The last three meetings between LSU and Alabama have been proverbial clashes of titans with BCS National Championship implications and bragging rights on the line.
This year’s contest between the two rivals will be a bit different as No. 10 LSU (7-2, 3-2 Southeastern Conference) enters the game an 11-point underdog, something LSU junior defensive tackle Anthony Johnson doesn’t take too kindly to.
“Everyone is putting us as underdogs,” Johnson said. “I’ve never been an underdog in my life, and that’s one of the things I take personally.”
The Tigers’ underdog status is not completely unwarranted, however, as they have lost two of their three SEC road games this season.
Meanwhile, No. 1 Alabama (8-0, 5-0 SEC) has shown little sign of weakness, throttling its opponents by an average of 31.5 points per game.
“Obviously, they’ve earned that hype,” said LSU senior quarterback Zach Mettenberger. “They execute on a high level. They don’t make a lot of mistakes. They have some of the best players in the country and, obviously, one of the best head coaches in the country.”
Still, LSU has no plans of letting odds and predictions decide its fate, Mettenberger said.
“We just want to go out here and play a flawless game and get a win,” Mettenberger said. “It’s going to be about us making fewer errors out there on the field and capitalizing on the errors they do make.”
Mettenberger had his coming-out party in last year’s bout with Alabama in which he completed 69 percent of his passes for 298 yards and a touchdown in the 21-17 loss.
The game proved to be a pivotal moment for the rising quarterback, as he went on to complete 60 percent of his passes for 892 yards and four touchdowns in his last four games of the season.
“My job is easy when I can just get the ball to our guys and let them make the plays that they’ve been making all this year,” Mettenberger said. “I guess that was my defining moment — realizing that I don’t really have to do a lot to be a successful quarterback on this team.”
LSU senior fullback J.C. Copeland will be back in action Saturday after missing two games due to a concussion suffered when he slipped in the shower.
Copeland said he was back in his element after making his long-awaited return to practice Monday.
“I had a lot of contact today,” Copeland said with a grin. “It’s part of what I do. I’m very happy.”
Junior fullback Connor Neighbors, who took the helm during Copeland’s absence, has a unique perspective on the rivalry between LSU and Alabama, as he was born into a family with roots deeply entrenched in Alabama tradition.
Neighbors’ grandfather, father, uncle and brother all sported crimson in Bryant-Denny Stadium, and between them, they have four national championships.
“Knowing that I actually get to touch the field and have an effective role, that’s going to be pretty tight,” Neighbors said. “There is a lot of family history there, so I want to be just like them, except for I’m playing for LSU.”