The rivalry dates back to 1895, just three years after the inception of Alabama football. It has long been considered Bama's third most intense rivalry. Since 2000, they have been, without question, the Tide's fiercest adversary. Via Wikipedia:
Alabama-LSU football rivalry.
I honestly can't believe this thread exists. Were you here in the early to mid-2000s? Did you watch the regular season game last season? Do you remember when they burned Saban effigies in 2008? Do you remember their fanbase mocking Prothro's injury? All of those instances bred some intense LSU hatred on my part. Yes, I hate LSU with a burning passion, but we all should at least show their football program the respect it deserves. They have built that into a powerhouse in recent years. I have no respect at all for our other rivals, Auburn and Tennessee. Neither of those teams intimidate at all and I don't respect their history. Ole Miss considers Alabama their second-biggest rival, as does Mississippi State. Neither of those teams are legitimate rivals. LSU most certainly is. I actually pull for Tennessee against them. In case you hadn't noticed, Bama has owned the Vols since 2000, posting an 8-4 record and winning the last six in a row by an average margin of three touchdowns.
Let's look at the stats from Saban's career
LSU vs Alabama 2007: LSU 41 - Alabama 34
Tennessee vs Alabama 2007: Alabama 41 - Tennessee 17
LSU vs Alabama 2008: Alabama 27 - LSU 21 OT
Tennessee vs Alabama 2008: Alabama 29 - Tennessee 9
LSU vs Alabama 2009: Alabama 24 - LSU 15
Tennessee vs Alabama 2009: Alabama 12 - Tennessee 10
LSU vs Alabama 2010: LSU 24 - Alabama 21
Tennessee vs Alabama 2010: Alabama 41 - Tennessee 10
LSU vs Alabama 2011 I: LSU 9 - Alabama 6 OT
Tennessee vs Alabama 2011: Alabama 37 - Tennessee 6
LSU vs Alabama 2011 II: Alabama 21 - LSU 0
LSU vs Alabama 2012: Alabama 21 - LSU 17
Tennessee vs Alabama 2012: Alabama 44 - Tennessee 13