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re: Why is UT Bama's Biggest Rival?
Posted on 6/1/12 at 11:57 am to ottothewise
Posted on 6/1/12 at 11:57 am to ottothewise
So in terms of streaks, it looks like the two Coaches with the longest winning streaks against the other team were the Bear for Bama and Phil for UT.
Surprising to me is that 1995-2006 Phil only lost to the Tide once.
Surprising to me is that 1995-2006 Phil only lost to the Tide once.
This post was edited on 6/1/12 at 11:58 am
Posted on 6/1/12 at 12:00 pm to therick711
quote:
Surprising to me is that 1995-2006 Phil only lost to the Tide once.
I'll take years that Alabama was on probation, for $800 Alex.
Posted on 6/1/12 at 12:01 pm to therick711
(no message)
This post was edited on 6/1/12 at 12:01 pm
Posted on 6/1/12 at 12:01 pm to AllBamaDoesIsWin
quote:
I don't hate UT. I hate Auburn.
I feel exactly the opposite. I can sit down with an Auburn fan and have a legitimate football discussion without a bunch of hate being flung around and getting all snippy and shite.
I can NOT in any shape, form, or fashion discuss college football at ALL with Tenn fans. As has been displayed on this board many times. I just go full gumptard.

Posted on 6/1/12 at 12:01 pm to therick711
quote:
Why is UT Bama's Biggest Rival?
Neyland, Bryant helped shape rivalry and the SEC
quote:
First came the General, later came the Bear.
From the mid-1920s through the early 1980s, Tennessee’s Gen. Robert Neyland and the University of Alabama’s Paul W. “Bear” Bryant put their respective stamps on college football in the Deep South, shaping the game with discipline and defense. They won a combined 21 conference championships and 10 national titles.
Long before Steve Spurrier’s decade of dominance at Florida or Nick Saban’s current reign as king of the Southeastern Conference, Bryant and Neyland carved their reputations and the league’s by building championship teams and contenders. Trace the roots of the Alabama-Tennessee rivalry, which resumes today, and you will find them planted in soil tilled by the two coaching legends.
“I suppose you could say that Neyland helped shape the old SEC, ‘Bear’ the new SEC,” said Dan Jenkins, historian at the College Football Hall of Fame. “They both became larger than life. I can’t think who else you’d rank with them.”
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“Wallace Wade and Neyland were responsible for the series between Tennessee and Alabama,” said Bob Gilbert, author of the book “Neyland: The Gridiron General” and a retired Associated Press reporter. “Neyland was obviously aware of the success Wade had at Alabama in the 1920s. Neyland respected him and they had become friends and decided to play.
“They started playing in 1928 and it has survived every year since, except the one year in World War II (1943) that neither school fielded a team.”
quote:
“It’s hard to find a moment that is more telling of the intensity of the Alabama-Tennessee rivalry than a young Paul Bryant wanting to beat Tennessee so badly that he would play despite having a broken leg,” said Keith Dunnavant, author of “Coach: The Life of Paul ‘Bear’ Bryant” and editor in chief of Crimsonreplay.com, a website devoted to UA football history. “It became part of the legend of both Coach Bryant and the Alabama-Tennessee rivalry, a guy who both hated Tennessee and respected them that much.”
Posted on 6/1/12 at 12:01 pm to therick711
I'd say about 80% of the bama fanbase (myself included) considers AU to be the biggest rival.
If you break that down into age groups it probabably looks like..
0-25--95% consider AU biggest
25-40---80% consider AU biggest
41-60---50% consider AU biggest
60-death bed---20% consider AU biggest
Bama-Tennessee was a grat rivalry with mutual respect on both sides until the whole logan young, phillip fulmer fiasco, then shite got ugly. Historically speaking, Alabama and Tennessee are the conference juggernauts, hence the passionate rivalry. Auburn is seen more as a thorn in the side and little brother whereas tennessee is seen as twin brother, historically speaking of course.
