This is the game that has been circled on the calendars of many LSU and Tide fans since that glorious day back in January of 2007.

Sure, last year’s meeting was special, but this time Saban will be traveling to the place that really put his name among the elite college football coaches in this country: Baton Rouge. Anyone who does not think there will be a lot of emotion surrounding this one either is out of touch with reality or has been hiding under some rock for the last several months.

I agree that the players may not have as much emotional attachment to this game as perhaps the fans. After all, none of the players for Alabama have any ties to anything LSU, and all of “Saban’s recruits” have left LSU.

Saban himself has stated numerous times that this game has no emotional tug at his heartstrings (like anyone actually thought Saban has heartstrings). Taking his typical businesslike approach, Saban is dismissing this as just another game on the schedule, another obstacle in the way of the Crimson Tide reaching their goals.

Do I believe that? Well, to be honest, I do. I do think Saban will have a few flashbacks as he enters Tiger Stadium for the first time since he left for the Miami Dolphins, but at the same time, I feel as if he is insensitive in a lot of ways and has a focus like very few have ever displayed.

He is so hard at work on the task at hand that I’m not sure he really does have the time to reflect on much. He is so focused he doesn’t have time to deal with all the outside hoopla and distractions that don’t really affect the game.

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