Appropriate prime time match for CBS
CBS’ contract with the Southeastern Conference for football comes to an end after 28 seasons this year.
The SEC became home to the best weekly game for a mid-afternoon kickoff in 1996. It was another five years before the SEC championship game moved from ABC to CBS.
Without a doubt, the magnitude of CBS’s coverage of SEC football dramatically grew due to an October decision by the network some 12 years ago. At that time, CBS executives decided to televise that season’s LSU-Alabama game in prime time.
Such a choice was rarely made by the traditional networks at that time. However, the Tigers and the Crimson Tide were on their way to a meeting of undefeated teams. LSU and Alabama were ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the country, respectively.
The Tigers won the contest, which was billed as the Game of the Century, 9-6 in overtime. It was an old-fashioned defensive struggle with neither team scoring a touchdown. The ratings were so good for that game that CBS elected to televise one game in prime time each season in the future.
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The LSU-Alabama game was the choice for the next seven years. Unfortunately, most of those games were not as competitive as the one played at Bryant-Denny Stadium in 2011. The Crimson Tide won all seven games – with only two being decided by fewer than ten points.
This Saturday’s LSU-Alabama game will be back in prime time on CBS. Only one of the last four matchups between the Tigers and the Tide was televised at night by CBS. In 2020, LSU was crushed by Alabama 55-17.
CBS did televise the 2019 shootout between the Tigers and the Crimson Tide, but that game had an afternoon kickoff. Joe Burrow outdueled Tua Tagovailoa in LSU’s 46-41 victory.
LSU and Alabama are not the top two ranked teams in the country in 2023, but certainly much is riding on the outcome of Saturday’s game. The Crimson Tide leads the Western Division with a 5-0 record. The Tigers and Ole Miss are tied for second in the West at 4-1.
Alabama holds a victory over the Rebels, who defeated LSU. So, a Tigers victory Saturday could lead to tiebreaker rules deciding the SEC West representative in the conference title game. However, all three contenders have challenging games in November.
The Crimson Tide has road games against Kentucky and Auburn. LSU has home games against Florida and Texas A&M. After playing host to the Aggies on Saturday, Ole Miss has road games against Georgi and Mississippi State. So, it’s no guarantee that all three teams win out during the month of November.
What adds more passion to the LSU-Alabama series is the presence of coach Nick Saban on the Crimson Tide sidelines. While at LSU, Saban won four of five games against Alabama. LSU’s 30-28 victory in Saban’s first season in 2000 was its first over the Tide in Tiger Stadium since 1969.
Saban lost three of his first five games at Alabama against LSU. However, the Crimson Tide has dominated the series beginning with the rematch for the 2011 national championship. The Tigers had lost 10 of 11 games to Alabama before winning 32-31 in overtime last season.
Brian Kelly defeated Saban in his first year as LSU coach in 2022. That victory propelled the Tigers to be the SEC West representative in the SEC championship game. That victory also made LSU a contender for a 2023 College Football Playoff berth.
Losses to Florida State and Ole Miss have probably eliminated the Tigers from the CFP chase. However, a victory over Alabama would keep LSU in the running for a SEC title and a New Year’s Six bowl berth. CBS is banking on both teams’ motivation to provide the nation a game worthy of prime-time coverage.
Here are the LSU-Alabama games televised by CBS in prime time.
2011: LSU 9, Alabama 6 (overtime) in Tuscaloosa – LSU won the SEC title, Alabama won the national title.
2012: Alabama 21, LSU 17 in Baton Rouge – Alabama won the SEC and national titles.
2013: Alabama 38, LSU in Tuscaloosa
2014: Alabama 20, LSU 13 (overtime) in Baton Rouge – Alabama won the SEC title.
2015: Alabama 30, LSU 16 in Tuscaloosa – Alabama won the SEC and national titles.
2016: Alabama 10, LSU 0 in Baton Rouge – Alabama won the SEC title.
2017: Alabama 24, LSU 10 in Tuscaloosa – Alabama won the national title.
2018: Alabama 29, LSU 0 in Baton Rouge – Alabama won the SEC title.
2020: Alabama 55, LSU 17 in Baton Rouge – Alabama won the SEC and national titles.
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