KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Alabama football was so confident heading into Saturday’s game that the school’s video team had a video featuring highlights from the Crimson Tide’s 12 consecutive victories over Tennessee.

That’s a record in the series for either team. Alabama has never lost to Tennessee during the Nick Saban coaching era and on Saturday the Crimson Tide rolled 58-21 in a contest that was essentially over in less than 30 seconds. Alabama’s 58 points are the most by the Crimson Tide against the Volunteers in the 101-game history of the series. The previous record was 56 in a 56-28 win in 1986, also in Knoxville.

Saturday, Alabama scored a touchdown on its opening drive, the defense forced a fumble on Tennessee’s second drive and Alabama scored another touchdown on its second drive. That 23-second span of playing time was enough. The rest was just a formality.

Tua Tagovailoa is cruising to New York

Every week, Tide quarterback Tua Tagovailoa inches closer and closer to the Heisman Trophy. What he’s doing while playing in three quarters or less every game is truly remarkable. Tagovailoa threw for 306 yards and four touchdowns against the Vols before being pulled early in the third quarter.

We’ve had plenty of early Heisman favorites trail off at the end of the season, but something about Tagovailoa feels different. If he goes into Baton Rouge and puts on a show against LSU’s defense on Nov. 3, they may as well ship the trophy to Tuscaloosa that night because that’s the only defense on the schedule with a chance of covering Alabama’s receivers.

Tagovailoa has thrown for 300 or more yards in three games, and has thrown for four touchdowns in three games. Again, this is without playing a second in the fourth quarter of any game.

Nick Saban is unbothered

As he exited the field during halftime, a Tennessee fan threw something in the direction of Saban. Later, police were shown escorting someone out of the field.

It’s completely bush league for a fan to throw something at anyone, but it’s also incredibly stupid to do it in the direction of Saban when there are literally cameras on him most of the time when he’s coaching.

Either way, Saban didn’t seem to bothered by the event.

“I’d rather have somebody upset when we’re playing on the road than happy about their circumstance,” Saban said with a smile.

That fan should be banned from all future Tennessee events because no coach, player or anyone on the field of play should have to worry about having things thrown at them.

Butch Jones is one of the guys

One of the better side stories to this Alabama-Tennessee meeting was the presence of former Tennessee coach Butch Jones, now an analyst with Alabama.

Josh Jacobs revealed this week that the players joked with Jones because he never had an opportunity to smoke a cigar during the rivalry.

That changed Saturday afternoon as Jones puffed a stogie and posed for pictures with multiple players. It’s hilarious to see Jones as one of the guys. That’s a far fall to go from “head coach at a major SEC program” to an analyst, but Jones seems to be enjoying life and taking everything in stride.