There is more hype than usual around the Third Saturday in October matchup between No. 3 Alabama and No. 6 Tennessee.
Perhaps that's because the Volunteers have a chance to break a 15-game losing streak against the rival Crimson Tide. It's been a decade-and-a-half of frustration for Tennessee since Alabama coach Nick Saban arrived in 2007.
The Crimson Tide (6-0) are 7.5-point favorites against the Volunteers (5-0) in Saturday's matchup at Neyland Stadium (3:30 p.m., CBS), but Tennessee leads the FBS in total offense and has a Heisman Trophy candidate in quarterback Hendon Hooker. Reigning Heisman winner Bryce Young is expected to play for Alabama, but how will he look?
TROCCHI: Tennessee finally looks ready for its moment against Alabama
That is why the hype is here, even if the streak hangs over the rivalry. A closer look at that 15-game losing streak and Tennessee's chances of breaking it:
When was Tennessee's last victory against Alabama?
What was life like on Oct. 21, 2006? "SexyBack" by Justin Timberlake was the No. 1 song in the country. "Desperate Housewives" was the No. 1 television show.
No. 7 Tennessee beat unranked Alabama 16-13 in Neyland Stadium.
It's been that long. Quarterback Erik Ainge led that game-winning drive to beat the Crimson Tide. Arian Foster scored the go-ahead TD for the Vols with 3:28 remaining in the fourth quarter.
That gave Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer his 10th and final victory against the Crimson Tide, who were coached by Mike Shula. The Vols finished 9-4 that season. Alabama finished 6-7 and fired Shula. Saban was hired ahead of the 2007 season.
Alabama has dominated the rivalry ever since …
What is Nick Saban's record against Tennessee?
Nick Saban was 2-1 against Tennessee when he was the coach at LSU, and that included a 31-20 victory in the 2001 SEC championship game. He's 15-0 against the Volunteers since coming to Alabama in 2007.
Tennessee is one of six SEC schools that have not beat Saban since he arrived in Tuscaloosa. Arkansas (0-16) and Mississippi State (0-15) also play Alabama every year, and the Bulldogs will get their shot to break that losing streak next week. Kentucky (0-5), Missouri (0-4) and Vanderbilt (0-4) are the others.
MORE: Betting trends to know ahead of Alabama-Tennessee
Here is a look at each Tennessee coach's record against Saban over the last 15 years:
| COACH | RECORD | MARGIN |
| Derek Dooley | 0-3 | 31 |
| Jeremy Pruitt | 0-3 | 30 |
| Josh Heupel | 0-1 | 28 |
| Butch Jones | 0-5 | 26.2 |
| Phillip Fulmer | 0-2 | 22 |
| Lane Kiffin | 0-1 | 2 |
What is Alabama's margin of victory against Tennessee?
It's not just the victories against the Volunteers. Alabama has won the last 15 meetings by an average of 25.8 points per game. Eight of the 15 victories were by 30 points or more, and the last six meetings have been decided by 32.5 points per game.
That included the last top-10 meeting. No. 1 Alabama beat No. 9 Tennessee 49-10 at Neyland Stadium on Oct. 15, 2016. Jalen Hurts had 172 passing yards, 132 rushing yards and four total TDs for the Crimson Tide.
When was the last close game between Alabama and Tennessee?
Two of Tennessee's losses have been decided by less than a touchdown.
The most-memorable loss, of course, was on Oct. 24, 2009. Tennessee had a chance to beat No. 2 Alabama under first-year coach Lane Kiffin, but Crimson Tide defensive tackle Terrence Cody blocked Daniel Lincoln's 44-yard field goal attempt as time expired. That play is now known as the "Rocky Block."
No. 8 Alabama beat Tennessee 19-14 on Oct. 24, 2015. Derrick Henry's 14-yard touchdown with 2:24 remaining gave the Crimson Tide the victory. That was Butch Jones' third of five cracks against the Crimson Tide.
Will Tennessee beat Alabama this year?
This is the best chance in years. Hooker has 1,432 passing yards, 10 TDs and no interceptions, and he ranks seventh in the FBS in passer efficiency (179.49). Heupel's offense is rolling. The Volunteers rank fifth in total yards (547.8) and second in points per game (46.8).
Young, who suffered a shoulder injury against Arkansas on Oct. 1, missed last week's game against Texas A&M. The Crimson Tide had two-point victories at Florida and Auburn last season and a 20-19 victory at Texas on Sept. 10. It should be a thrilling game.
We picked Alabama to win 39-33 in our Week 7 Picks Against the Spread.
Alabama's win streak game by game
| DATE | RESULT | LOCATION |
| Oct. 20, 2007 | Alabama 41, No. 20 Tennessee 17 | Tuscaloosa, Ala. |
| Oct. 25, 2008 | No. 2 Alabama 29, Tennessee 9 | Knoxville, Tenn. |
| Oct. 24, 2009 | No. 1 Alabama 12, Tennessee 10 | Tuscaloosa, Ala. |
| Oct. 23, 2010 | No. 8 Alabama 41, Tennessee 10 | Knoxville, Tenn. |
| Oct. 22, 2011 | No. 2 Alabama 37, Tennessee 6 | Tuscaloosa, Ala. |
| Oct, 20, 2012 | No. 1 Alabama 44, Tennessee 13 | Knoxville, Tenn. |
| Oct. 26, 2013 | No. 1 Alabama 45, Tennessee 10 | Tuscaloosa, Ala. |
| Oct. 25, 2014 | No. 4 Alabama 34, Tennessee 20 | Knoxville, Tenn. |
| Oct. 24, 2015 | No. 8 Alabama 19, Tennessee 14 | Tuscaloosa, Ala. |
| Oct. 15, 2016 | No. 1 Alabama 49, No. 9 Tennessee 10 | Knoxville, Tenn. |
| Oct. 21, 2017 | No. 1 Alabama 45, Tennessee 7 | Tuscaloosa, Ala. |
| Oct. 20, 2018 | No. 1 Alabama 58, Tennessee 21 | Knoxville, Tenn. |
| Oct. 19, 2019 | No. 1 Alabama 35, Tennessee 13 | Tuscaloosa, Ala. |
| Oct. 24, 2020 | No. 2 Alabama 48, Tennessee 17 | Knoxville, Tenn. |
| Oct. 23, 2021 | No. 4 Alabama 52, Tennessee 24 | Tuscaloosa, Ala. |
