College football is all about rivalries, but Alabama-LSU is moving into a class of its own.
Saturday's game in Baton Rouge, La., is the third straight meeting between the teams that will have a direct impact on the No. 1 ranking and the eventual BCS national championship game. (Game time: 8 p.m., CBS).
The top-ranked Crimson Tide (5-0 in SEC), of course, defeated No. 5 LSU (3-1 in SEC) for the BCS title in 2011, after the Tigers defeated Bama in the regular season and went on to win the SEC title. (Alabama edged out Oklahoma State in voting to earn the right to play for the 2011 title.)
The Tide has not been seriously challenged in 2012, but LSU has lost to Florida and barely survived South Carolina.
And again it bears mentioning that LSU enjoys one of college football's top home advantages -- Tiger Stadium on a Saturday night.
"Dracula and LSU Football are at their best when the sun goes down," the late Beano Cook once said, and was recalled recently by CBS Sports columnist Tony Barnhart.
Another example of the intimidating nature of the LSU home crowd is mentioned by Barnhart:
(In 1988) LSU's Tommy Hodson threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Eddie Fuller with 1:41 left to beat Auburn 7-6. The explosion of noise was so loud that it registered as a small earthquake on the seismograph at the LSU Geology Department.
Other games on November 3 (all times Eastern):
Texas A&M at Mississippi State, noon, ESPN
Missouri at Florida, noon, ESPN2
Vanderbilt at Kentucky, noon, ESPNU
Troy at Tennessee, noon, FSN;
Tulsa at Arkansas, 12:21 p.m., SEC network;
New Mexico State at Auburn, 12:30 p.m., CSS;
Ole Miss at Georgia, 3:30 p.m., CBS.
-- Do you think Alabama will defeat LSU in Baton Rouge? Who do you think will play in Atlanta for the SEC title?
