Ever since Nick Saban arrived in Tuscaloosa on Jan. 4, 2007, the matchup between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the LSU Tigers has become one of the premier rivalries in college football.
A major reason for the intensification of this rivalry is Saban’s past with the LSU Tigers. Saban left Michigan State for LSU in November of 1999, hoping to rebuild a program that was not gaining a whole lot of in-state talent.
“When I was working for Belichick, he made us do a project about where the most players in the NFL come from,” Saban said during episode two of the newly released Saban documentary. “Per capita, Louisiana was first.”
Saban successfully turned around LSU, winning the SEC Championship in his second season in 2001 and winning the national title in 2003, leading the Tigers to a 13-1 record. LSU defeated the top-ranked Oklahoma Sooners in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, 21-14, as a touchdown underdog.
However, Saban only stayed with LSU until the end of the 2004 season, as he made the jump to the NFL to coach the Miami Dolphins in 2005. In his first year, Saban led the Dolphins to a 9-7 regular season record after the team won its last six games, and the Dolphins were expected to do big things in 2006 if they could figure out their quarterback situation.
However, the Dolphins’ front office turned down Drew Brees due to concerns related to his health after suffering a shoulder injury with the San Diego Chargers in 2005. The Dolphins traded for Daunte Culpepper, who only started four games after struggling heavily at the beginning of the 2006 season.
Backup quarterback Joey Harrington took over and led the Dolphins to a 6-10 record in 2006. At the end of the 2006 season, there was buzz from the media about Saban leaving Miami to take over as the head coach at the University of Alabama, which had just fired Mike Shula after Shula held a 26-23 record during his tenure and went 0-4 against Auburn.
“I said, ‘Nick, you are better in college,’ “ said Terry Saban in the first episode of the Saban documentary. “All of your skills, all of your attributes, you’re recruiting, developing players, that’s what you’re good at.”
Thus began the Saban era at Alabama.
Saban’s first four times playing LSU as the Alabama head coach all kicked off at 2:30 p.m. Central Time. The first of which took place on Nov. 3, 2007, when No. 3 LSU survived an upset bid from No. 17 Alabama with a 41-34 victory in Bryant-Denny Stadium.
LSU went on to win the program’s third national championship, and Les Miles’ first and only as a head coach, after defeating the top-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes in New Orleans, 38-24. For the Crimson Tide, the loss was the first of four in November of 2007, including an extremely embarrassing 21-14 defeat to Louisiana Monroe as well as a sixth straight loss to Auburn in the Iron Bowl.
Alabama defeated Colorado in the Independence Bowl, 31-24, to finish 7-6 in Saban’s first season. In 2008, Alabama traveled to Baton Rouge to take on No. 15 LSU with a perfect 9-0 record and a ranking of No. 1 in the country.
“I told the players going in there, you’ve played on the road before, [and] we’ve played in some tough places where there’s some tough fans,” Saban said before the matchup. “But you’ve never been in a place like we’re going to go to for this game; these will be the most hateful people you’ve ever seen in your life.”
Even though Saban spent two years in Miami before taking the Alabama job, LSU fans still felt nothing but resentment and betrayal towards Saban for leaving LSU only a year removed from a national championship. Taking the job at one of LSU’s most-hated rivals certainly was an “adding salt to the wound” moment for LSU fans.
LSU fans held a bonfire the night before the game where they burned a scarecrow wearing an Alabama hat, headphones, and a “Got Nick?/ Got 3?” T-shirt, representing the literal fiery rage that LSU fans had towards Saban.
The Tigers and the Crimson Tide had already met with Saban at Alabama the year prior, but going to Tiger Stadium for the first time took the rivalry to a whole different level. LSU students had poured into Tiger Stadium hours before kickoff to chant obscenities at Saban and at the team.
The game itself lived up to the hype. Alabama’s opening drive ended in Earl Alexander fumbling the ball through the endzone for a touchback.
