LSU does not have a true regional rival, but Auburn is probably about as close as one will come.
With Tulane being uncompetitive in the overall football series and Arkansas simply not drawing enough interest from fans, it seems like the annual Auburn-LSU game keeps drawing more and more interest.
A lot of that has to do with the importance of the game. In the last four years, it seems like whoever wins the Auburn-LSU game is in the driver’s seat for the Southeastern Conference Western Division Championship.
“They have a good program and they’ve been successful, and we have a decent program and we’ve had some success,” Saban said. “Most of the time this game has some consequences as to what happens in our division. So I think in that it becomes a very, very important game. But to me rivalries are old-time, old-fashioned Michigan-Michigan State, Ohio State Michigan, Florida-Georgia and Texas-Texas A&M. For 365 days out of the year, their fans talk about the game and who has bragging rights.
“I think this game does not have that with our fans and their fans, but I think it’s a big game and an important game because of the significance of the two programs right now.”
There is no doubt Auburn head coach Tommy Tuberville has fueled the rivalry, with some antics performed by his team that LSU fans no doubt did not appreciate. Put that together with Tuberville’s 5-3 overall record against LSU dating back to his days at Ole Miss, and the potential for some bad blood presents itself.
In Tuberville’s first season as Auburn’s head coach in 1999, Auburn came to Baton Rouge and defeated LSU 41-7 before 80,562 people. After the game, Tuberville and several of his players lit up victory cigars on the field to celebrate the win.
The next season, with Auburn leading 27-17 and only second remainings in the game with control of the ball, Tuberville decided to score one more touchdown instead of kneeling the ball to run the clock out as Auburn was once again victorious, 34-17.
In 2001, in the game that decided the SEC West at Tiger Stadium on Dec. 1, Auburn players jumped on the midfield eye of the tiger in a move that cost Auburn a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Also, during halftime, instead on getting out of the way, Auburn kicker Damon Duval bumped into a member of the LSU band and nearly started a fight.
But Tuberville said he enjoys coming to Baton Rouge to play LSU.
“It’s always a fun trip down to Baton Rouge,” Tuberville said in Wednesday’s teleconference. “I think it’s one of the better venues in college football. We’ve won twice on the road in conference this year, and we’re looking forward to our third opportunity.”
LSU linebacker Eric Alexander said there is no ill will toward Auburn, and he sees them as just another SEC opponent.
“Auburn is just another team,” Alexander said. “We’ve got to get after everybody the same. We can’t treat one team better than the other team. We just have to get after every team equally.”