Some things you know, some things you don’t.
Alabama vs LSU: By the Numbers
By: Larry Burton
Wins and Losses: For the true sports fan who loves the numbers, here they are: All time, Alabama leads the series 48-25-5. Alabama has won approximately 62% percent of the games played while 6% have resulted in ties. That leaves LSU with a 32% winning margin.
Winning Margins: LSU’s biggest winning margin against the Tide? That would be 1957’s 28-0 win. For Alabama, it would be the 1922 47-3 score.
Longest Winning Streaks: From 2003 to 2007, LSU won five games in a row. From 1971 to 1981, Alabama won 11 in a row.
Recent Streaks: Since the average age of today’s college football player is 20 years old, lets look at the series in their lifetime. Since 1994 LSU has won 10 games and Alabama 11. Indeed that’s pretty close.
The Miles / Saban years: Since coming to Alabama, Saban has won five games against Les Mile’s LSU teams while Miles has won three against Saban’s Alabama squad. The average score during the Saban / Miles contests have been Alabama 24, LSU 17.5 or about a touchdown’s difference.
Interesting Trivia: Who has defeated Alabama the most as an LSU head coach? Les Miles has five, Nick Saban has four wins against his own team.
Best “Home” Field Advantage: Alabama feels very much at home playing in Louisiana, where they are 25-8-3 overall. In fact, the saying, “The Tide don’t lose in Baton Rouge” came from a streak where for over 30 years, LSU never once won a game in their home state. That streak was from their last win in 1969 at home until their next win at home in November 4th of 2000.
Best When It Matters: When both teams are ranked, Alabama has a huge 11 win to 3 loss record. Even more impressive is that Alabama is 5-1 when those games were played in Tiger Stadium as they are this week.
Dispelling Misconceptions: Most people think that LSU is almost unstoppable in night games at home. Alabama is 14-4-1 in all time in night games at Tiger Stadium and 10-0 when the Tide is ranked in the top 20.
More Trivia: Did you know the winner of the Alabama / LSU game has correctly picked the past eight presidential elections? In years that have presidential elections, an Alabama win puts a Republican in the White House. An LSU win puts a Democrat in.
Most Cities Played In: This series against each other has been played in more different cities that any team the other has ever faced. Sites have been of course in Tuscaloosa and Baton Rouge, but also Birmingham, New Orleans, Mobile and even Montgomery, Alabama.
Well, that this series by the number with some trivia thrown in for good measure. As for one final bit of numbers, I offer the following prediction. Alabama storms out to a 17-3 lead by halftime only to see the Tigers fight back and close the gap to a final score of 27-20.
Larry has been published in almost every media outlet for college sports and now primarily writes here for Touchdown Alabama. Follow Larry on Twitter for inside thoughts and game time comments at https://twitter.com/LBSportswriter
