Former Alabama Star Turns Heads For Behavior During Ohio State’s CFP Win Over Tennessee

The Alabama and Tennessee rivalry has been played since November 28th, 1901. The first-ever game took place in Birmingham, Alabama and, oddly, ended up in a 6-6 tie. The Crimson Tide have a marginal edge in this rivalry, posting a 60-39-8 record over the Volunteers, including 15 straight wins from 2007-2021.

On Saturday night, the Volunteers went into Columbus as Ohio State hosted them in the first round of the College Football Playoff. In what was probably the most anticipated matchup of the first round. However, as most of the first round matchups were, the game wasn’t as competitive as expected. Ohio State has two former Alabama players rostered on their team: Caleb Downs and Seth McLaughlin. McLaughlin, the former Tide center who won the Remington Trophy for the best center, has been out since the week of the matchup against Indiana due to a torn Achilles tendon in practice.

McLaughlin was seen multiple times on the broadcast sporting a cigar, which has been embedded in the rivalry since 1961.

In the rivalry game in 1961, the Tide would beat the Volunteers, snapping a five-game losing streak, and Alabama athletic director at the time, Jim Goostree, handed out cigars for their victory. This gesture was intended as a one-time deal. However, it became a yearly tradition between both programs, and many consider it “The Cigar Game.” Although McLaughlin received massive criticism and blame for the Tide offensive struggles last season, it seems that, as Siver says in his post, you can’t take the Alabama out of him when it comes to beating Tennessee. The Buckeyes have now locked in their matchup against No. 1 Oregon in the Rose Bowl, a rematch from their regular season game, which Oregon one in the final seconds.