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2019 Result: LSU 46, Alabama 41

In his breakdown of the 100 best college football games of the 2019 season, Bill Connelly of ESPN placed LSU vs. Alabama in the No. 2 spot.

Here's what he said about a memorable showdown between the two SEC powerhouses:

"For all intents and purposes, LSU won this game in the final minute of the first half, when Clyde Edwards-Helaire plunged into the end zone from a yard out, Patrick Queen picked off a Tua Tagovailoa pass and Edwards-Helaire scored again, all in the span of 20 seconds. A 19-13 lead became an insurmountable 33-13.

"What made this game great, however—besides the top-five rankings and obvious title stakes, beyond the backstory (LSU hadn't beaten Bama since 2011) and beyond the star power on the field and sideline—was how relentlessly Alabama indeed tried to surmount it. The Tide twice cut the lead to one score and forced LSU to keep scoring to survive. LSU and Joe Burrow (31-for-39 for 393 yards and three touchdowns) obliged, flipping a 33-27 lead to 39-27, then turning 39-34 into 46-34. After one last Bama bomb, the Tigers recovered the make-or-break onside kick and advanced from this battle of 8-0 teams the 9-0 victor."

With Joe Burrow (LSU) and Tua Tagovailoa (Alabama) both moving on to the NFL, along with several other key contributors on both sides, it will be a different cast of characters in 2020.

However, the stakes will be similarly high for two teams with title aspirations.

All stats courtesy of Sports Reference, unless otherwise noted.