Paul Finebaum proclaims Alabama vs Tennessee rivalry back

The Tennessee Volunteers haven’t beaten the Alabama Crimson Tide since Nick Saban took over the program in Tuscaloosa but with both teams ranked in the top 10 this week, that streak could end on Saturday.

ESPN and SEC Network analyst Paul Finebaum discussed the status of the cross-divisional rivalry with Matt Barrie following a wild Week 6.

“I grew up on this game… I know that the nation will get a good chortle here but this used to be the biggest game in the SEC for a long time,” Finebaum said. “This game has been a joke for many, many years and I’ve argued that this isn’t even a rivalry anymore, but it is right now.

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“Tennessee fans are back, in their mind, and they’re going to be beating their chests. They want Bama so badly, it’s hard to put it in common English. It’s only been 2006 since the last win.”

Finebaum pointed to the 1982 matchup between Alabama and Tennessee that resulted in a 35-28 victory for the Vols, ending an 11-year streak, as an example of what could occur this Saturday.

“In the infancy of my career… Bear Bryant, he was 69 years old… took the No. 2-ranked team… to Knoxville and Tennessee ended a nine-game losing streak on that October day 40 years ago this week,” Finebaum said. “There are some establishments on the strip in Knoxville that still haven’t recovered… You could very well see the same thing this Saturday afternoon.”

College GameDay heading to Knoxville for Alabama-Tennessee

ESPN College GameDay has announced it’s headed to Knoxville next weekend. Rece Davis, Desmond Howard, Pat McAfee, Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit and company will be on-hand for an SEC showdown between the No. 3 Alabama Crimson Tide and No. 6 Tennessee Volunteers.

“HEY ROCKY TOP (eyeball emoji). We’re baaaaackkk,” tweeted College GameDay.

Moreover, Tennessee and Alabama are both undefeated, and next weekend’s game could have huge College Football Playoff implications. The Volunteers are coming off a dominating victory over LSU in Death Valley, while the Crimson Tide barely skated by against the Texas A&M Aggies in a heated battle at home.