Seth McLaughlin Brings Alabama's Tennessee Victory Cigar Tradition to the Ohio State Sideline

[JohnS]

Seth McLaughlin Brings Alabama's Tennessee Victory Cigar Tradition to the Ohio State Sideline

By 11W Staff on December 22, 2024

Seth McLaughlin wasn't able to play against Tennessee on Saturday night.

But that didn't mean he couldn't celebrate his team's dominating 42-17 win the way he used to when he suited up for the Alabama Crimson Tide as an undergraduate student. 

The cigar he had with him was not random or a prop. It was part of a tradition he learned in Tuscaloosa.

As the legend has it, in 1961 one of Bear Bryant's trainers lit up a stogie following a Tide win which had ended a five-game slide to the Volunteers. This created a tradition maintained over the next two decades - which eventually spread to the opposite sideline.

The Volunteers have been participating in the victory cigar tradition since the early 1980s. It has spread from the sideline into the stands and tailgates. Earlier this season, the Volunteers beat the Crimson Tide in Knoxville, creating a plume of smoke above Neyland Stadium.

Tennessee students light up cigars after an SEC conference game between Tennessee and Alabama in Neyland Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024. © Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

So it was appropriate that McLaughlin, now with the Buckeyes following his Rimington Award-winning season in Columbus found a way to pay homage to his first alma mater while celebrating with his second one.

Ohio State plays Oregon in the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day.

Source: https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-football/2024-25-college-football-playoff/2024/12/151995/seth-mclaughlin-brings-alabamas-tennessee-victory-cigar-tradition-to-the-ohio

[riderpride]

Vols were an embarrassment to the SEC and the playoff selection committee. 

Glad OS lit one up!

Cheers

[RaaoulDukke]

Probably the leftover cigar he thought he was going to light up after the Michigan game!

Oregon will be an entirely different story, but looking forward to that match-up.

[Trapper99]

On 12/24/2024 at 5:04 AM, RaaoulDukke said:

Probably the leftover cigar he thought he was going to light up after the Michigan game!

Oregon will be an entirely different story, but looking forward to that match-up.

It was a different story...the beat down was even worse🤣

[Sudzdaddy]

On 12/23/2024 at 4:01 PM, riderpride said:

Vols were an embarrassment to the SEC and the playoff selection committee. 

Glad OS lit one up!

Cheers

Yup, Vols shat the bed. Almost 40K fans made the trip, too bad the team didn’t.

https://www.si.com/college-football/ohio-state-rocky-top-stadium-speakers-blowout-win-cfp-tennessee
 

Still, pretty big talk from some who’s country is best know for interpretive ice dancing… 🤣

Bucks are for real, we can deal with that.  GBO!  

[riderpride]

7 hours ago, Sudzdaddy said:

Yup, Vols shat the bed. Almost 40K fans made the trip, too bad the team didn’t.

https://www.si.com/college-football/ohio-state-rocky-top-stadium-speakers-blowout-win-cfp-tennessee
 

Still, pretty big talk from some who’s country is best know for interpretive ice dancing…. 🤣

Bucks are for real, we can deal with that. GBO!  

That's the worst part - the fans showed up in force only to watch the team be eviscerated. I'm not sure if that's worse than Super Bowl LI where Falcons fans had a half to enjoy. 

As far as our national sport  - it's toughness is well documented. Feel free to come at me or our useless Prime Minister, but hockey is not to be questioned. 

Cheers!