Peyton Manning: Tennessee vs. Alabama 'has been so one-sided since 2022'

Peyton Manning looks at the Tennessee-Alabama football rivalry and sees a one-sided affair. As far as he’s concerned, the Third Saturday in October has been controlled by the Vols as of late. 

“It’s funny, I mean, I can’t think of the last time Alabama’s beaten us,” Manning said with a laugh this week during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on ESPN. “We obviously took care of business last year. The series has been so one-sided since 2022.”

Tennessee beat Alabama 52-49 a year ago in Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, ending the Crimson Tide’s 15-game winning streak in the rivalry with a 40-yard walk-off field goal to end a thriller. 

Now No. 17 Tennessee (5-1, 2-1 SEC) makes the return trip to No. 11 Alabama (6-1, 4-0) in the latest edition of the series on Saturday afternoon, a 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time start on CBS from Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa.

“I’m gonna tune in Saturday,” Manning said, “but I think I kind of know what’s gonna happen because we’ve kind of had our way with them since 2022.”

‘To be known as a really elite team, we gotta be able to win on the road’

The Vols were a 9.0-point underdog in Knoxville last season. The Tide is an 8.5-point favorite at home this season. The total is set at 48 after the two teams combined for 101 points a year ago.

“It’s gonna be a dog fight,” Manning said. “Nick Saban, for some reason, I think he remembers that game from last year. He remembers the pictures of the cigars. I was having one as well in the locker room. It had been a long time since we had a chance to do that.”

There was a viral image of Manning in the locker room last season, standing next to Tennessee wide receiver Jalin Hyatt, with both puffing on the victory cigars that have long been a tradition in the rivalry. Hyatt erupted in the win over Alabama, catching six passes for 206 yards and five touchdowns, a single-game program record. 

“I know Coach Saban’s gonna have those guys ready,” Manning said, “but I also think that Coach (Josh) Heupel has challenged our team.”

That challenge is to take their success at Neyland Stadium, where the Vols have won 13 straight games, on the road. Tennessee has lost its last three games played in hostile environments, losing 29-16 at Florida in September and losing at Georgia and South Carolina last November.

“To be known as a really elite team,” Manning said, “we gotta be able to win on the road. And we didn’t do that last year in Athens and in South Carolina … it’s gonna be rocking in Tuscaloosa.”

No. 17 Tennessee at No. 11 Alabama, Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET CBS

Saban ended his ‘Hey Coach’ radio show Thursday night by addressing Alabama fans and asking them to use their noise to create momentum for the home team Saturday against Tennessee. 

“These guys make a lot of explosive plays,” Saban said of the Vols. “They go fast. So it’s going to be one of those kinds of games, and everybody’s gotta stay with it. You got to play the next play and stay in it as fans, and you create the momentum of the game by what you do as fans. Don’t worry about the players creating that. You create it for them, one time. One time. I’m asking you to do that.”

Manning knows about winning at Alabama. He led Tennessee to a 41-14 win over the Tide in Birmingham in 1995, snapping a streak of nine seasons without a win for the Vols in the series. It was the start of seven straight wins for Tennessee against Alabama and a run of 10 wins in 12 years.

“Alabama, Tennessee,” Manning said, “it’s what it’s all about. And I was honored to be a part of that rivalry for four years. Won three out of the four. I still have a couple of those cigars … those are keepsakes for sure.

“I won’t be in Tuscaloosa on Saturday … but I’ll be pulling hard for the Vols. It should be a good one.”