On Oct. 17, 1970, Tennessee wore orange, Alabama wore crimson, and the Vols won 24-0 in Bill Battle’s first year. Every meeting since, somebody wore white. On Oct. 17, 2026, both teams wore their home colors at Neyland again, 56 years to the day. Not an omen. I just noticed.

The history

Alabama leads the series 60-40-7, and much of that came in one brutal run: 15 straight Bama wins from 2007 to 2021. Before that, Phillip Fulmer won seven straight, and Johnny Majors beat Bear Bryant in 1982 to snap an 11-game streak. The victory cigars date to the 1950s, and the winner still lights up and self-reports to the NCAA.

Then 2022 changed everything: 52-49 on a field goal at the gun, goalposts in the river. Since then the rule has been simple. The home team wins. Four years, four home wins, and this one was in Knoxville.

The matchup

Alabama came in angry after a 20-17 home loss to Georgia that turned on a no-call late. I’ll admit it: they got robbed. Teams that feel cheated play like it the next week. Tennessee came in 5-1 after finally winning in Fayetteville, but needed a fourth-quarter comeback and a redshirt freshman quarterback who turned it over three times.

I held the pick until Friday. For Monday, all I asked for was a win by one. Tennessee won by 16.

Vols against the spread: 2-1 going into Bama week

Read the full column at TriStar Daily: Orange vs. Crimson, 56 Years to the Day

For entertainment. Lines as of the day the column ran.