LSU Tigers Vs Alabama Crimson Tide: The Defining Game Of The Season

Tuscaloosa is always as busy as a beehive on game day, but this Saturday will be unbelievably amped up.  With the nation’s No. 2 LSU Tigers coming to Bryant-Denny Stadium to do battle against No. 3 Alabama, ESPN’s College Gameday will be in T-Town and the passion of politics will blend with the passion of college football with President Trump in attendance.

Since the “Game of the Century” in 2011 when the Tigers defeated the Tide 9-6, Bama has amassed an eight-game winning streak.

Head Coach Nick Saban commented on the national rankings saying, “I don’t talk about that.  I don’t talk about rankings.  It doesn’t matter where you rank if you don’t have success in what you’re doing, you’re not going to be ranked there long.”

In the CFP era, the No. 3 team has never gone on to make the Playoff since it began in 2014 and that is why this game will be the defining game of the season.

Heisman trophy nominee QB Joe Burrows is at the top of his game and Tua Tagovailoa, also a Heisman nominee, is rehabbing from a right ankle injury he suffered against Cowbell U.

Burrows struggled against Auburn two weeks ago and I guaran-damn-tee you linebackers Anfernee Jennings and Terrell Lewis are monsters on the D-line and they will hunt down Burrows in the pocket.  The Cajun Nation’s Derek Stingley and Grant Delpit are tenacious defenders and tailback Clyde Edwards-Helaire led the Tigers with 136 yards on 26 carries against Auburn so Coach Orgeron’s team has the best chance in years to knock off the Crimson Tide.

War Eagle is Bama’s “natural rival” but over the years the contest that ensues either at Death Valley or Bryant-Denny has become an epic battle of titans far more meaningful over the past 25 years than most rivalries the media crow about.

Need proof?

Tigers wide receiver Justin Jefferson was asked how different this team is compared to the 2018 team that lost 29-0 to the Tide in Death Valley.  His answer was, “I don’t really know the answer to that question.  We’re going to dominate.  I mean, there’s nothing much to it.  I mean, we owe them so we’re going to get to it.”

Did his mouth just write a check his ass can’t cash?  My beloved Crimson Tide thrives on disrespect and revenge and there’s no better feeling than making the entire college football world mad as hell when you win again.

This week has been LSU hate week.  I don’t do Hate Week because I happen to love me some Tigahs and because over the years I’ve been honored to cultivate a friendship with fellow blogger and SEC sister Diogenes of Diogenes Middle Finger.

For the last five years we’ve had a friendly bet on this game.  The loser makes a donation to Shriners Hospitals for Children, a network of 22 non-profit medical facilities who change the lives of children through innovative pediatric care.

Here’s hoping Bama has saved it's best for LSU.

UPDATE:  Welcome readers of Whatfinger News.

UPDATE II:  There was a knock at my door after the big game.  Coach Oeaux told me, “From now on Bryant-Denny Stadium is our house.”  How could I argue with that gravelly voice?  My sincerest congratulations to the LSU Tigers and the entirety of the Cajun Nation.

Living Your Life As A Champion

“An atheist is a man who watches a Notre Dame-Southern Methodist University game and doesn't care who wins.” ― President Dwight D. Eisenhower

In a sport where rivalry games serve as the lifeblood of college football fans, nobody does bitterness and contentious showdowns quite like the Southeastern Conference.  Grudge matches abound in college football:  Army-Navy, Alabama-Auburn, Michigan-Ohio State, Oklahoma-Texas, USC-Notre Dame, Georgia-Florida.

For the past ten seasons Alabama and LSU have carved their own niche in iconic college football history.

How did LSU overshadow Auburn as the biggest game on Alabama’s schedule?  Nick Saban left the LSU football program for the NFL after guiding the Tigers to the 2003 BCS National Championship against Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl.  After his stint with the Miami Dolphins, Saban returned to the college ranks at none other than SEC West rival Alabama.  The Tiger Nation has never forgotten the pain he caused.

I wish I loved anything as much as I hate Nick Saban #LSUvsBAMA

— Duty/ Doody (@EmboG) November 8, 2015

I have been a Bama fan since I was knee-high to a grasshopper; going all the way back to the Paul “Bear” Bryant era.  If I couldn’t be a Bama fan I would be an LSU fan.  Through adversity, triumph and defeat the LSU faithful are rabid, devoted fans.  I admire their heart.

A tradition that began three years ago between friend and SEC sister Diogenes’ Middle Finger involves a friendly wager on the slugfest between our two beloved schools.  For two years we made sizeable contributions to Wounded Warrior Project.  Last year we directed our donations to Shriners Hospitals for Children.  We have agreed to do so again this year.

It hurts when you lose to your most-hated rival.  Diogenes and I know one of us will face losing the ballgame on Saturday. Somehow, giving from the heart to a noble cause like Shriners Hospitals, we know we’ve helped make these children champions in their own right.

It’s all too easy to lose track of what matters in this world.  What could be better than helping a precious child become all God meant for him to be?  I hope you’ll join us in making a donation of whatever amount you can afford to Shriners Hospitals for Children.  The holiday season is right around the corner.  Your gift will help provide the highest quality care to children with neuromusculoskeletal conditions, burn injuries and other special healthcare needs. 

For almost 100 years, the Shriners Childrens Hospitals have helped more than 1.3 million children under the age of 18 and through the generosity of its donors turns patients back into kids.

Dear God, let Your grace and love fall on them like gentle breezes and give them inner strength and peace and patience for the journey ahead.

Please click here to make a donation.  Thank you.

NOTE:  According to Charity Navigator, Shriners Hospitals for Children has an Overall Score and Rating of 93.58.  Their financial rating is 91.44 and accounting and transparency is 97.00.  All ratings are four stars.

For charities performing similar types of work, Shriners ranks highest over Interfaith Dental Clinic (87.17), Turner House Children’s Clinic (91.70), Doctors Care (90.67) and Mission of Mercy (93.62).

Competitive Spirit

Randy Rosetta noted today at Gridiron Now, “In a sport where rivalry games serve as the constant lifeblood, nobody does bitterness and contentious showdowns quite like the SEC. Every week, it seems like at least two teams from the best football league in college football collide with bragging rights at stake and hatred for the other overflowing like the stadiums that are often filled to capacity and then some.”

For the past 10 seasons, the Alabama-LSU game has catapulted into the spotlight as arguably the biggest game in the SEC and one of the most impactful games nationally every season.

My SEC sister, Diogenes, is a devout LSU fan.  I am a rabid Alabama fan.  I consider it a blessing to share a sport I love with someone I care about.  Since 2014 she and I have had a friendly wager on the Bama-LSU game.  The loser would make a donation to The Wounded Warrior Project; out of love for our brave military service members the winner would make a donation as well.  This is the way two dyed-in-the-wool fans handle their fierce competitive spirit.

Continuing our tradition, this year we agreed to make a contribution to Shriners Hospitals for Children.  Since 1922, more than 1.3 million children have received life-changing care at Shriners Hospitals helping them reach their potential to lead more fulfilling lives regardless of a family’s ability to pay.

I designated the Shriners Hospital located in Shreveport and here’s the letter they sent me:

“You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.” — John Bunyan

As we approach Thanksgiving and the season of giving, I hope you’ll join us in the joyful act that reflects a thankful heart and relishes in the happiness that comes from helping those less fortunate than ourselves.  If you’d like to donate to the Shriners Hospitals for Children here is the link.  May God bless you today and always.