Almost everyone agrees that this week’s big primetime showdown between Kalen DeBoer’s Crimson Tide and Brian Kelly’s Tigers is a de facto playoff elimination game. Both teams have already lost twice, putting them virtually out of reach of a conference title. However, the expanded playoff field offers a newfound sense of hope and optimism for certain teams that would have already been eliminated from National Championship contention in previous years.
What’s On The Line For Alabama?
No. 11 Alabama is currently a 3-point favorite in Saturday Night’s clash in Baton Rouge. The Tide were defeated in their last trip to LSU back in 2022, a 32-31 OT thriller that ended with a Jayden Daniels to Mason Taylor game-winning two-point conversion. Despite the loss in their most recent Baton Rouge encounter, Alabama has fared quite well of late when playing LSU on the road. The Tide had won five straight road games against the Tigers at the time of their defeat two years ago.
A third loss on the season for Alabama would likely lower their playoff chances to just above zero, as would also be the case for LSU. The Crimson Tide’s final three games against Mercer, Oklahoma, and Auburn would not provide any opportunities to gain another quality win. As things stand right now, Kalen DeBoer’s men have two top-25 wins under their belt: No. 3 Georgia and No. 24 Missouri. Adding a third-ranked victory would go a long in cementing Alabama’s case to be included in the inaugural 12-team playoff field.
What Does Alabama Have To Do To Leave Baton Rouge With A Victory?
Alabama blanked Missouri 34-0 in their last game 13 days ago. It was their defense’s most impressive performance of the season, in spite of the fact that Missouri was forced to play their backup quarterback for the majority of the game. Offensively, the Crimson Tide had 486 total yards in the Missouri game including 271 yards on the ground. It proved to be a strong team performance overall in what was a must-win game.
Now in their first outing of November, Alabama faces arguably their toughest road test of the season. LSU is 4-0 in Baton Rouge this season, defeating No. 16 Ole Miss in OT in their last home game. Alabama is a better team than Ole Miss, but that does not mean that this game will be anything other than a hard-fought battle. While there are many factors that will go into determining the game’s final outcome, it will likely come down to the play of the two-star signal callers: Jalen Milroe and Garrett Nussmeier.
From the Tide’s perspective, Jalen Milroe has yet to recapture his level of play from the first month of the season that had placed him in the Heisman Trophy conversation. While Alabama would love for Milroe to return to putting up huge numbers, it is more important in this game that he does not turn the ball over. In the Crimson Tide’s two defeats against Vanderbilt and Tennessee, Milroe had a total of four turnovers (3 interceptions, 1 fumble).
This game will be yet another opportunity for Kalen DeBoer to prove himself as the right man for the job. He has yet to earn a big road victory after losing in each of his last two away games. Regardless of all that, a win would go a long way in ensuring that DeBoer’s first season is a success, while a loss would be equally as devastating.
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