If it seems like I’ve written this before, it’s because I have. So, I’ll get the obligatory context out of the way. I run a newspaper in Louisiana. I’m from Alabama. I finished college at UA and I’ve been a fan of the University of Alabama my entire life. But, I don’t hate LSU. Not at all. That’s what Auburn and Tennessees are for.
Now that that is out of the way, it sure looks like it’s going to come down to my home state versus my adoptive one once again in the SEC West. I know, I know. It’s only September. But, I’ve seen this movie a few times before. We all have. Only this time, both Bama and LSU have early losses that have left both teams at 3-1 through four games. The good news is both teams lost to squads that currently occupy spots in the top five in at least one of the polls. It also helps to lose early, if you’re going to lose and still have hopes of a playoff run, and both teams are in that exact situation as we get into the meat of SEC play over the next two months.
As we all know, it will come down to how the other teams in the West perform, as well as who wins the all-important first game of November. This year, it’s in Tuscaloosa. Anyone who follows this rivalry knows that, over the last ten years, it seems the visiting team has somehow held the advantage more often than not. But, last year’s game was won by the home team on the final play of the contest, so who knows how things will shake out at Bryant-Denny in November.
Around the rest of the West, it seems to be business as usual as Arkansas couldn’t quite edge LSU and Texas A&M is already falling short of expectations.
So, we’ll see who likely punches their ticket to Atlanta with a win in November. I guess, for a fan, that isn’t the worse thing to have to write year in and year out.
Blake Bell is the editor and publisher of the Madison Journal. He can be reached at bbell@madisonjournal.com.
