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Alabama Football: 3 Bold Predictions for Showdown at LSU

By John Mitchell

TUSCALOOSA, AL - SEPTEMBER 29: Jaylen Waddle #17 of the Alabama Crimson Tide reacts with teammates after returning a punt for a touchdown against the Louisiana Ragin Cajuns at Bryant-Denny Stadium on September 29, 2018 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
TUSCALOOSA, AL - SEPTEMBER 29: Jaylen Waddle #17 of the Alabama Crimson Tide reacts with teammates after returning a punt for a touchdown against the Louisiana Ragin Cajuns at Bryant-Denny Stadium on September 29, 2018 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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Alabama Football looks to stay perfect and continue its dominant 2018 run as they face their most ardent challenger in the form of the LSU Tigers with the SEC West on the line.

The game of the college football season to date takes place on Saturday night in Baton Rouge as No. 1 Alabama takes on No. 4 LSU in a game with consequences that extend far past the SEC’s western division title that could be up for grabs at Tiger Stadium.

Alabama comes in a perfect and untested 8-0, routing opponents by 38 points per game; their closest competition thus far coming in a 45-23 win over Texas A&M in September. Star QB Tua Tagovailoa is running away with the Heisman Trophy with an absurd 25-0 TD-to-INT ratio.

Tagovailoa has keyed an Alabama offense that leads the nation in points-per-game, and has completely demoralized every opponent as early as possible. Tua has yet to take a single snap in the fourth quarter because Nick Saban’s death machine has steamrolled everyone in its path with ruthless efficiency.

Saban has had to actively try to score less points this season; Alabama has racked up a nation’s best 38.8 points-per-game in the first half of games! That’s 11 more points-per-game than any team in the nation. If you only included Alabama’s first half points total, it would lead the SEC and rank 20th nationally.

Even still, the Tide has its detractors. Alabama has faced just the 60th toughest schedule according to Sagarin. This will be far and away Alabama’s toughest test of the season as they invade Death Valley in search of their eighth consecutive win in the series over their Cajun rivals.

LSU entered the season with very little expectations. Facing a loaded schedule, most prognosticators expected eight or nine wins would be the ceiling for the Tigers in 2018. Instead, Ed Orgeron has kicked down the door of coach of the year conversations, leading his team to a 7-1 mark.

While early season wins over Miami and Auburn don’t look as effulgent as they did at the time, LSU’s 20-point win over Georgia a few weeks ago is one of the single most impressive victories in the country to date.

The Tigers followed up that performance with a 19-3 win over Mississippi State the next week in what could have very easily been a trap game. This has been a focused team, on a mission to reclaim past glory and usurp the king of college football residing in Tuscaloosa.

Can LSU get it done? Or will Alabama continue its dominance of this series with another resounding victory?

Here are three bold predictions for the latest Game of the Century:

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