The Iron Bowl is one of the most famous rivalries in college football. But now, it is beginning to be overshadowed by a game one month earlier.
“The Third Saturday in October” is just another day to most, but for football fans in the South, it’s a day of cigars being lit, fields being stormed and goalposts being torn down and thrown in a river. It’s a clash of crimson and orange, with the Alabama Crimson Tide battling the Tennessee Volunteers.
Both rivalries began in Birmingham, Alabama, around the beginning of the 20th century.
The Iron Bowl was first played at Lakeview Park in Birmingham on Feb. 22, 1893. Since then, the teams have faced off 88 times, with Alabama leading 50-37-1. Because both schools are in Alabama, a rivalry was formed from that first meeting.
“Sure, I’d like to beat Notre Dame, don’t get me wrong. But nothing matters more than beating that cow college on the other side of the state,” legendary former head coach Paul “Bear” Bryant said.
Unlike other famous rivalries that involve teams from different states — such as Army vs. Navy, Michigan vs. Ohio State, and the Red River Rivalry between Texas and Oklahoma — the state of Alabama is divided into two camps for one Saturday of the year.
The Iron Bowl consistently features famous plays. In 2013, a missed Alabama field goal led to Chris Davis running his way into football history as the “Kick Six” won Auburn the football game. In 2021, came the “Disaster in the pasture,” as then-Alabama quarterback Bryce Young led a 97-yard drive from the Crimson Tide’s own end zone late in the fourth quarter, tying the game 10-10 and leading to a four-overtime victory. In the last meeting, on the 10th anniversary of the Kick Six, Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe’s 4th and 31 miracle shut down Auburn’s hopes of an upset.
Notably, each of these moments happened at Auburn’s home field, Jordan-Hare Stadium. Fans have speculated that a curse has been placed on Jordan-Hare, even going so far as to claim that there is “voodoo magic” in the stadium.
“I’ve been on the sidelines several times with Alabama playing in Jordan-Hare and it almost feels like the stadium itself leans on the Tide,” CBS Sports’ Josh Pate said.
There is a distinct score difference when the Iron Bowl is held in Jordan-Hare compared to Bryant-Denny Stadium. In the last four games, the two games held at Jordan-Hare have had scores of 24-22 and 27-24; the other two held at Bryant-Denny have finished with scores of 42-13 and 49-27. All four games were Alabama wins.
“Nick Saban turned the Iron Bowl from one of the best games in college football to a game where you’d rarely see an upset,” college football analyst Paul Finebaum said in an interview with the Crimson White. “That game has lost something because Auburn isn’t any good anymore.”
Saban’s record against the Tigers before retirement was 12-5, compared to his 16-1 record against Tennessee.
The Crimson Tide first faced the Volunteers on Nov. 28, 1901, though the famous cigar tradition did not begin until 1961.
Alabama’s former athletic trainer, Jim Goostree, began the tradition, passing out cigars to players after the Crimson Tide beat the Volunteers 34-3, breaking a five-game losing streak.
In recent years, when Alabama played Tennessee, there was a clear favorite coming into the game. In 2022, however, the Vols shocked the sports world, beating the Crimson Tide 52-49. This win gave the Vols their first victory over Alabama in 16 meetings. Tennessee fans stormed the field and brought the goalposts down.
The goalposts fell again after the 2024 game when the Vols beat Alabama under its new head coach, Kalen DeBoer.
“Growing up, I always hated Alabama,” current Tennessee student Will Grubb said. “Being able to go to Tennessee when Hendon [Hooker] was on fire, the game happened, and it was surreal. We were a part of history. Saban was there [at Neyland] for the last time and we beat him.”
Grubb has been at both the 2022 and 2024 Tennessee wins over Alabama.
“For our players, this was a bigger rivalry than any other game we played,” Saban said on ESPN’s College GameDay ahead of the 2024 matchup. “Even bigger than Auburn.”
DeBoer and junior defensive back Domani Jackson gave differing opinions on the Tennessee rivalry. Both DeDoer and Jackson are new to the Crimson Tide and the SEC. Jackson transferred from USC, and DeBoer was the previous head coach at the University of Washington.
“I didn’t even know how intense that rivalry was until I got here. That whole week leading up to the game was crazy,” Jackson said. Despite being new to the team, he was fully enveloped in the rivalry by veteran players. Jackson has yet to experience an Iron Bowl.
DeBoer is taking a very levelheaded approach to the Iron Bowl on the horizon. His mentality of going a week at a time and always being 1-0 stays at the forefront of his coaching style.
“I mean, this is the next one, and so this is the one that matters,” he said before Saturday’s LSU game, which saw Alabama come out with a victory. “Obviously that [the Iron Bowl] really matters. But they all do, and so this game against LSU is the next one. And so for us, it’s the most important one.”
