In recent years, Alabama and LSU have been the premier rivalry in the SEC West, in large part due to the amount of future NFL-level talent on the field and the ramifications each game has.
Here is a glimpse back at some of the most important games the last decade of this rivalry has produced.
2009 — 24-15 Alabama
The stakes were high when LSU traveled to Tuscaloosa to face the Crimson Tide in 2009.
The two programs split the two previous meetings. Alabama was the No. 3 team in the nation LSU was No. 9.
To top it all off, this game decided who would face Florida and their star quarterback Tim Tebow for the SEC championship.
With 10:37 left in the game, LSU led the Crimson Tide 15-13 before quarterback Greg McElroy hit Jones on a screen pass. The wide receiver took the ball 76 yards to score the touchdown and help Alabama eventually win 24-15.
Following the game, Alabama went on to beat Florida in Atlanta and then beat Texas to win its first national championship in the Nick Saban era.
2011, Part 1 — 9-6 LSU
In a game that has earned the moniker, “The Game of the Century,” LSU, the No. 1 team in the nation at that time, traveled to No. 2 Alabama. The teams had never played each other as the top-2 teams in the country.
The future NFL talent, like most years, was off the charts with players like AJ McCarron, Trent Richardson, Odell Beckham Jr., Tyrann Mathieu, Patrick Peterson, Eric Reid, and Morris Claiborne.
In a battle of the best, the game came down to two crucial moments.
The first was a Mathieu interception that kept Alabama out of the endzone, and the second was a game-winning field goal by Drew Alleman to give the Tigers a 9-6 victory.
But this wasn’t the last time these teams faced each other that season.
2011, Part 2 — 21-0 Alabama
Following the conclusion of the regular season, there was a debate over who will earn a spot in the national championship.
No. 2: Alabama, which only lost to LSU by 3 points, and the Oklahoma State Cowboys, who lost only to a terrible Iowa State team on the road in three overtimes, were the top contenders.
Eventually, Alabama earned the right to go to the national championship for a rematch with the top ranked Tigers. Unlike the first matchup, Alabama dominated LSU in a 21-0 rout in LSU’s backyard, New Orleans.
Richardson led the way for Alabama by running for 96 yards and a touchdown.
2019 — 46-41 LSU
The 2011 National Championship was a turning point in the Alabama vs. LSU rivalry.
Alabama won eight straight games against the Bayou Bengals. While most games were a hard-fought battle, LSU could never get the job done.
That is until 2019.
LSU, led by Ohio State transfer and current Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, had one of the best offenses college football has ever seen. Burrow had one of the best seasons ever by a quarterback.
But none of that mattered unless the Tigers beat Alabama.
Like most years it was a one-score game but, in the end, it was the LSU Tigers who reigned victorious.
Burrow, who completed 79% of his passes for 393 yards and three touchdowns, helped seal the 46-41 victory and the coveted Heisman Trophy.
2023
This year looks to be another classic after LSU ended Alabama’s playoff dreams with a 32-31 overtime win. This year, the Crimson Tide looks to stay in the playoff hunt while also getting revenge for last year’s loss.
At 6:45 p.m. CT Saturday night, the eyes of the college football world will be in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, as the Tigers and the Crimson Tide once again meet for a shot at a championship.
