Game Changer

If you want to see just how much the landscape of college football has changed lately, look no further than next week’s game at LSU.

The Tigers, already with two losses, host Alabama, also with two losses.

The game pits playoff hopefuls against each other, with the loser falling out of the picture the first weekend of November. 

This is despite 12 teams making the college football postseason. It is unlikely both will get bids.

That, however, is only part of the story.

For the first time since 2010, the game will not be played at prime time. Instead, kickoff is set for 2:30 P.M. in Baton Rouge.

Over the past 15 years, this has been the showcase game of the first Saturday in November. It had major implications not only for the Southeastern Conference but also for the national championship picture. 

Ten times during that stretch, one of the two teams played for the national title. They even met once in the championship game.

Of course, Alabama has played in nine of those title games and won five.

That made this game must-see, and networks understood that. However, a lot has changed over the last few years as NIL and the transfer portal have evened the playing field.

So, on Saturday, Nov. 7, Alabama and LSU will play in the afternoon. Tiger fans are not happy because they know how well their team plays at home at night.

LSU and Alabama fans need to learn that the rest of the nation has caught up, if not passed them. Whether that's good for the sport, which lives on big games, is not clear.

Truth is, the game isn't even the biggest SEC game that day, let alone in the country. Georgia plays Ole Miss on Nov. 7, and the SEC chose to put that game in prime time.

It does make sense. Ole Miss has already beaten LSU, and Georgia has knocked off Alabama. To the victors go the spoils of night games.

Even more troubling for SEC fans is that that game isn’t the biggest in the country. On a busy day, Notre Dame hosting No. 1 Miami just means even more.

Now comes the really tough part. After this year, Alabama and LSU won’t meet in November. They will be put on a rotation with the rest of the SEC. 

It won’t be the same for the Tigers to play the Tide after this year, but then again, what is in college sports anymore?