TUSCALOOSA, Ala – The Saturday edition of the Tuscaloosa News devoted its entire front page to questioning the legitimacy – or at least the relevancy – of the Tennessee-Alabama rivalry.
After all, AJ McCarron’s self-proclaimed first thought when hearing the word Tennessee is, “they’re just another school.”
With Alabama winners of seven straight against the Vols, it’s a valid question. Throw in the possibility of future SEC scheduling rearrangements disrupting the series, and it becomes relevant to question the rivalry’s relevancy.
But McCarron, Alabama’s golden boy quarterback, made it obvious after the Crimson Tide’s 45-10 whooping of Tennessee on Saturday that the rivalry is plenty alive by contradicting the remarks he made just days before.
In fact, the Crimson Tide senior quarterback pumped some lighter fluid onto the rivalry’s supposedly dwindling flame.
“I never really say anything about the other team, but I kind of took this one personal,” the fifth-year senior said after the game. “I felt disrespected.”
However, the source of McCarron’s hurt feelings and quippy remarks to the media was his own skewing of Tennessee’s excessive respect for the No. 1 Crimson Tide.
Leading up the Saturday’s game, UT referred to Alabama as “the red team” during practice and interviews. McCarron apparently caught wind of that and felt it to be an insult.
Last week, UT wide receiver Alton Howard explained the actual mindset behind referring the the Crimson Tide as “the red team.”
The nickname stemmed from UT’s acknowledgement of the Crimson Tide as an impenetrable force, both on the field and in the heads of opponents.
“Mentally, just by their name, when team’s hear that name or when it comes to playing them, they’re mentally beat already before they step on the field,” Howard said.
Essentially, the Vols acknowledged that Alabama is so good – thanks in part to McCarron’s two national titles as the quarterback – that opponents change their mindsets in a negative way just by uttering the name “Alabama.”
“Red team” was simply the latest in a convoy of psychological tactics used by UT coach Butch Jones, who realized that his team might be shell-shocked simply by the caliber of its opponent on Saturday.
So, even though the Vols are “just another team” to McCarron, he was sure to point out his undefeated record against them during his career.
“I took it personal,” McCarron said. “I wanted to come out and score as many points as possible, and I didn’t want to come out of the game either.”
Those are awfully big words in the aftermath of a relatively mundane win for Alabama, especially if they came following a non-rivalry game.
The Tuscaloosa News is right. The relevancy of the UT-Tennessee rivalry should be discussed, and the Crimson Tide’s dominance on Saturday proves why.
But McCarron made it clear where he stands on the issue. He called his own bluff.
“For my class especially, the ’09 class, to come in and go 5-0 against them,” McCarron said, “it’s a great accomplishment for us.”
Considering that McCarron also implicated his teammates in sharing the perception of disrespect, it’s pretty clear what Tennessee must do to keep the rivalry relevant.
Just call Alabama “the red team.”
David Cobb is a junior in journalism & electronic media. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @DavidWCobb.
