For the Alabama Crimson Tide and LSU, the history of football competition dating back to 1895 has been a strange one. It has been different than the 'long strange trip' the Grateful Dead sang about in their 1970 classic, Truckin. But the long history has been strange, nevertheless.
The first game was on a Monday in 1895. The Alabama Crimson Tide played four games that season, all in November. The middle two games were played over three days in Louisiana. Alabama lost on Saturday in New Orleans to Tulane, 22-0, and on Monday in Baton Rouge to LSU, 12-6. Alabama finished the season the following Saturday on The Quad in Tuscaloosa, losing to Auburn, 48-0. More than half a century would pass before the Alabama vs. Auburn games were called Iron Bowls.
Alabama and LSU have played games in six different cities: Baton Rouge, Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, Mobile, Montgomery, and New Orleans. Saturday night's game in Tuscaloosa will be the 90th contest. Baton Rouge has hosted the most games with 42 meetings. Tuscaloosa is next, with 25. Alabama and LSU played 14 games in Birmingham, including two at Rickwood Field and one at the Birmingham Fairgrounds. Four games were played in Mobile, and two were played in Montgomery.
The only city in which the Alabama Crimson Tide has a losing record against the Bengal Tigers is Mobile. The record is 1-2-1.
Alabama Crimson Tide and Unusual Success
Unusual, at least, and bordering on strange is that Alabama's most success against LSU has been in Baton Rouge. Alabama has 30 wins in Red Stick, with a winning record of 71.4%.
Birmingham has been Alabama's second-most successful city against LSU, with eight wins and 60.7% success. That oddity will change with a Crimson Tide win Saturday night. Alabama sits with a 15-10 record in Tuscaloosa, for a 60% winning percentage.
The rivalry is huge. It might not have been without Nick Saban. Saban built an LSU program that produced one national championship in his tenure and another one under Les Miles after Saban left.
Note: Historical records providfed by rolltide.com, mcubed.net and Wikipedia