Every November, same story.
Perhaps the annual Alabama-LSU mega-matchup even got monotonous in a way only possible around here. How many times can they meet as top-10 teams in a SEC semifinal?
So now that it's just a top-15 game, has this rivalry lost its identity? Nah.
This one, one could argue, has new life after Alabama won the last five in the gateway to the final stretch. There's renewed life in Baton Rouge, a healthy running back and an evolved game plan.
The Nick Saban vs. his LSU replacement angle got stale as the Tigers' offensive playbook.