Alabama football will host the No. 2 LSU Tigers in what could be a preview of this year’s College Football Playoff title game.
Both LSU and Alabama enter the Week 11 matchup with perfect seasons. However, of course, by the end of Saturday one team will have a blemish on their record. How this loss will impact the rest of the season is seriously uncertain, especially considering the outcome of the College Football Playoff Committee’s first rankings of the year.
The committee ranked the LSU Tigers at No. 2 and Alabama at No. 3. This was unexpected by many, considering the AP Poll has them at No. 1 and No. 2, respectively. Regardless, Ed Orgeron’s team is still being treated as the underdog in this game.
Despite what various outlets suggest, it should be a fairly matched game. The Crimson Tide’s star quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, is coming off an injury and may not even been ready for the game. And, LSU’s Heisman front-runner, Joe Burrow, is having one of the most dominant seasons we have seen in years. But, Nick Saban is at home, and winning in this scenario is nearly an impossible task.
Here’s how to watch this SEC powerhouse matchup:
Date: Saturday, Nov. 9
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Location: Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Venue: Bryant-Denny Stadium
TV: CBS
Live Stream: CBS Sports Live
Keys to Victory
It’s an old saying, but at its core, it’s perfectly true: Defense wins championships. If the other team doesn’t score, they can’t win. It’s unrealistic to expect either Alabama or LSU to pitch a shutout against two very capable offenses. However, the team who plays the best on defense will win this game.
Given that Tua Tagovailoa may miss the game, or might just not be at 100 percent, the Tigers have a solid shot at being the team who has a better defensive performance. If either of the cases are true, LSU will need to take full advantage of the fact that the player who is most likely to be drafted first in the 2020 NFL Draft won’t be tearing up the field.
Given this, it will be essential that Alabama wins the turnover battle and time of possession. If the Tide can gain an extra couple of opportunities to score, and keep the ball out of Joe Burrow’s hands, they are likely to come away with the victory.
Betting Odds
Odds courtesy of The Action Network
Point Spread: Alabama -6.5
Over/Under: 63
Prediction
Wow, this is a tough one. I think this will end up being a low-scoring affair much like the 9-6 overtime game in 2011, the 20-13 overtime match in 2014, or the 10-0 battle in 2016. Because Tagovailoa is unlikely to be playing at his best, the Crimson Tide will come up short, and LSU will move into the No. 1 spot in the College Football Playoff rankings.
Final Score: LSU 17, Alabama 13