The LSU Tigers have long been overshadowed by the Alabama Crimson Tide, but how many times have the Tigers taken victory in this rivalry game?
How Many Times Has LSU Beat Alabama?
LSU/Alabama is a heated rivalry in the SEC and the 2023 edition will be the 88th matchup between the two schools. While the rivalry already existed, the grudge match was amplified with the arrival of Nick Saban as Alabama’s head coach, after his previous tenures at LSU.
The rivalry games have been pivotal to deciding the winner of the SEC West division with both LSU and Alabama commanding the divisional standings in recent years.
Nick Saban’s influence has led to the game being labeled the ‘Saban Bowl’ and since Saban arrived in Tuscaloosa in 2007, Alabama has dominated the standings.
But the rivalry stretched back much further than just the Nick Saban era. The rivalry dates back to the first-ever matchup in 1895 when LSU secured a 12-6 win over the Crimson Tide in Baton Rouge.
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Now, LSU and Alabama have played each other every year since 1964 with Alabama leading in overall wins.
LSU Win Total Over Alabama
LSU have a significantly inferior record to their rivals only winning 27 of the previous 87 matchups. The overall standings for LSU are 27-55-5.
But, the rivalry has naturally seen both sides having dominating periods over the 128-year history.
For an eight-game stretch between 2012 and 2018 Alabama won every matchup including three games where LSU failed to put up any points.
The longest LSU has gone without beating Alabama though, is 11 games in the decade between 1971 and 1981 when Bear Bryant was the head coach of the Crimson Tide.
The most consecutive wins for the Tigers came between the years 2003 to 2007 when they won 5 on the bounce, including three of those wins on the road in Tuscaloosa.
When LSU and Alabama take to the field in Bryant-Deny Stadium on Saturday, November 3 for the 2023 game, it will be the 31st matchup where both teams are ranked when the game kicks off.
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LSU is looking to win back-to-back games in the historic rivalry having won the 2022 matchup 32-21 in Baton Rouge. The Tigers are also hoping they can overtake Alabama in the race to win the SEC West and make the SEC Championship Game.
LSU entered the game ranked #13 in the country with a 6-2 record, while their Alabama rivals are 7-1 and ranked #8 in the first installment of the College Football Playoff Rankings.
The Future of the Rivalry
Despite the rivalry between the two sides being written into college football and SEC history the future of the fixture taking place yearly is in jeopardy.
The SEC’s current fixture schedule is only set through the 2024 season as the SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey and the conference’s leadership look to establish a set schedule format for the conference moving forward.
Speaking to the media during the week, LSU head coach Brian Kelly said “I think we’re going to have a say in what that scheduling looks”. Kelly continued commenting on the LSU-Alabama rivalry specifically “When talking to Scott Woodward, our AD, he would agree that LSU-Alabama is a game that we would like to see played every year.”
Nick Saban also had his say on the fixture claiming “This is a great game that has tremendous fan interest, and it’s been a great game for however long I’ve been here.” Saban also continued saying “Both fan bases look forward to the game, and I think as many of these types of fan interest, rivalry games, whatever you want to call them, that we can sort of keep over time is beneficial to the conference”
Both head coaches seem in agreement the LSU-Alabama rivalry must continue as an annual fixture on the first Saturday in November.