The Saban Bowl

So here it is. Number one against number two, going head to head, with everything on the line. Except, it's not the national championship game. And these will not be the top two teams after the lights are turned out in Tuscaloosa Saturday night.

The LSU-Alabama rivalry dates back to 1895. The Crimson Tide leads the series 45-24-5 and they also own the longest win streak in the series at 11 which ranged from 1971-1981. In recent history, the game has been nicknamed the "Saban Bowl" because of current Alabama head coach Nick Saban.

Saban coached at LSU from 2000-2004 after leaving Michigan State before their 1999 bowl game. At LSU, Saban would win 2 SEC Championships, the first coming in 2001 and the second came in 2003. Saban and the Tigers would go on to add a National Championship in 2003 with a 21-14 victory over #1 Oklahoma. At the end of the 2004 season, Saban would depart Louisiana for the NFL's Miami Dolphins. In his time at LSU, the Tigers were 4-1 against Alabama.

Then in 2007, Nick Saban returned to college football, this time donned in crimson. So far, with Saban at the helm, the Crimson Tide have a 43-11 record with Conference and National Championships in 2009. In his time at Alabama so far, the Tide are 2-2.

This season, however, there's more pressure on both teams than ever before. Both come into tonight's game with National Championship expectations, and rightly so. Alabama and LSU are the two top rated defenses, and the two top teams in the nation. There's almost no doubt that the winner of this game is going to be the favorite to beat (fill in whoever you THINK is going to be number two in January) at the end of the year.

So here's my prediction: Alabama's offense squeaks ahead of LSU midway through the third quarter, and the Crimson Tide wins 27-17. I think LSU's QB, Jarrett Lee, struggles against the stout Alabama D and the Tigers never get comfortable running the ball. Alabama's offense is also going to be more than the Tigers are used to seeing both on the ground and through the air.

This is a #1-#2 matchup that promises offensive football. Well most fans then are not going to turn it off in favor of the #14 K-State at #3 OK State game. Because as the old saying goes, "offense sells seats, defense wins championships." And the winner of this game, gets their shot at a championship.