Auburn fans despise the little brother thing and like to view themselves as alabama's equal, but that's just not the case. Not in victories nor in fan support in the state and around the country. Right now UT is bama's bitch but I can remember when they ran off 8-9 straight against us. The streakiness of the rivalry probably also adds fuel to the fire, when a team whips your arse for a decade you grow to hate them
If you break that down into age groups it probabably looks like..
0-25--95% consider AU biggest
25-40---80% consider AU biggest
41-60---50% consider AU biggest
60-death bed---20% consider AU biggest
Bama-Tennessee was a grat rivalry with mutual respect on both sides until the whole logan young, phillip fulmer fiasco, then shite got ugly. Historically speaking, Alabama and Tennessee are the conference juggernauts, hence the passionate rivalry. Auburn is seen more as a thorn in the side and little brother whereas tennessee is seen as twin brother, historically speaking of course.
Auburn fans despise the little brother thing and like to view themselves as alabama's equal, but that's just not the case. Not in victories nor in fan support in the state and around the country. Right now UT is bama's bitch but I can remember when they ran off 8-9 straight against us. The streakiness of the rivalry probably also adds fuel to the fire, when a team whips your arse for a decade you grow to hate them
Posted on 6/1/12 at 12:04 pm to RolltidePA
quote:
Personally, I think the Iron Bowl is a bigger game and the big rivalry. Saying that, I do hate UT much more than AU. Auburn is sort of like my one cousin, he's a complete dick that I can barely stand, but we are related and in the end the family wouldn't be the same without him. UT on the other hand is like the a-hole neighbor that you can't stand in any way shape of form. This is the guy that you wish his house would burn down so he would get the hell out of your neighborhood.
There we go.
UGA = cousin
Bama = neighbor
I enjoy the UGA game. I love watching it every year, I'm ecstatic if we win, and depressed if we lose, but it's a great rivalry and 51 weeks out of the year, UGA is my second favorite team in the SEC.
With the Iron Bowl, I'm more relieved if we win and fricking PISSED if we lose. I hate having to deal with those damn rednecks that cover themselves in crimson and houndstooth, having lived within spitting distance of Auburn University their entire lives, never stepped foot outside of Lee County, and couldn't place Tuscaloosa on a map. The worst part is, I see cars with that ugly mullet "A" on them around campus all the time, and it makes me sick at my stomach. I want nothing more than to completely disassociate ourselves with that community college across the state.
Now, I understand not all Bama fans are like that, but those are 90% of the ones I have come in contact with every day.
Posted on 6/1/12 at 12:05 pm to therick711
There's just more history between TN and AL, for one. Those two schools are also, historically, the pinnacle of the SEC. Auburn doesn't even compare in that regard. They'll be chasing that level for a long time.
I have an intense dislike for Tennessee and Tennessee fans. Some of my best friends are Auburn fans, but I won't be hanging around a TN fan if I can help it.
I have an intense dislike for Tennessee and Tennessee fans. Some of my best friends are Auburn fans, but I won't be hanging around a TN fan if I can help it.
Posted on 6/1/12 at 12:06 pm to BlackPawnMartyr
quote:
Has nothing at all to do with Auburn but the long history of the two schools as the tops of the SEC.
You guys love pumping up the Vols.
Here are some notes on the Vols early history:
LSU had won two SEC titles before UT won their first.
Tulane had an SEC title before UT.
LSU and UT both had 3 conference championships at the formation of the SEC.
3 future SEC member schools had appearances in the Rose Bowl before UT; Alabama, Georgia Tech and TULANE.
Vanderbilt had a better overall win% than UT when the SEC was formed - better even than Alabama's.
By 1952 Georgia Tech and UT both had 3 national championships, all of GT's were undefeated season, only one of UT's.
While I recognize Alabama's contribution to the conference, I believe that Georgia Tech was more influential in terms of national recognition than UT.
Posted on 6/1/12 at 12:08 pm to bigDgator
UT was the historical rival which has now been replaced by LSU.
Auburn is a war...
Auburn is a war...
