Vols Victory Cigars: Police stop fans from taking goalpost with tasers after Tennessee defeats Alabama 24-17 with major CFB Playoffs odds on the line

Apologies for the delay in posting this article. I had to take a moment to enjoy a victory cigar myself after that Vols game. That’s because for the second straight time, the Tennessee Vols took down the Alabama Crimson Tide at Neyland Stadium, and this one was a battle. In the end, the Volunteers walked away with a hard-fought 24-17 victory, showing once again that Neyland is no easy place for Bama to visit especially without Nick Saban this time.

Nico Iamaleava had a solid showing, completing 14 of 27 passes for 194 yards, with one touchdown and one pick. Bru McCoy was the top target, pulling in 6 catches for 80 yards. But the star of the show? Dylan Sampson. Yet again, he powered Tennessee’s offense, racking up 139 yards on 26 carries and punching in two more touchdowns, pushing his season total to an impressive 17.

With that said, two years ago, when Tennessee beat Alabama, the goalposts from Neyland Stadium ended up in the Tennessee River. On Saturday, the police at Neyland were on high alert to make sure history didn’t repeat itself. While they were likely just as pumped as the rest of Vol nation to see Tennessee pull of the win, they weren’t taking any chances with the goalposts. Tasers were drawn to make sure those posts stayed right where they belonged.

Watch: Vols fans attempt to take goalposts again

Officers were ready to taser folks over the goal posts 😂.

Unbelievable pic.twitter.com/XJgeDwBSN8

— Trey Wallace (@TreyWallace_) October 20, 2024

Tasers or no tasers, Knoxville is about to party. Josh Heupel made it clear from the start that winning the Third Saturday in October was a big deal, and with two wins now over the Vols’ biggest rivals, he’s definitely backing that up.

Following this game, Tennessee’s odds of making the College Football Playoff have soared to 70 percent, a notable increase from the 45 percent they had before the game. On the flip side, Alabama took a major hit, seeing their playoff chances plummet to 49 percent after starting the day with a 69 percent likelihood.

If the Volunteers had come up short, their postseason hopes would have nosedived to just 23 percent. This underscores just how vital this victory is for the selection committee.

Victory Cigars

WE DON’T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT THE WHOLE STATE OF ALABAMA… pic.twitter.com/FWNEz4ckV1

— Rocky Top Now (@rockytopnow) October 20, 2024

Obviously, victory cigars were smoked all over the stadium, including the locker room following this game. Which leads me to my next point, why the hell do people act so weird about athletes doing this? This was not only a game that features one of the best rivalries in college sports, but this game had huge playoff implications on the line.

The victory cigar has existed specifically in this Alabama-Tennessee rivalry since 1961, when Alabama athletic trainer Jim Gostree lit one up in the locker room and danced naked after the Tide beat the Vols. So, victory cigars are nothing new in sports, but they seem to have a very value behind them in regards to the winners of the third Saturday in October every year.

Tennessee is gearing up for two home games in the next two weeks, taking on Kentucky and Mississippi State. But all eyes will be on November 16 when the Vols travel to face Georgia in a pivotal matchup. This game has major implications for both teams, as they fight for playoff positioning and a shot at the SEC title. With both squads vying for dominance in the conference, expect another electric atmosphere as they clash in what could be one of the season’s defining moments.

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