Nick Saban saw the sign of Alabama loss to Tennessee coming in the pregame; it opened up his eyes

Nick Saban knew before toe met leather that this year’s Third Saturday in October between Alabama and Tennessee would be different, aight.

While Alabama usually dominates the opposition, Nick Saban saw the sign during pre-game warmups that opened up his eyes and prepared himself for a possible road loss to rival Tennessee.

It was a Third Saturday in October for the ages in Knoxville. Chase McGrath’s knuckleball field goal was every bit as good as when Russ Tyler went knuckle puck on the Russians for Gordon Bombay’s Team USA squad. Goalposts made their way to the streets. Pat McAfee did a backflip belly flop into the Tennessee River. And Derek Dooley ate his spaghetti and meatballs in silence.

Silence is probably the best way to describe what went down in the pre-game warm-ups for Alabama. Clearly, they needed a little bass to ace their toughest road test of the season.

Once again, Saban saw the sign…

Nick Saban saw the sign that Alabama was losing to Tennessee, so quit askin’

The lack of chanting in the pregame might have been a bit odd, but it appears to be indicative of something way bigger here. When was the last time an Alabama team entered a hostile road environment with any fear whatsoever? They knew Tennessee was good, but the Crimson Tide had the Volunteers’ number since before most of their players could read well or tie their shoes.

16 years is a long time, but it won’t be until next year when the Crimson Tide can roll in the Third Saturday in October. While they still control their own destiny, Alabama has to win out to return to the College Football Playoff. It is feasible, but the Crimson Tide still have to play Mississippi State, LSU, Ole Miss, Auburn and either Georgia or Tennessee in an SEC Championship rematch to get in.

Ultimately, the presumptive national championship favorite from the start of the year may no longer be just that. While it remains to be seen who it will be in the end, this marks the third time in a year or so that Alabama has lost to an SEC opponent. Though much of the conference has leveled up, this was not a David vs. Goliath game we all watched. Tennessee came ready to play.

If it is quiet during the pre-game warm-ups at Vaught-Hemingway, that is a bad sign for Alabama.

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