season 0-3 with losses to Southern Miss, Florida, and Georgia. Alabama entered the Third Saturday in October on a two game winning streak, defeating Vanderbilt and Southwestern Louisiana, but neither had inspired much confidence in the fanbase.

Virtually nobody gave Alabama a shot against the No. 3 ranked Volunteers in Knoxville, despite Alabama having won four straight in the series.

The Tide's defense swarmed a talented Tennessee offense, and the game was tied at 6-6 with just a minute-and-a-half left to play. The Vols were lining up for a potential game winning field goal from 50-yards out, but Stacy Harrison broke through the middle and blocked the kick that then took a huge Tide bounce all the way back to he Tennessee 37-yard-line.

A few plays later, Phillip Doyle hit a 48-yard field goal to give Alabama a 9-6 win. This win over Tennessee set the table for the Stallings era in Tuscaloosa. After going 7-5 in 1990, Stallings led the Tide to an 11-1 record in 1991, then a perfect season and national title in 1992.