Bama-LSU is extra personal this year for some of the Tide’s top players

For Alabama, playing LSU is never easy, especially in Baton Rouge. Regardless of either team’s record or current form, it has been a hotly contested game — usually involving national title implications — ever since Alabama head coach Nick Saban arrived.

“These games are traditionally very tough, physical games between two ranked teams and it’s certainly not going to be any different this year,” Saban said. “They have a very, very good team who’s playing their best football of the year.”

Saban spent five years at LSU with a record of 48-16 and a national championship, so he knows what it takes to win there. At Alabama, he has won three straight against his former team and is 5-3 overall. He’s also 2-1 against LSU in Death Valley, but he’s open about the challenges that come with playing in that environment.

“I think the crowd’s always going to be involved in the game. I think there’s a difference between being involved in the game and how committed you are to playing well and how you let that affect you,” Saban said. “We’ve had some experience with that now on the road, so, hopefully this is not going to be something that their involvement is going to have any effect on our commitment to what we want to try to accomplish.”

LSU hasn’t been flawless at its venerable home fortress this season, losing to current No. 1 ranked Mississippi State 34-29 in Week 4; however, Ole Miss was not as fortunate, losing in Baton Rouge 10-7 two weeks ago.

Alabama quarterback Blake Sims was on the sideline the last time Alabama played in Baton Rouge in 2012. He was AJ McCarron’s backup and watched running back T.J. Yeldon catch a dump-off pass and take it to the endzone to secure the victory. Sims was jumping around and shouting at the crowd. But this weekend, he will have the reins of the offense, and he knows the magnitude of the moment.

“You know this game will go down in history,” Sims said. “You just want to be the team that ends up having a W at the end of the day.”

To make that history, Sims will need to up his level of play on the road. His completion rate drops from 70 percent at home to 57 percent on the road. He has 14 total touchdowns at home, with only six away. While the defenses of Ole Miss and Arkansas have been more difficult than those of Florida and Texas A&M, Sims and Alabama’s offense still have to prove they can thrive as well on the road as they do at home.

“Sometimes when you understand what the struggles are, it’s something that you work to try to improve and fix and I think the coaches have done a good job of that,” Saban said. “The way we started the Tennessee game was really good, but when I talk about playing complete games, I think that’s the one thing that will be imperative for us playing on the road again this week.”

Making a homecoming of his own, Alabama safety Landon Collins, a Louisiana native who chose to play at Alabama over LSU, says it’s his favorite game of the season. Collins played sparingly in the Crimson Tide’s last trip to Baton Rouge, but he returns this weekend as a starter who’s already landed on a couple of post-season award shortlists.

“Going back home, playing against my home state, I’m definitely excited about that,” Collins said. “Personally, it means a lot. Just want to show them I picked the right team, definitely, that we’re the dominant force, we’re the best team in the SEC.

“Just going back into LSU country, playing in that stadium and hearing that hooting and hollering with their fans and then with the team… this is the best game.”

Collins, along with fellow Louisiana natives offensive lineman Cam Robinson and safety Hootie Jones, faced criticism and controversy when they chose Alabama over LSU, as did Saban when he returned to college football to coach his former team’s arch rival.

Alabama prides itself on its businesslike manner, treating every opponent the same and only focusing on what the team can control. But Saturday night in in Death Valley — “Where opponents’ dreams go to die,” according to head coach Les Miles — is personal for some of Alabama’s best players, and they’re ready to prove a point.

“All of us got bashed about coming to Alabama,” Collins said. “We’re just ready to show them why we’re on this team.”