For many players, Alabama-UT rivalry not what it once was

Legends have been born in this game. Blood and sweat and tears have been shed. It is a rivalry that stirs emotions of all kinds.

But has the Tennessee-Alabama rivalry lost its luster the last few years?

Has Florida and Georgia replaced the Crimson Tide as the Vols' greatest adversary?

Has the SEC split into divisions forever damaged what was once one of the nation's best rivalry games?

Depends with whom you talk -- and their age.

"It's lost a little bit of its flavor, but not much," Tennessee running back Gerald Riggs said. "As far as the fans are concerned, they still understand the importance of this rivalry and the importance of this game and the implications it has for either team in their season.

"As far as the media and across they country, they don't really recognize it as much as us playing Florida or Georgia, but I think it has the same kind of atmosphere around it as far as the fans are concerned."

It has been said that a rivalry isn't a rivalry if one side is dominating, but that does not necessarily hold true in Alabama-Tennessee football.

Did Tennessee ever want to beat Alabama worse than in 1995 when it hadn't beaten the Tide in nine seasons?

Has Alabama ever wanted to beat Tennessee worse than now, when it enters Saturday's game having lost eight of the last nine games?

"They would love nothing more than to throw a wrench in our season, and everybody understands the rivalry," Riggs said.

You can bet Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer and offensive coordinator Randy Sanders and defensive coordinator John Chavis understand it.

Fulmer has spent 30 seasons at Tennessee as a player and coach. Sanders has spent 20 seasons at UT as a player and coach. Chavis has spent 19 years as a player and coach.

They have been involved in many Third Saturdays in Octobers.

"Obviously the last three or four years," Sanders said, "Alabama hasn't quite had the success on the field that they had there for a long time, but that doesn't diminish the rivalry or lessen it any way I think in my mind or coach Fulmer's mind or coach Chavis' mind, those of us who have been around it a long time."

What about those who haven't been around it a long time?

"I've known (about the rivalry) for many years prior to coming here," said junior defensive end Jason Hall, who was born in Marietta, Ga., but played at Chattanooga McCallie.

"It's a storied rivalry and most people in the country know about it if you know anything about college football."

Offensive tackle Michael Munoz knew little of the rivalry as a youngster in Cincinnati.

Munoz says other teams in the SEC East have moved up on the Vols' rivalry list, but that doesn't mean Alabama has dropped off it.

"I think that's why I love playing in the SEC (because) every game there's a history to it," Munoz said. "It has been true that your Floridas and your Georgias, it's because they're in the East, and they're great football teams that have become that early-season rivalry and you've got to get up early.

"But Alabama is a great rivalry too. Just look at the games we've had with them, the overtime game we had last year. It's a great rivalry as well."

Sanders, born in Morristown, says being a native of Tennessee and understanding the rivalry will always make it important to him.

"I think the Tennessee-Alabama rivalry is obviously special and always will be special for those of us who have been around it for a long time," Sanders said.