Crimson Red Sports

TUSCALOOSA — Cast in an eerie malaise, Tuscaloosa didn’t feel like itself all weekend.

College students home on fall break, Crimson Tide football on hold for the bye week, all while the quiet anticipation builds in relatively quiet calm.

Game week officially begins today.

And this one is hardly routine. This one might be the most anticipated midseason contest in Alabama football history. Never before has the second-ranked Tide faced a No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown in the regular season, much less in its home stadium.

That streak ends Saturday when No. 1 LSU strolls to town. Sleepy no longer, Tuscaloosa will swell by several thousand beyond the 101,000-plus who’ll occupy Bryant-Denny Stadium as the sun sets...