Fans want ‘Bama, and they’ll finally get ‘Bama.
For weeks the chants have emerged from the LSU student section. At the end of every lopsided defeat, fans demanded the showdown with the No. 2 team in the country.
The date, Nov. 5, has been circled on countless calendars. The eyes of the nation have turned to the Tigers and the Tide, and Saturday, the bright lights of Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., will showcase the talents of the nation’s top two teams.
“Everybody’s ready,” said sophomore defensive end Barkevious Mingo. “The media’s ready, fans are ready, the team’s ready, coaches are ready. So we just have to get ready to play.”
Anticipation for the contest has reached an all-time high. Alabama issued about 600 media credentials for the game, according to The Birmingham News, nearly double the amount it files for a typical home game.
But this isn’t a typical game.
This marks the first time two Southeastern Conference teams ranked No. 1 and No. 2 have met in the regular season. Ticket prices have soared, and Mingo said he’s received at least 20 requests from friends and family for his tickets.
“I have a cousin that lives that way,” Mingo said. “I guess they think we can get an unlimited amount of tickets, but we only get four. I had to tell them I couldn’t get them.”
The game has become an interstate war. Senior safety Brandon Taylor said students have told him to win this game for the entire state of Louisiana, not just for LSU.
“It just motivates me more, because I know I have a job to do,” said Taylor, a Franklinton, La., native. “A lot of people are going to be watching, and they’re depending on us to get this win for them.”
The magnitude of the game has required LSU to spend extra time in its preparation. Even LSU coach Les Miles admitted “normal” won’t work against Alabama.
With the advantage of a bye week’s extra preparation, senior linebacker Ryan Baker said he’s had plenty of time to study the opponent.
“I haven’t stopped watching film,” Baker said. “We have an app on our iPad that we can take wherever and watch game film. I’ve been watching it constantly, even in class, just studying as much as possible.”
The majority of the hype surrounding the game focuses on the two defenses. Alabama ranks No. 1 in total defense allowing 180.5 yards per game, and LSU ranks No. 4, allowing 251.4 yards per game.
Taylor compared the defensive hype to what the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers receive, and said LSU and Alabama will fight for defensive bragging rights.
“We want to outplay their defense, so that’s going to be our motive,” Taylor said. “If they don’t score, they don’t win.”
For many, the LSU and Alabama rivalry has grown into more than just a football game. It’s a battle for SEC dominance, and some have called it a national championship play-in game.
To senior offensive lineman T-Bob Hebert, this game will likely mark the last time he takes the field against the Crimson Tide.
“I just feel so blessed to be given the opportunity to play in a game like this,” Hebert said. “This is why you come to a school like LSU or Alabama. You go because you want to be in those games that everybody in the country wants to watch.”
Discussing Saturday’s game left Hebert with chills.
“I just got goosebumps talking about it,” he said.
 
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Contact Hunter Paniagua at [email protected]