Alabama versus LSU has turned into one of the biggest rivalries in college football, and it feels weird that neither College Game Day nor SEC Nation is in Tuscaloosa before the game Saturday night. There have been quite a few classic games over the years, and the number of future NFL stars on both sides is almost mind-blowing.
Going into the season with all the hype around LSU and Garrett Nussmeier, it seemed everyone had November 8th circled on the calendar for good reason. Now, with the unceremonious firings of both Brian Kelly and Scott Woodward this year's game has lost a good amount of its luster, and now all the Tigers can do is possibly play spoiler against the Tide.
Kalen DeBoer's squad comes into the game as a heavy favorite, and many do not expect much of a challenge for the team that has won seven straight games. It is likely that LSU will play freer and for a week be more dangerous under interim coach Frank Wilson, but looking at past history, interim coaches have not fared well against the Tide.
There is almost the sense that Alabama will roll in this game just like they did a year ago in Baton Rouge, but they must come into the game hungry and again take nothing for granted. We all saw how this game went in 2021 when there was no possible way LSU could win, and there was a lot of unnecessary drama.
Whether this game ends up as an expected romp or a surprising barn burner, it still feels weird that Lubbock, Texas, and Columbia, Missouri, would ever be more desirable destinations for the popular pregame shows than Tuscaloosa, Alabama on Saturday. With Oklahoma's impressive win on the road last week in Knoxville, honestly, there already seems to be more hype around next week's game in Bryant Denny Stadium, and from an LSU perspective, more hype around who will be the next head coach.
Either way, it will be interesting what Saturday night brings and if those who are still sticking with YouTube TV will have the ability to watch.