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Alabama vs. LSU

89 of their 90 meetings are on file: they first met in 1895, and the earliest on file is 1902; officially, Alabama leads 58–⁠27–⁠5; as played, 58–⁠26–⁠5 in the games on file. Over the last 10 meetings it’s Alabama 8–⁠2, and Alabama has won the last 3. The official count covers every meeting.

Official series
Alabama leads 58–⁠27–⁠5
Alabama wins on file
58
LSU wins on file
26
Ties
5
Earliest on file
1902 first met 1895
Longest streak
11 Alabama
Current streak
3 Alabama
Last 10 meetings
Alabama 8–⁠2
Most recent
2025

The series at a glance

’0’1’2’3’4’5’6’7’8’9W–L
1900s3–⁠2
1910s1–⁠0
1920s6–⁠0–⁠2
1930s1–⁠0
1940s2–⁠2–⁠1
1950s2–⁠3–⁠1
1960s5–⁠1
1970s9–⁠1
1980s5–⁠4–⁠1
1990s8–⁠2
2000s3–⁠7
2010s8–⁠3
2020s5–⁠1
Both ranked
32 meetings: Alabama 21, LSU 10; 13 both in the top 10
Average margin
13.5 points; 30 decided by one score (8 or fewer)
At Alabama
27–⁠17–⁠1 Alabama’s record at home
At LSU
9–⁠30–⁠4 LSU’s record at home
Neutral sites
1–⁠0 Alabama first
Overtime
1 game went to overtime
Shutouts
20

Every meeting on file, as played. Ranks are the AP poll’s going in. Overtime games from the games’ Wikipedia articles.

Games that tell the story

  1. Alabama’s biggest win1922: Alabama 47, LSU 3by 44 points
  2. LSU’s biggest win1957: LSU 28, Alabama 0by 28 points
  3. Upset1993: LSU 17, Alabama 13LSU had a 8% chance, by our ratings before kickoff
  4. Upset1982: LSU 20, Alabama 10LSU had a 23% chance, by our ratings before kickoff
  5. Upset1998: Alabama 22, LSU 16Alabama had a 32% chance, by our ratings before kickoff
  6. Ranked showdown2019: LSU 46, Alabama 41No. 1 LSU at No. 2 Alabama
  7. Ranked showdown2011: Alabama 21, LSU 0No. 2 Alabama at No. 1 LSU
  8. Ranked showdown2011: LSU 9, Alabama 6No. 1 LSU at No. 2 Alabama

Coach against coach

YearsAlabamaSeriesLSU
1923–⁠1927Wallace Wade3–⁠0–⁠1Mike Donahue
1944–⁠1946Frank Thomas1–⁠1–⁠1Bernie Moore
1948–⁠1954Red Drew2–⁠2–⁠1Gaynell Tinsley
1964–⁠1979Bear Bryant14–⁠2Charles McClendon
1980–⁠1982Bear Bryant2–⁠1Jerry Stovall
1984–⁠1986Ray Perkins0–⁠2–⁠1Bill Arnsparger
1987–⁠1989Bill Curry2–⁠1Mike Archer
1991–⁠1994Gene Stallings3–⁠1Curley Hallman
1997–⁠1999Mike DuBose2–⁠1Gerry DiNardo
2007–⁠2015Nick Saban7–⁠3Les Miles
2016–⁠2021Nick Saban5–⁠1Ed Orgeron

Head-coach pairings with three or more meetings on file, the series read from Alabama’s side (Wade 3–⁠0–⁠1 against Donahue). A season split between coaches goes to the one credited with the game.

Both programs through the years

End-of-season Elo ratings of Alabama and LSU, 1902 on1300150017001900192019401960198020002020

Our Elo rating at the end of each season, a measure of how strong a team was, not a forecast; 1500 is an average FBS team.

