By the third quarter, the scoreboard was more for monitoring if Alabama was going to cover the 39.5-point spread against Middle Tennessee rather than seeing who would win on Saturday night.

With the Tide en route to a 56-7 victory, a long pass sailed into the sidelines and granted the scoreboard operators a few more seconds of open time before the next snap. The big screens encircling Bryant-Denny Stadium cut to a handful of fans. After a moment, two of them noticed they were on the screen. Without hesitation, they flashed a hand gesture Saban wouldn’t approve.

That’s right, ‘horns down’ was displayed in front of whatever was left of the 100,077 men, women and children in the crowd. It must be Texas week.

Yes, the rematch so important it needed its own brand deal. It’s time for round two of the home-and-home series. And sure, while there were whispers of No. 4 Alabama’s 24-hour rule postgame — the break the coaches and players give themselves before learning and moving forward to the next matchup — reporters were already looking ahead to Week 2.

Just ask Texas native Jalen Milroe.

“Honestly, just another opponent on the schedule,” Milroe said.

But then a reporter asked him again one minute later.

“No, I’m just gonna take it on. Just another game on the schedule. No matter who’s in the game or just a great moment just to be blunt.”

Then another tried to change it up, asking about if any of Milroe’s extended family were Texas fans. (Yes, and immediate, too.) And if they were, would they be wearing burnt orange or crimson next week?

“I don’t know yet,” Milroe said through chuckles, then admitting he had a Vince Young jersey growing up.

Alabama was the No. 1 team in the country when the sides met in Austin a year ago. Saban was kind enough to demonstrate the horns-down hand signal during his weekly radio appearance on “Hey Coach,” and said he’d stress to his team to not risk an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

The Tide wriggled out a massive upset to a then-unranked Longhorns team, 20-19, thanks to Bryce Young and Will Reichard. But in the seconds after the win, FOX Sports cameras caught the head coach screaming at players mid-celebration. Horns littered in front of him.

Hours before the Tide and No. 11 Longhorns, who beat Rice 37-10, kicked off, ESPN College GameDay host Rece Davis confirmed “the worst kept secret” that the network’s premier pregame show would be in Tuscaloosa. ESPN will also air the game at 6 p.m. on Sept. 9.

As of Sunday morning, it’ll cost a spectator at least $230 to deliver horns down in person.

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Nick Alvarez is a reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @nick_a_alvarez or email him at [email protected].