Alabama Football: 3 Bold Predictions for Showdown at LSU

1. Alabama scores on its opening drive of the game

Alabama is 8/8 with 8 touchdowns on their opening drives this season, quickly and efficiently dismantling each opponent it has faced. Any shred of hope that a team comes in with, all the hype instilled in them during the week of practice and in fiery pregame speeches from the coaching staff gets extinguished in just a few minutes of game time. Sometimes just a few seconds!

Here’s Alabama’s opening drive from every game this season:

• 7 plays, 65 yards – 3:05
• 5 plays, 75 yards – 1:41
• 3 plays, 72 yards – 1:10
• 1 play, 30 yards – 0:08
• 8 plays, 72 yards – 3:35
• 1 play, 76 yards – 0:21
• 2 plays, 81 yards – 0:23
• 9 plays, 58 yards – 4:02

The difference in Alabama’s offense from last season is night and day, and it’s all because of sophomore QB Tua Tagovailoa. Tua’s stats this season have been obscene; he’s currently on pace to break several NCAA records, including Baker Mayfield’s record for passer efficiency from a year ago. He wastes little time deflating the opposition. His stats on opening drives:

16-19 passing, 436 yards, 6 TD’s

Alabama’s only had three opening drives last longer than five plays, and have scored touchdowns on two plays or less in three other opening drives.

I don’t expect Alabama to look for an early homerun shot against LSU on Saturday like they’ve done in most games because LSU’s likely to be sitting and waiting for one. I expect Nick Saban and offensive coordinator Mike Locksley to be more methodical in their approach, dinking and dunking and setting up LSU’s defense for a shot down the line.

I do expect, however, that the opening drive touchdown streak survives another week as Tua and company drive down the field and score an early touchdown that quiets an electric Tiger Stadium environment.