No matter what happens in this year's installment of the Third Saturday in October, the winner will smoke some victory cigars. This has been a tradition for decades in this SEC college football rivalry. While the use of tobacco products can be seen as controversial on certain college campuses, these stogies hit differently. To me, it is one of the things that makes the fabric of this rivalry so very special.
The Third Saturday in October has been defined by not only victory cigars, but by dominance and very lengthy streaks. For example, Tennessee proved victorious last in year in the rivalry series for the first time in since 2006. The Volunteers players tasting sweet, delicious tobacco on their lips were in elementary school the last time Tennessee beat Alabama in this major cross-divisional rivalry series.
While this may not be Alabama's primary rivalry, as the Crimson Tide have a bitter in-state affair with Auburn in the Iron Bowl, this may very well be Tennessee's biggest rivalry. Although they have other ones with Florida, Kentucky and Vanderbilt, this one is different for Vol Nation. To date, Alabama leads the all-time series over Tennessee 58-39-7. The Vols also have more wins over Alabama than anyone.
So why does the winner of this college football rivalry series smoke victory cigars? Let me tell you!
Third Saturday in October: Why does the winning team smoke cigars?
This tradition first started back in the 1950s. Alabama's lead athletic trainer at the time Jim Goostree, would hand out victory cigars to his players after the Crimson Tide beat the Volunteers. Initially, this tradition was kept in secret between the two schools, so to avoid any confrontation with the NCAA over tobacco products and impermissible benefits. Alabama restarted the tradition publicly in 2005.
Since the 2005 season, the victor always self reports the "violation" to the NCAA to keep this tradition alive. Thus, since it was publicly reinstated back in 2005, Tennessee has only tasted victory twice: 2006 and last season. I wish there was more to this tradition than this, but this is college football at its core. This is the most beautiful and wonderful sport in the world that very rarely makes any sense.
Because this is a cross-divisional rivalry, it could be going away in the coming years, as the SEC is only protecting one rivalry game with its absolutely ridiculous 1-7 format. Alabama will play Auburn annually. Tennessee will play Vanderbilt. As for their other seven games, they will rotation between the other 14 schools on a biennial basis once Oklahoma and Texas join the conference next year.
Let's just hope the SEC comes to its senses and goes with a 3-6 format and go to nine league games.
