People don't need any extra reason to get excited about The Third Saturday in October. Whenever Tennessee and Josh Heupel get ready to take on Alabama, popcorn is made, and a great show presents itself. This time around for the dance in Knoxville, both teams are going to be rocking home jerseys, and it's going to be amazing to see.
Wait, what? That's right, it was just revealed that for the first time since 1970, both teams are going to be donning their home jerseys for a pair of upcoming clashes. That means for this fall's game and the one next year in Tuscaloosa, we're going to see crimson on the Bama sidelines, and the sweet orange ones for the Vols. Boom!
Third Saturday in full color.
— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) August 19, 2026
For the first time since 1970, both teams will wear their “home” jerseys.
2026 in Neyland.
2027 in Tuscaloosa.
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The Third Saturday in October just got way more interesting for Alabama fans
Look good, play good? This is what Tennessee will be hoping for once Oct. 17 gets here, as Kalen DeBoer and Co. will hope to post another victory against the Vols. Last season, the Crimson Tide took down Joey Aguilar and the Vols in a contest that fans would like to forget about. Tennessee shot itself in the foot several times, including a pick-six thrown by Aguilar right before the end of the first half.
That's all a thing of the past, though, and seeing these two teams don their home jerseys against one another for the first time since 1970 is going to be a ton of fun to watch. It adds some extra hype to what should already be an intriguing matchup.
Leading up to that weekend, however, there are still some unanswered questions for Heupel and his staff. At the top of the list has to be who's going to end up starting at quarterback. Faizon Brandon and George MacIntyre continue to be in a heated battle for the starting job, with Heupel not tipping his hand one way or the other.
Still, there's plenty of buzz surrounding Brandon, who will need to live up to his 5-star hype if he leads the offense out onto the field against the Tide. Both teams will enter the season ranked in the Top 25, but a lot can change leading up to mid-October. Could a Top 15 meeting be coming, with major College Football Playoff implications?
That's what everyone is going to be hoping for, as Tennessee may have some uncertainty surrounding its starting signal-caller, but guys like Mike Matthews, Braylon Staley, DeSean Bishop, David Sanders, and others will be ready to make this a year to remember. Things will only be made better if a win over Alabama is posted, no doubt about that.
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