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History of top-ranked teams being an underdog bodes well for LSU this weekend
By Dave Holcomb
Published:
Going into a game as an underdog is what a coach wants because it usually motivates the players and takes pressure off the team. But going into Tuscaloosa as an underdog this weekend could be an extra good thing for LSU this Saturday.
In matchups between the top-two teams in the country over the last 40 years, the AP No. 1 squad entered the matchup as an underdog five times. In all five of those cases, the No. 1 team won the game outright.
That includes No. 1 LSU, who was a five-point underdog against No. 2 Alabama in 2011.
Obviously, those five previous No. 1 underdogs against No. 2 won’t have any impact on this game, but that’s still a pretty crazy statistic.
Alabama will host LSU at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday. Kickoff will take place at 3:30 pm ET.
In the last 40 years, there have been five regular season games between AP No. 1 and 2 in which AP No. 1 was an underdog. AP No. 1 won outright all five times, including LSU as a five point dog at Alabama in 2011.
— Chris Fallica (@chrisfallica) November 5, 2019
Dave covers SEC football for Saturday Down South.
