Yes, that just happened.
LSU football did what few predicted and upset the juggernaut Alabama Crimson Tide 32-31 on a gutsy 2-point conversion call in overtime. It was a game that will be talked about for a long, long time in Baton Rouge.
With all that in mind, here are my three quick takeaways from an incredible night out in Death Valley.
━━
THE PRIDE IS BACK FOR LSU
There were a lot of ways this game could've gone, a majority of them bad.
But there were also a lot of ways this game could've gone that left even the staunchest of "there's no such thing a moral victory" believers questioning that mantra. They never had to test that theory.
No one should've gone into the first year of a major head coaching transition and expected a run to the College Football Playoff. No one should have expected the Tigers to defeat two top-10 teams in a span of three weeks.
Still, it was on the table. This team faced all of its challenges, a season-opening defeat, an OL starting true freshmen on both sides of the line with a transfer QB under center. New offense. New defense. An injury to your star interior lineman early in the season.
In the end, the Tiger Stadium atmosphere was all you needed to see. After a year with reduced crowds and another with a crowd that always knew its team really didn't have a shot, the 100K under the lights at Tiger Stadium felt extra special.
“To come here and restore the pride and tradition of this program," Brian Kelly said. "It just means so much."
Who knows where things go from here in the BK era. But one thing is clear: The Tigers are back, baby.
━━
ALABAMA REALLY CAN'T GET OUT OF ITS OWN WAY
After watching Georgia beat up on Tennessee and Alabama mount virtually nothing on offense against the Tigers, it's pretty hard to see this group as CFP-worthy.
The talent, obviously, is there across the board. Bryce Young is a Heisman trophy winner, Will Anderson will probably be the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, there are 5-stars littering the roster. That's always true.
But what's really set Alabama apart over the past decade-plus is that they couple that talent with peak skills development and composure. They play the right way. They always do. Except ... not really this year, and definitely not in this game.
No one would accuse LSU of having the talent level to match Alabama. They had to play a perfect game to win this one, and they did.
Everything was made easier by the bonehead plays from the Crimson Tide. It began on LSU's opening possession, when they gifted the Tigers 15 yards on a roughing the passer penalty. On the next drive the Tide drove the field only to see Bryce Young try to make a blind pass that ended up in the arms of Jarrick Bernard-Converse. On the ensuing possession they gifted LSU another 15 yards on a horsecollar tackle. Several of their own drives were torpedoed by penalties (the Tiger Stadium crowd gets an assist there). If it wasn't for an obnoxious interpretation of possession rules, the turnover total would've been 2.
Alabama finished the game with 9 penalties for 92 yards. Meanwhile, it's the Tigers who looked poised and played with composure. They didn't turn the ball over. They kept penalties to a minimum -- until they didn't. A facemask call on a third-down play extended the Tide's drive for a TD that gave them their first lead of the night midway through the fourth quarter.
In the end it was the Tigers getting the job done in overtime and the fans storming the field at Tiger Stadium for the second time in as many weeks.
━━
HAROLD PERKINS IS A STAR IN THE MAKING
I'm not exactly breaking new ground here, but it's becoming clearer and clearer every week.
Perkins' role is still limited. He's a true freshman, after all, so it makes complete sense. But man, he's just different. A major part of why Young looked constantly uncomfortable in the backfield was Perkins' ability to play spy in coverage and mirror him perfectly.
He flashed his athleticism in other ways, chasing down runs from the backside multiple times. He was simply excellent, as he's been all season.
Perkins finished the game 8 tackles, 3 QB hits, a sack and a PBU, but him impact felt bigger. On a defense filled with set-the-tone players, he might be the loudest tone-setter. He's going to be a fun player to watch for the next two years (after which I'm only assuming he lands somewhere as a first-round pick). He really is that good.
━━
LAGNIAPPE
Remember Eli Ricks? He was out there in No. 7, but looked to be keeping his emotions in check. He did have one moment where he wagged his finger toward the crowd, but nothing crazy (hard to be too loud when you're getting pushed by your former team as the heavy favorites). He finished the game with 1 tackle and no other stats. He flashed in a bad way on a pivotal LSU drive in the third quarter, first getting beat by Kayshon Boutte for a first down, then getting called for pass interference in the goal line. Josh Williams scored on the next play to put LSU ahead 14-9 ... LSU was outgained 214 to 135 in first-half yardage, but led on the scoreboard 7-6 at the break. ... Shaq was in the building. ... LSU has been explosive on the ground this year, but it's been primarily Jayden Daniels. today it was the running backs, with John Emery scoring the first TD on a nifty catch-and-run from 30 yards out. Josh Williams got the hard yards for a short-yardage TD in the second half. ... The Tiger Stadium crowd appeared to be having a significant impact, particularly in the first half when Alabama was held to three consecutive three-and-outs with multiple procedural penalties. ... Brian Kelly went out of his way all offseason to applaud freshman TE Mason Taylor, he paid off that hype with a touchdown on a perfectly thrown ball from Jayden Daniels that gave the Tigers a 24-21 lead late in the fourth quarter.