For the past few years, those Alabama victory cigars have been little luxuries, like a luscious dessert or a glass of port at the end of a four-star meal.
On Saturday, one wonders if Alabama had the strength left to light those stogies at all.
Tennessee pushed the No. 8 Crimson Tide to the brink on Saturday before a critical touchdown drive and an even more crucial defensive stand sealed Alabama's ninth win in a row over the Volunteers, a 19-14 win that will stand with the classics of a series that had grown slightly stale recently.