Alabama-LSU rivalry is losing its shine after Crimson Tide put nail in the coffin of another Tigers era
Up until November 2011, the Alabama vs. LSU rivalry was among the best in college football. The SEC powers traded wins back and forth almost yearly, but Nick Saban’s second wind in the 2010s put Alabama’s foot on the neck of its rival. Since LSU’s wins in 2010 and 2011, the Crimson Tide has won […]
Up until November 2011, the Alabama vs. LSU rivalry was among the best in college football. The SEC powers traded wins back and forth almost yearly, but Nick Saban’s second wind in the 2010s put Alabama’s foot on the neck of its rival. Since LSU’s wins in 2010 and 2011, the Crimson Tide has won 13 of its last 15 matchups against LSU.
That includes Saturday’s 20-9 win in Tuscaloosa. While LSU hung around closer than expected on the scoreboard despite playing poorly and benching quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, the Tigers are about to enter a new era. A new coach and possibly a new quarterback are coming in 20206.
In the meantime, Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer is busy winning, readying his program for a College Football Playoff debut under him, and trying to steal some LSU key recruits. But the turbulence at LSU and the success at Alabama put this rivalry in jeopardy.
Alabama puts LSU in further trouble with latest rivalry win
The Crimson Tide is on a collision course to face Texas A&M in the SEC title game at the end of the regular season if both teams can avoid a massive upset. All is good for Alabama, even if the run game continues to be an issue, at least for now.
But with this rivalry going further in favor of Alabama, LSU likely not getting Lane Kiffin or another high-end, immediate spark of a head coach, and future conference schedules not guaranteeing more of these matchups, this was a major win that scales beyond the short-term.
DeBoer and his staff said all the right things entering the game, and LSU put up a good fight. However, outside of LSU’s brand and recruiting power, the Tide have buried this program into an unrecognizable mess in the short term.
