This past week, the world of college football was shaken to its core when the Volunteers miraculously snuck by the sixth ranked Crimson Tide in a thrilling 52-49 victory, beating Alabama for the first time in fifteen years. Nobody saw this coming, as Alabama was heavily favored to win this important SEC (SouthEastern Conference) matchup. 

 Coming into the pregame, Alabama already owned a staggering 70% win expectancy. Holding just a 30% chance to walk away the winner of this game, you could say Volunteers fans were both hopeful and fearful heading into the opening kickoff.

The Volunteers’ offensive escapade was led by senior quarterback Hendon Hooker. Hooker had another great game, making twenty-one pass completions in only thirty attempts, complemented by five touchdowns and 385 total yards.  On the other end of the ball, Alabama’s junior quarterback Bryce Young collected more yards than Hooker, amassing a grand total of 455 yards while having thirty-five completions in fifty-two attempts. It was anybody’s game, right down to the final play.

With fifteen seconds left on the final play of the game, Chase McGrath sent every Tennessee fan into a frenzy after sinking a forty-yard field goal right between the uprights, sealing the outstanding victory that Tennessee fans will surely never forget.  The fans were so riled up that they stole the goalpost, marched it down the streets, and tossed it into the river, resulting in a $100K fine for the state.

Following the game, I sat down with one of Herrin High’s biggest Tennessee fans, Jacob Hawk.  He explained that he felt nervous prior to the game, but he felt that  “We had a good chance, especially since we had home field advantage playing at Neyland Stadium.”  Hawk went on to say that he knew after Alabama missed their field goal (which could have won the game) that there was no way that Tennessee was going to lose.  The moment that the game was theirs, he expressed that His entire family was “cheering and screaming,” and their emotions were “through the roof.”

Tennessee and Alabama produced one of, if not the greatest game of the college football season so far.  Despite this, everyone has the same questions.  Will Alabama be able to come back from such a deflating loss? Will Tennessee keep riding their wave of momentum?  We will surely find out as this year’s college football season progresses.