The matchup between the LSU Tigers and Alabama Crimson Tide almost always has quite a bit of juice. The matchup in 2011 — which would be repeated in the national title — was even dubbed the “Game of the Century.”
But as we prepare to say goodbye to the four-team College Football Playoff era, one matchup from that span stands out: The 2019 showdown between Joe Burrow and Tua Tagovailoa in Tuscaloosa.
The Tigers kept their undefeated season intact with that win, ultimately claiming a national title as they ran through the CFP field. ESPN’s Bill Connelly named that matchup as one of the games that defined the four-team CFP era.
For the second straight year, the committee was able to shift into cruise control in 2019. Three unbeaten power conference champs got in, along with the only one-loss champion. Easy peasy. But it was only easy because LSU won this titanic battle in Tuscaloosa. Tagovailoa, fighting back from an ankle injury, suffered two terribly costly turnovers in the first half, and LSU scored twice in the final 26 seconds of the second quarter to take a 33-13 halftime lead. Bama scored 28 second-half points, but Joe Burrow and the Tigers answered each time they had to. Another Tagovailoa injury and a season-ending Iron Bowl loss officially eliminated the Tide from contention, keeping the Tide out of the CFP for the first time in six seasons.
The 12-team playoff era will open the door for even more SEC teams to sneak into the field, but that win will always be remembered as opening the door for LSU to win its fourth national title and only one during the four-team CFP era.
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