How an LSU win over Alabama could mean Trump in the White House

There’s a lot riding on Saturday’s SEC match up between No. 1 Alabama and No. 13 LSU when the Crimson Tide meet the Tigers in Baton Rouge.

There are bragging rights, insults to hurl, and drinks to buy, depending on who wins. The game also will have implications on the race for the SEC West and the national championship game in January.

And some say LSU interim head coach Ed Orgeron maybe inking a contract for a permanent position if he beats coach Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide.

But does the game have a bigger impact? Perhaps on Tuesday’s presidential election between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton?

Umm, yes, possibly. Maybe?

Birmingham News/Al.com columnist John Archibald posed an interesting concept in a column he published on Thursday, claiming that since 1984, whenever LSU beats Alabama in a presidential election year, the Republican presidential candidate is elected.

And while the research is not scientific — correlation does not imply causation — it is factual. Since 1984, when the LSU/Alabama game is played in an election year, Republicans have been placed in the White House when LSU wins and Democrats have been elected when Alabama wins.

In 2012, when Alabama won both the regular season and the championship game, President Barack Obama won his reelection campaign over Mitt Romney.

Alabama (8-0) will face LSU (5-2) in the 81st meeting of the rivalry at 7 p.m. Saturday at Tiger Stadium. It will be broadcast by CBS.

Alabama leads the series 50-25-5.

This story was originally published November 4, 2016 at 11:42 AM with the headline "How an LSU win over Alabama could mean Trump in the White House."