KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — As fans streamed into Neyland Stadium before the biggest game of the college football season, there was a palpable belief that this would be the year Tennessee finally knocked Nick Saban and Alabama from its high horse.

Since Saban took over Alabama in 2007, the Crimson Tide have gone on a run rarely seen in sports, winning eight SEC championships, six national championships, and never losing to the Tennessee Vols.