Stars of the series

Biggest days

DeVonta Smith Alabama8 catches, 231 yards, 3 TD2020 Receiving
Derrick Henry Alabama38 carries, 210 yards, 3 TD2015 Rushing
Jalen Milroe Alabama12 carries, 185 yards, 4 TD2024 Rushing
DeVonta Smith Alabama7 catches, 213 yards, 2 TD2019 Receiving
Jalen Milroe Alabama20 carries, 155 yards, 4 TD2023 Rushing
Quinnen Williams Alabama10 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 3.5 for loss2018 Defense

Named most valuable

A.J. McCarron Alabama2011
Courtney Upshaw Alabama2011

Biggest days: the week’s best individual games by our big-days rule, from box scores (2004 on). Most valuable: as the games’ Wikipedia articles name them (CC BY-SA).

From the newspapers

  • The The Birmingham age-herald's story of the 1923 game: LATEST MOVE ALSO' INCLUDES G|RARD. Federal Court Asked To Grand Writs Prohibiting Violation Of VoIstead Act

    1923 · The Birmingham age-herald, Nov 17, 1923

  • The Evening star's story of the 1930 game: ALABAMA TROUNCES LOUISIANA STATE, $50 Muddy Field Fails to Prevent 80 Yard Return of Kickoff for Score in Conference Game.

    1930 · Evening star, Washington, D.C., Nov 16, 1930

  • The Evening star's story of the 1948 game: L. S. U. Upsets Tide, 26-6; Pevev and Collins Excel

    1948 · Evening star, District of Columbia, Nov 21, 1948

  • The Evening star's story of the 1952 game: AIubumu's Lute Drive Noses Out LSU, 2l-20

    1952 · Evening star, Sep 28, 1952

Public-domain newspapers from the Library of Congress’s Chronicling America, found through the American Stories dataset (Dell and Harvard, CC BY 4.0). The earliest meetings with a story on file; each game’s page has the full text.

On television

ESPN’s College GameDay has broadcast from this game 13 times: 2024, 2023, 2019, 2018, 2016, 2015, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2011, 2008, 2005, 1996.

2025ABC7.5 million viewers

College GameDay’s sites from Wikipedia’s list of its locations (CC BY-SA). Viewers: Nielsen, as compiled by nschultz7’s ratings tracker.

Photos

From the rivalry’s and its games’ categories on Wikimedia Commons (free licenses only, each credited).

