When the LSU Tigers and Alabama Crimson Tide meet in yet another "Game of the Century" situation, the country will have one focus. Ranked No. 2 and 3, respectively, in the first College Football Playoff rankings, the SEC West crown and, potentially, a berth in the postseason tournament will be at stake.
Heralded as one of the game's best rivalries, the reality is that it's been anything but in recent years. Since 2008, Alabama's won 10 of 12 meetings, including the 2012 BCS National Championship game that began an eight-game win streak. In two of the last three years, LSU's offense hasn't scored a single point. Needless to say, head coach Ed Orgeron and quarterback Joe Burrow are facing an uphill battle.
Most sportsbooks list Alabama coach Nick Saban and his team as a six-point favorite for this matchup, which surely has LSU fans on edge considering how dominant the Tigers' offense looked to this point in the season. Baton Rouge will be invading Tuscaloosa in force to even the odds, but back home in Louisiana, everyone is getting in on the rivalry smack talk.
The Baton Rouge Police Department started the action on Thursday morning, when its Facebook account said, "Saban drives one MPH below the speed limit in the passing lane. GEAUX TIGERS! BEAT BAMA!"
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And you thought police officers didn't have a sense of humor...
Not to be outdone, the BRPD followed up its troll of the football coach with another the next day, posting, "Saban filed a complaint about yesterday's post. GEAUX TIGERS! BEAT BAMA!"
Both posts combined for over 1,000 likes and a few hundred shares across Tiger country.
No one is safe from rivalry trolling, even a multi-time national championship winner like Saban. This is all in good fun, but you can be sure that friendly jabs will go by the wayside when LSU and Alabama meet on Saturday afternoon. Bust out the "BEAT BAMA" shirts if you want, but this score will be settled on the field.
Kickoff of that game is 3:30 p.m. ET, will air on CBS and ESPN College GameDay will be on hand. Despite speculation of his absence for an ankle injury, it appears to be all-systems-go for Alabama's Tua Tagovailoa in the biggest game of the 2019 college football season.
As a side note, the Tuscaloosa Police Department has not responded with a troll of their own.
