Alabama and LSU: Frequent foes, constantly high stakes

• Saturday is the teams' first meeting since the BCS championship game
• With a victory, LSU moves into position to capture the SEC West
• Talk is beginning that Alabama could be moving into dynasty status

LSU 1, Alabama 1. It's time for the rubber match.

Saturday marks the third meeting between the two SEC West rivals in 364 days: LSU won the first, a 9-6 overtime affair last Nov. 5, but Alabama got its revenge in the BCS championship game, 21-0, netting the program's second national title under Nick Saban.

Once again, this year's game is for more than just bragging rights. For Alabama, 8-0 after last Saturday's 38-7 victory over Mississippi State, a win in Baton Rouge can put a stranglehold on the West Division. With Western Carolina, Texas A&M and Auburn to end the year — all at home — a win over LSU would put the Crimson Tide on a safe path to a perfect regular season.

From there, a win in the SEC championship game would give Alabama the opportunity for a national title in four years. Then we're talking dynasty, said Gary Danielson, who will be calling the game for CBS.

"I think we can put them along with Miami's run, USC's run in recent memory, Florida State, even Florida's mini-run," Danielson said. "I think they can put themselves in the class that has been able to dominate."

An Oct. 6 loss to Florida dashed the Tigers' hopes an undefeated season, but if LSU can beat Alabama, it would own the head-to-head tiebreaker and would win the West Division with a 7-1 record in conference play.

"Regardless of the fact that this not the team that it looked like it was going to be in the preseason, they still have all of those goals available to them," said Jim Hawthorne, the play-by-play announcer for LSU's radio broadcasts.

LSU has two numbers in its favor: 36-1 and 22. The first is the Tigers' record in night games played at Death Valley under Les Miles, who was hired in 2005 – replacing Nick Saban, coincidentally enough. The second is the number of home victories in a row for LSU, the longest active home winning streak in the FBS.

LSU's biggest issue is its pedestrian offense.

"I really believe there are three ultra-elite units on the field: both defenses and Alabama's offense," Danielson said. "You're not going to trick Alabama."

And what if the light turns on? "If it does happen, if LSU does play to the top of their game, stranger things have happened," Hawthorne said.