The SEC’s slogan is “It just means more.” Well, for college football as a whole, the rivalry between Alabama and LSU just means more.
Since the turn of the century, these storied southern programs have clashed 26 times, with an astounding 19 ranked vs. ranked showdowns — including the 2012 BCS National Championship Game.
Simply put, Alabama vs. LSU has been the pinnacle rivalry in college football over the past 25 years.
Come Saturday night, Alabama welcomes an ambush of Tigers to Tuscaloosa. It’ll be a wounded band of Bayou Bengals — but one that still possesses near-unmatched potential.
Back in September, it was national championship or bust for LSU. Fast forward to the second Saturday in November, and the Bengals have, indeed, busted. Three losses in eight games, capped by a shambolic showing inside Tiger Stadium against Texas A&M, led to the dismissal of former head coach Brian Kelly.
All signs might point to a straightforward victory for the Crimson Tide. After all, Alabama is ranked No. 4 in the AP Poll, boasting a 7-1 record with four wins over ranked opponents.
But as the great Lee Corso would say — “Not so fast, my friend.”
Let’s not forget this is a rivalry game — the marquee matchup of the 21st century. So toss out the records and disregard BetMGM’s 10.5-point spread favoring the Tide.
Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier — the No. 10 QB prospect for the 2026 NFL Draft, per Mel Kiper Jr. — and an inspired LSU defense will keep this one close into the fourth quarter.
Prediction: Alabama will ultimately pull away late, powered by clutch connections between Heisman hopeful Ty Simpson and his receiving duo of Ryan Williams and Germie Bernard.
The Tide’s win will mark their 13th victory over LSU in the last 15 meetings.
Meanwhile, Mike the Tiger and the rest of the LSU faithful will be left scratching their heads, wondering how a national-championship-caliber squad now sits at 5-4 on the year.
Watch: No. 4 Alabama vs. LSU | Saturday, Nov. 8 | 7:30 PM ET | ABC