TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer didn’t indicate if he was a fan of cigars when asked about the tradition ahead of No. 7 Alabama’s clash against No. 11 Tennessee on Saturday.

But a cigar man or not, DeBoer is well aware of the stakes that come with the Third Saturday in October.

“Obviously this game is a big deal to fans and obviously to us and we understand that’s the case for them as well,” DeBoer said. “So looking forward to a high-level, heightened week with preparation and a big game on Saturday.”

While DeBoer is still getting comfortable in the SEC, he knows a thing or two about preparing for heightened rivalries. DeBoer has taken part in a few throughout his coaching career, including at Washington where DeBoer had an undefeated record against the Huskies' two main rivals, Washington State and Oregon.

In 2023, those matchups had considerably high stakes. No. 7 Washington won a nail-biter 36-33 over No. 8 Oregon in October. Just over a month later DeBoer led a still-undefeated Washington team into Husky Stadium to face an unranked Washington State side in the last game of the regular season. The rivalry known as the Apple Cup nearly turned sour for DeBoer as the spirited Cougars led by quarterback Cam Ward came just three points shy of upsetting the No. 4 Huskies.

After surviving a scare DeBoer regrouped for a rematch of the “Civil War” in the PAC-12 Championship game. With Oregon No. 5, the matchup inside Alligent Stadium in Las Vegas was essentially for a spot in the 2024 College Football Playoff. Oregon was once again unable to find a way against DeBoer's Huskies, and Washington came up victorious against its rival again to book a spot in the CFP.

DeBoer’s success in high-stakes games helped make him a candidate for the Alabama job. But while DeBoer owned his rivalries in the PAC-12, the first-year Alabama coach is taking on an entirely new beast when he gets his first taste of the Alabama-Tennesse rivalry.

“I’ve been told it’s a big deal, and I know it’s a big deal,” DeBoer said during his weekly press conference Monday. “You see it from afar and these are the games, much like we’ve had, already won a couple here. They’re the big ones that are on the schedule. As a coach they’re all big in different ways and each takes one at a time but I certainly understand the significance of the rivalry and guys are going to be very motivated and do their best and prepare well and be great on Saturday.”

Both Alabama and Tennessee come into the matchup after defeats to unraked SEC teams two weeks ago, followed by single-digit wins over weaker foes last week. Both teams have something to prove, and Saturday’s game will leave the winner with a marquee victory and the loser with no room for error in the College Football Playoff race.

As far as the cigars go, DeBoer might not end up lighting one up himself should Alabama defeat Tennessee Saturday. But after coaching in big-time rivalry games at Washington, and learning what he can before experiencing his First Saturday in October, DeBoer’s main goal is to put his players and Alabama fans in a position to enjoy a victory cigar.

“I know that this tradition goes back quite a ways, I know that cigars are a part of it,” DeBoer said. “But I know that what I’m trying to do is just make sure we do our part as a football program and prepare so that people can celebrate and enjoy the rivalry on our end. A lot of respect for Tennessee, their coaches, their players. But we’re just pouring into the things that we can control, what we can focus and want to bring that joy to the hard work that we put in personally and within this team but also so this fan base can enjoy it as well.”