2. Alabama Football vs Texas A&M Head Coach Jimbo Fisher
Jimbo has established himself as one of the most unlikable coaches in college football, and Alabama Football fans have a particular disdain for the Texas A&M head coach.
Fisher has publicly butted heads with Coach Saban on more than one occasion, and became the first former assistant to defeat Saban when the Aggies edged the Tide 41-38 in 2021.
Last season, the game between these two teams went down to the wire again. This time, Alabama survived the upset attempt, outlasting A&M 24-20 in Bryant-Denny Stadium without Bryce Young.
The Aggies will attempt to get back on track in 2023, and will host the Crimson Tide in College Station on October 7th.
1. Alabama Football vs LSU Head Coach Brian Kelly
Kelly has quickly risen to Jimbo Fisher-like levels of unlikability. Kelly, who was an SEC postseason punching bag for over a decade as the head coach of Notre Dame, made his way to the Southeastern Conference as the head coach of LSU in 2022 and found immediate success.
The Tigers went 10-4 and won the SEC West, but they have made it clear that the highlight of their season was beating Alabama for just the second time in 10 years. Kelly has milked the win for all it’s worth this offseason.
He will have to back up his words this fall when he faces Saban in Bryant-Denny Stadium for the first time. This game could be another instant classic, as all signs point towards LSU being a College Football Playoff contender in 2023.