Posted on 6/1/12 at 12:10 pm to NorthGwinnettTiger
quote:
Older Bama fans and the ones that live in the northern part of the state generally look at UT as the #1 rival.
This is more of a Huntsville and NW AL thing. I live about 40 minutes from the TN line and rarely see any UT fans and I don't know anybody around here that considers UT their main rival. When I go see my wife's family in Lauderdale Co it is a different story.
Posted on 6/1/12 at 12:19 pm to marshallcotiger
The stats don't lie.
All-time school recordsThrough the 2011 regular season, not including the bowls that follow.
# SEC Records Win % SEC Championships Claimed National Championships
1 Alabama 813–320–43 70.96 22 14
2 Tennessee 794–347–54 68.70 13 6
3 LSU 734–389–47 64.74 11 3
4 Georgia 748–399–54 64.53 12 2
5 Auburn 718–405–47 63.34 7 2
6 Florida 669–385–40 62.98 8 3
7 Arkansas 678–456–40 59.15 0 1
8 Mississippi 621–486–35 55.91 6 3
9 South Carolina 554–542–44 50.53 0 0
10 Kentucky 578–572–44 50.25 2 0
11 Vanderbilt 565–573–50 49.66 0 0
12 Mississippi State 506–542–39 48.26 1 0
Dominance in the history of the S.E.C is why Tennessee is the biggest rivalry. When you are on top, everyone wants to knock you down.
All-time school recordsThrough the 2011 regular season, not including the bowls that follow.
# SEC Records Win % SEC Championships Claimed National Championships
1 Alabama 813–320–43 70.96 22 14
2 Tennessee 794–347–54 68.70 13 6
3 LSU 734–389–47 64.74 11 3
4 Georgia 748–399–54 64.53 12 2
5 Auburn 718–405–47 63.34 7 2
6 Florida 669–385–40 62.98 8 3
7 Arkansas 678–456–40 59.15 0 1
8 Mississippi 621–486–35 55.91 6 3
9 South Carolina 554–542–44 50.53 0 0
10 Kentucky 578–572–44 50.25 2 0
11 Vanderbilt 565–573–50 49.66 0 0
12 Mississippi State 506–542–39 48.26 1 0
Dominance in the history of the S.E.C is why Tennessee is the biggest rivalry. When you are on top, everyone wants to knock you down.
Posted on 6/1/12 at 12:19 pm to therick711
The majority of Vols/Tide fans would probably say that each respective school is their second-most hated team (AU for them, Florida for us)...But the hate is still strong for both fanbases (*cough* NBamaAlum *cough*).
I'd say that Kentucky would be our biggest rival if they could manage to beat us more than once in every 28 years.
I'd say that Kentucky would be our biggest rival if they could manage to beat us more than once in every 28 years.

Posted on 6/1/12 at 12:19 pm to marshallcotiger
How much of a rivalry is this game going to be for the next 10 years? Someone tell me why Tennessee won't be Bama's bitch for the forsiable future? It's inevitable that Dooley will be fired, what coach can Tennesee bring in that can compete with Saban? No one IMO. This game is only a rivalry in name because it sure as hell isn't on the field
This post was edited on 6/1/12 at 12:20 pm
Posted on 6/1/12 at 12:21 pm to NYCAuburn
quote:
It's more a dig at Auburn
No, not really.
Our history with UT dates back to the first game in 1901 where there became an on field brawl. It later heated up with Gen Neyland, and the Bear.
Posted on 6/1/12 at 12:22 pm to elposter
quote:
Some do say UT, especially older fans who
I just turned 27, not sure that makes me older.
Posted on 6/1/12 at 12:23 pm to therick711
You must be pretty young.
Tennessee a top ten football program that shares a border with another top ten football program,Alabama. Duh.
Tennessee a top ten football program that shares a border with another top ten football program,Alabama. Duh.
Posted on 6/1/12 at 12:28 pm to WildTchoupitoulas
quote:
I believe that Georgia Tech was more influential in terms of national recognition than UT.



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