Every game

Nov 7, 2026Alabama at LSU upcomingat LSU
Nov 8, 20254Alabama 20, LSU 9at Alabama
Nov 9, 202411Alabama 42, 14LSU 13at LSU
Nov 4, 20238Alabama 42, 13LSU 28at Alabama
Nov 5, 202215LSU 32, 6Alabama 31at LSU
Nov 6, 20213Alabama 20, LSU 14at Alabama
Dec 5, 20201Alabama 55, LSU 17at LSU
Nov 9, 20191LSU 46, 2Alabama 41at Alabama
Nov 3, 20181Alabama 29, 4LSU 0at LSU
Nov 4, 20171Alabama 24, 19LSU 10at Alabama
Nov 5, 20161Alabama 10, 15LSU 0at LSU
Nov 7, 20157Alabama 30, 4LSU 16at Alabama
Nov 8, 20144Alabama 20, 14LSU 13at LSU
Nov 9, 20131Alabama 38, 10LSU 17at Alabama
Nov 3, 20121Alabama 21, 5LSU 17at LSU
Jan 9, 20122Alabama 21, 1LSU 0Neutral siteBCS National Championship
Nov 5, 20111LSU 9, 2Alabama 6overtimeat Alabama
Nov 6, 201012LSU 24, 5Alabama 21at LSU
Nov 7, 20093Alabama 24, 9LSU 15at Alabama
Nov 8, 20081Alabama 27, 15LSU 21at LSU
Nov 3, 20073LSU 41, 17Alabama 34at Alabama
Nov 11, 200612LSU 28, Alabama 14at LSU
Nov 12, 20055LSU 16, 4Alabama 13at Alabama
Nov 13, 200417LSU 26, Alabama 10at LSU
Nov 15, 20033LSU 27, Alabama 3at Alabama
Nov 16, 200210Alabama 31, 14LSU 0at LSU
Nov 3, 2001LSU 35, Alabama 21at Alabama
Nov 4, 2000LSU 30, Alabama 28at LSU
Nov 6, 199912Alabama 23, LSU 17at Alabama
Nov 7, 1998Alabama 22, LSU 16at LSU
Nov 8, 199714LSU 27, Alabama 0at Alabama
Nov 9, 199610Alabama 26, 11LSU 0at LSU
Nov 4, 199516Alabama 10, LSU 3at Alabama
Nov 5, 19946Alabama 35, LSU 17at LSU
Nov 6, 1993LSU 17, 5Alabama 13at Alabama
Nov 7, 19923Alabama 31, LSU 11at LSU
Nov 9, 19918Alabama 20, LSU 17at LSU
Nov 10, 1990Alabama 24, LSU 3at Alabama
Nov 11, 19894Alabama 32, LSU 16at LSU
Nov 5, 198813LSU 19, 18Alabama 18at Alabama
Nov 7, 198713Alabama 22, 5LSU 10at LSU
Nov 8, 198618LSU 14, 6Alabama 10at Alabama
Nov 9, 198515LSU 14, 20Alabama 14at LSU
Nov 10, 198412LSU 16, Alabama 14at Alabama
Nov 5, 198319Alabama 32, LSU 26at LSU
Nov 6, 198211LSU 20, 8Alabama 10at Alabama
Sep 5, 19814Alabama 24, LSU 7at LSU
Nov 8, 19806Alabama 28, LSU 7at Alabama
Nov 10, 19791Alabama 3, LSU 0at LSU
Nov 11, 19783Alabama 31, 10LSU 10at Alabama
Nov 5, 19772Alabama 24, 18LSU 3at LSU
Nov 6, 197615Alabama 28, LSU 17at Alabama
Nov 8, 19755Alabama 23, LSU 10at LSU
Nov 9, 19743Alabama 30, LSU 0at Alabama
Nov 22, 19732Alabama 21, 7LSU 7at LSU
Nov 11, 19722Alabama 35, 6LSU 21at Alabama
Nov 6, 19714Alabama 14, 18LSU 7at LSU
Nov 7, 197011LSU 14, 19Alabama 9at Alabama
Nov 8, 196912LSU 20, Alabama 15at LSU
Nov 9, 1968Alabama 16, 20LSU 7at Alabama
Nov 11, 1967Alabama 7, LSU 6at LSU
Nov 5, 19664Alabama 21, LSU 0at Alabama
Nov 6, 19655Alabama 31, LSU 7at LSU
Nov 7, 19643Alabama 17, 8LSU 9at Alabama
Sep 27, 195815LSU 13, Alabama 3at Alabama
Sep 28, 1957LSU 28, Alabama 0at LSU
Sep 25, 1954Alabama 12, LSU 0at LSU
Sep 26, 1953LSU 7, 5Alabama 7at LSU
Sep 27, 1952Alabama 21, LSU 20at LSU
Sep 29, 1951LSU 13, 9Alabama 7at Alabama
Nov 20, 1948LSU 26, Alabama 6at LSU
Nov 22, 19478Alabama 41, LSU 12at Alabama
Nov 9, 194619LSU 31, Alabama 21at LSU
Oct 6, 1945Alabama 26, LSU 7at LSU
Sep 30, 1944LSU 27, Alabama 27at LSU
Nov 15, 1930Alabama 33, LSU 0at Alabama
Dec 8, 1928Alabama 13, LSU 0at Alabama
Oct 8, 1927LSU 0, Alabama 0at LSU
Oct 30, 1926Alabama 24, LSU 0at Alabama
Oct 10, 1925Alabama 42, LSU 0at LSU
Nov 16, 1923Alabama 30, LSU 3at Alabama
Nov 10, 1922Alabama 47, LSU 3at Alabama
Oct 29, 1921Alabama 7, LSU 7at Alabama
Nov 13, 1920Alabama 21, LSU 0at Alabama
Nov 15, 1919Alabama 23, LSU 0at LSU
Nov 25, 1909LSU 12, Alabama 6at Alabama
Nov 23, 1907Alabama 6, LSU 4at Alabama
Dec 2, 1904Alabama 11, LSU 0at LSU
Nov 9, 1903Alabama 18, LSU 0at Alabama
Nov 29, 1902LSU 11, Alabama 0at Alabama

Every game is listed as played on the field.