It may be a rivalry that traditionally has a say in the outcome of the SEC West, but the country didn't think much of it Saturday as ratings for the Alabama-LSU game plummeted from past years.
According to Sports Media Watch, Saturday's game in Tuscaloosa scored a 3.7 overnight rating on CBS, down 38 percent from last year (6.0). The game was down 41 percent from 2015 (6.3). Sports Media Watch also notes it is the lowest rating for the rivalry since 2006, the last year it was televised by ESPN.
Per the report:
The previous low over that span was a 4.2 for the 2007 game on CBS, which aired in the afternoon.
The 3.7 is also the lowest for a primetime SEC game on CBS since at least 2006. The previous low was a 4.2 for Florida-LSU in 2008. Despite the multi-year lows, Alabama's win was the top college football game of the weekend on any network.
The ratings dip may have to do with the current win streak Alabama has in the series, which now stands at seven.
The Tide, which opened as a 21-point favorite at home against LSU, got timely plays and two scores from quarterback Jalen Hurts in the 24-10 victory over LSU.
Alabama (9-0, 6-0 SEC) has the league's top rushing offense but was bottled up most of the night, despite the running by Hurts. The Tide managed 116 yards on 36 carries.
Hurts passed for 183 yards, including a 4-yard TD to Irv Smith, and ran for 44 yards.
Alabama, ranked No. 2 in the College Football Playoff poll, plays at Mississippi State on Saturday at 6 p.m.
(Mark Heim is a sports reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @Mark_Heim.)