Three plays later, Alabama got the ball right back on an interception from Rashad Johnson, returning the ball to the LSU 15-yard line. Alabama scored four plays later on a one-yard sneak from quarterback John Parker Wilson, and a Leigh Tiffin extra point put the Crimson Tide up 7-0.
LSU responded quickly with a 6-play, 54-yard drive ending in a 30-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jarrett Lee to wide receiver Demetrius Byrd. Javier Arenas fumbled on the following kickoff, and LSU’s Josh Jasper recovered at the Alabama 30. Two plays later, LSU running back Charles Scott scored on a 30-yard scamper, and LSU scored 14 points in just 24 seconds to go up 14-7 with 5:57 remaining in the first quarter.
After an exchange of punts, an Alabama interception, another LSU punt, and a missed Alabama field goal, Johnson made a game-changing play for the Crimson Tide by taking an interception from Lee 54 yards for a touchdown, tying the game at 14 with 4:33 remaining in the first half.
Alabama scored first in the second half, finishing a 7-play, 69-yard drive with a 3-yard rushing touchdown from Glen Coffee. An extra point from Tiffin put Alabama up 21-14 with 8:14 remaining in the third quarter.
LSU responded in the fourth quarter with a 14-play, 74-yard drive ending in a 1-yard touchdown from Scott. With 6:12 remaining in the game, LSU and Alabama became tied at 21.
After an exchange of punts, Alabama was set up at the LSU 41-yard line after Javier Arenas returned LSU’s punt for 23 yards. After 8 plays, Alabama drove all the way to the 12, setting up Tiffin for a game-winning 29-yard field goal.
However, LSU defensive tackle Ricky Jean-Francois blocked the field goal, sending the game into overtime.
LSU got the ball first to begin overtime, and facing a third-and-6 at the Alabama 21, Johnson claimed his third interception in the endzone, as Lee threw his fourth interception of the day.
The first play of Alabama’s drive featured a 23-yard pass from Wilson to Julio Jones, setting up Alabama with a first-and-goal at the LSU two. Since LSU had just blocked an Alabama field goal, the Crimson Tide went for the touchdown, which they got two plays later on a 1-yard quarterback sneak.
“Alabama remains undefeated, and still number one,” Verne Lundquist said as the final score read 27-21 in favor of the Alabama Crimson Tide.
This matchup was just the beginning of an increasingly hostile rivalry. From 2009 to the present day, the Alabama vs. LSU rivalry has given several memorable moments to college football.
Whether it was LSU’s Les Miles eating grass during LSU’s 24-21 victory in 2010, or Alabama getting revenge in a 21-0 national championship win over the Tigers on Jan. 9, 2012, after LSU defeated Alabama 9-6 during the 2011 “Game of the Century”, featuring No. 1 LSU traveling to Tuscaloosa to take on No. 2 Alabama.
Other great moments include AJ McCarron’s game-winning 28-yard touchdown pass to TJ Yeldon to give Alabama a 21-17 victory in 2012, Alabama coming from behind to defeat LSU 20-13 in overtime and save the Crimson Tide’s season in 2014, or No. 2 LSU defeating No. 3 Alabama in a 46-41 thriller in Tuscaloosa, on the way to LSU’s fourth national championship under Heisman quarterback Joe Burrow and head coach Ed Orgeron in 2019.
The 2026 edition of the rivalry features No. 5 Alabama, coming in at 6-2, traveling to Baton Rouge to take on No. 14 LSU, also 6-2, under first-year coach Lane Kiffin. This game, like several throughout the history of the rivalry, has enormous implications, as it serves as a must-win for both teams if they want to keep any real chance of making the College Football Playoff.
The Crimson Tide and the Tigers will kick off from Tiger Stadium at 2:30 p.m. Saturday on ABC. LSU is currently listed as a 6-point favorite, and with several key players for Alabama expected to return, such as Ryan Coleman-Williams and Racin Delgatty, this matchup should be a lot of fun.