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Tennessee football: College GameDay back for Alabama game another great omen for Vols

By Caleb Calhoun

Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit host at the ESPN College GameDay stage outside of Ayres Hall on the University of Tennessee campus in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022. The flagship ESPN college football pregame show returned for the tenth time to Knoxville as the No. 12 Vols hosted the No. 22 Gators.Kns Espn College Gameday
Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit host at the ESPN College GameDay stage outside of Ayres Hall on the University of Tennessee campus in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022. The flagship ESPN college football pregame show returned for the tenth time to Knoxville as the No. 12 Vols hosted the No. 22 Gators.Kns Espn College Gameday /
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For the second time in four weeks, Tennessee football welcomes ESPN College GameDay to Rocky Top. Exactly three weeks after they were on hand to witness the Vols end a five-year losing streak to the Florida Gators, they’ll be on hand to witness them try to end a longer streak.

Yes, after the Vols’ 40-13 victory over the LSU Tigers, GameDay is headed to Rocky Top for their matchup with the Alabama Crimson Tide. Both teams are undefeated, as Bama held off the Texas A&M Aggies at home Saturday night.

Alabama is on a 15-game winning streak in the series, the longest for either team. Tennessee football’s last win against them came way back in 2006, a year before Nick Saban got there. GameDay announced the location on Twitter.

Given the Vols’ losing streak in this series, GameDay being on hand is a great omen for them. Yes, we said it. There are multiple reasons for that, but the most notable one is the last time GameDay was on-hand for a Tennessee-Alabama game.

You have to go all the way back to 1995. At that time, the Vols hadn’t beaten Alabama in 10 years. They tied in 1993 in a game retroactively awarded to UT due to NCAA violations from Alabama, but their last on-field win had been in 1985.

Well, the Vols dominated that matchup, winning 41-14, unleashing years of frustration. That means they’re 1-0 when facing Alabama on GameDay, and that one win erased a frustrating losing streak. Both factors are at play here too. The only difference is that game was in Birmingham, and UT was higher ranked.

Still, there’s another factor at play here that makes this a good omen. In each of GameDay’s last two trips to Knoxville, Tennessee football erased a frustrating losing streak. They ended a five-game losing streak to Florida just two weeks ago.

Before that, GameDay was last in Knoxville in 2016. Well, the Vols snapped an 11-game losing streak to Florida in that one. Simply put, GameDay coming to Knoxville appears to be what the Vols need if they are going to end losing streaks to teams they once considered rivals.

Of course, Alabama is a completely different beast than either of those Florida teams. This year’s team is under a first-year head coach, and that one was led by Jim McElwain. Also, all three of the Vols’ Power Five wins are a bit questionable this year. The Pittsburgh Panthers aren’t the same team, and LSU also has a first-year head coach.

Still, Alabama has struggled to put away two unranked teams now, A&M and the Texas Longhorns, and Bryce Young is banged up. Those are key factors in the Vols’ favor. This is also the first time they won’t be writing this game off before it even begins.

Next. Five takeaways from Vols' 40-13 win at LSU. dark

Add in all the GameDay voodoo, and Tennessee football may have a chance to do something special. Considering the fact that GameDay was also on hand for Alabama and Texas, the Tide aren’t the best team on the road with them in attendance. Lee Corso missing the last two weeks may make it a bit different, but in his last appearance, he picked the Vols.

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