Brian Kelly addresses LSU's intense rivalry with Alabama: 'This is why they signed up'

It’s a College Football Playoff elimination game. It’s also the game every LSU fan and recruit circles on the calendar long before the CFP picture comes into focus.

“We run into them in so many ways, not only on the recruiting trails, but we’re in competition for so many different things,” No. 15 LSU head coach Brian Kelly said Thursday on “The Pat McAfee Show,” when discussing this week’s rivalry matchup versus No. 11 Alabama.

“These kids love this opportunity. This is why they signed up to either go to Alabama or LSU, to play in this game. So I really don’t need to say much.”

Kelly added: “You go to a practice … these kids are so locked in to what they’re doing in their preparation, because they live for this opportunity. So it will be an exciting atmosphere on Saturday night.”

Alabama leads the all-time series 56-27-5. The Crimson Tide have won 11 of the last 13 meetings but only 1-of-2 since Kelly took over the reins of the LSU program.

Notably, the Tigers squeaked out a 32-31 victory over Alabama in Kelly’s first season at the helm. A year before his Heisman Trophy run, quarterback Jayden Daniels ran for a 25-yard touchdown in overtime and then sealed an upset win in Tiger Stadium with a two-point conversion pass to tight end Mason Taylor.

LSU fans stormed the field in Death Valley after a back-and-forth showdown that included six second-half lead changes and only went to overtime after Alabama knocked in a game-tying field goal with 21 seconds left in regulation.

“This is a huge environment for us,” Kelly said Friday. “We’ll have upwards of 300 recruits and families here. We’ve got a couple of official visits that will happen, which will be the targeted ones. But obviously these are huge, right? And they’re targeted when it’s LSU-Alabama.

“Everybody has that on their schedule, and they want that as their official.”

The Tigers fell to Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide, 42-28, last year. Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe rushed for 155 yards and four touchdowns and stole the spotlight from Daniels, the eventual Heisman winner.

LSU comes into this year’s matchup 6-2, including 3-1 in SEC play. Alabama is also 6-2, but both of its losses took place in league play, so the Kalen DeBoer-led Crimson Tide are currently below the Tigers in the conference table.

Whichever team loses Saturday will effectively be out of the running for a CFP spot. The stakes are especially high for this iteration of the LSU-Alabama rivalry, and Kelly’s embracing them.