Alabama leads Tennessee in historic football rivalry heading into matchup
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Oct 12, 2026, 9:03 AM
Last updated Oct 12, 2026
Tennessee football faces Alabama on October 17, trailing in a long-established rivalry with a record of 40-61-7. Alabama's historical dominance has been shaped by coaching legends Bear Bryant and Nick Saban, who combined for a 32-8-2 record against the Vols. Current coaches Josh Heupel of Tennessee and Kalen DeBoer of Alabama have both had successful tenures but lack rankings favoring Heupel. Both teams aim to secure a critical win as Alabama looks to maintain its edge in the series.
- •Alabama leads the all-time series against Tennessee, 61-40-7.
- •Bear Bryant and Nick Saban significantly contributed to Alabama's success.
- •Josh Heupel has not had a losing season at Tennessee.
- •Kalen DeBoer has more head-coaching experience than Heupel.
- •Tennessee and Alabama have each won once in recent head-to-head matchups.
- 9:03 AMYahoo Sports — Tennessee football can overcome coaching disadvantage in Alabama series | Adams
"Alabama football dominated series against Tennessee with Bear Bryant and Nick Saban. General Neyland and Phillip Fulmer beat Tide regularly
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