On Saturday, the Alabama Crimson Tide will face off with the Missouri Tigers in the conference- only season opener for just the seventh time in Alabama football history.
This is not only the first game of the season for both teams, but it’s also a game that will set the tone for the rest of the season. For a team like Alabama, this is a chance to prove the hype isn’t unwarranted, and that the Crimson Tide is truly a playoff-contending team.
For the Tigers, well, it’s simply a game to prove they’re better than they are given credit for, and are a team to watch out for in the SEC East.
This matchup may not have as much history as other series for the Crimson Tide, but it doesn’t mean it’s not a fascinating matchup.
Missouri and Alabama faced off for the first time in 1968 in Jacksonville, Florida in the Gator Bowl where the Tide lost 35-10. It was the worst beating a Bryant-coached Alabama team had ever suffered up to that point.
It would then be another seven years before they faced each other again.
In 1975, Missouri once again beat the Crimson Tide. This time, by a score of 20-7. It would be the only game Alabama lost all season, as they went on to beat Penn State in the Sugar Bowl that season, finishing 11-1.
But here’s the kicker: Missouri hasn’t beaten Alabama since.
The two teams would play again in 1978, where the Tide would get their first win over the Tigers, 38-20. That year, the Crimson Tide went on to win a national championship.
Then, there was a long 34-year stretch where neither team faced each other.
That was, until Missouri joined the SEC in 2012.
That year, the two teams faced off again.
Alabama once again beat Missouri 42-10 and went on to win the 2012 BCS national championship. This is the largest margin of victory in series history.
In 2014, Missouri and Alabama squared off in the SEC Championship game where the Tide rolled over the Tigers again, 42-13.
And finally, in 2018, the last matchup between the Tide and Tigers took place in Tuscaloosa, Alabama where Alabama beat Missouri for the 4th time in a row, this time 39-10.
Over the series history, Alabama has outscored Missouri, 178- 108.
And during the Saban era, the Tide has outscored the Tigers, 123- 33.
But don’t count this game out yet.
There’s a lot of unknowns going into the season opener for both teams, and with all of the uncertainty surrounding this season, anything can happen.
Simply put, this series never disappoints, and this is a great way to open up the 2020 season for Alabama.
Roll Tide!
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