Kalen DeBoer and Alabama got an early boost before even stepping into Baton Rouge.
The Crimson Tide’s Nov. 7 road game against LSU will kick off at 2:30 p.m. CT, not in the primetime slot many expected for one of the biggest games on the college football calendar.
Monday’s announcement changed the feel of the trip immediately. Tiger Stadium is still Tiger Stadium, but an afternoon start is a different kind of test than a night game under the lights.
That matters for Alabama. LSU in Baton Rouge is never an easy assignment, but the atmosphere typically gets even louder as the evening wears on. An afternoon window won’t bring quite the same edge.
Alabama has also spent a long time proving it can handle Death Valley just fine.
This will be the 44th time the Crimson Tide has gone to Baton Rouge to play LSU, and Alabama owns a 30-10-3 record there all-time. DeBoer has already had success in the matchup, too. He is 2-0 against LSU, and Alabama rolled into Baton Rouge in 2024 and left with a 42-13 win.
The Tigers have had their moments at home, but Alabama has produced plenty of them there as well. One of the clearest examples came in 2002, when a Dennis Franchione-led Alabama team beat a Nick Saban-coached LSU squad 31-0 in Tiger Stadium.
The Tide also put together a long run in Baton Rouge after a loss there in 1969. Alabama then went 15 straight trips to Death Valley without a defeat, a stretch that included 14 wins and one tie in 1985 before LSU finally got a 30-28 win in 2000, Saban’s first season with the Tigers.
That kind of history is part of why Alabama fans call it “Bryant-Denny West.”
This year’s trip also carries an added wrinkle because it will be DeBoer’s first head-to-head matchup with Lane Kiffin as head coaches. Alabama hasn’t seen Kiffin since the 2023 season, when he was still at Ole Miss. Kiffin, who was passed over for the Alabama job after Saban retired in January of 2024, will have plenty of incentive to go after the Tide.
Alabama will bring some motivation of its own. The Tide will be healthier than they’ve been in weeks, and at 6-2, they head to Baton Rouge with playoff pressure hanging over them.
For now, though, the first swing has already gone Alabama’s way.
In Other News...
Former Alabama Assistant Just Addressed Those Power Four Rumors
Charles Huff has been a familiar name in coaching circles for a while, and his current success at Memphis has naturally put him on the radar as Power Four openings start to circulate. The former Alabama assistant spent time at Marshall and Southern Miss before landing the Tigers job, and his name has recently been floated in connection with Baylor, Maryland and NC State as those programs sort through their next steps.
Huff addressed the chatter in a press conference and made it clear he has not been contacted about any of those vacancies. He also pointed out what usually happens in coaching search season, noting that movement tends to come after the year is over, which keeps the focus on the stretch run for now even as the rumor mill keeps turning. [Read more 🡒]
Alabamas Playoff Push Now Rests On These Overlooked Difference-Makers
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Among the names drawing attention are the cornerbacks lined up opposite Zabien Brown, pass rusher Yhonzae Pierre, running back Daniel Hill, offensive lineman Racin Delgatty and quarterback Keelon Russell. Their production, roles and health will matter in different ways as Alabama tries to keep its season on track, and the margin for error only gets smaller from here. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Heads Into LSU Week With One Encouraging Trend Under DeBoer
After eight straight games, Alabama finally gets a bye week to catch its breath, and the timing could not be much better with injuries piling up and a big LSU showdown looming on the other side. Team captain Ryan Coleman-Williams is trending toward playing in the next game, which gives the Tide at least a little optimism as Kalen DeBoer and his staff try to get a battered roster closer to full strength.
The encouraging part for Alabama is what has happened coming out of bye weeks under DeBoer. The Tide have won all four of those games and done so by comfortable margins, a useful trend to lean on as they head into a matchup that should carry real College Football Playoff weight. LSU, coached by Lane Kiffin, will bring plenty of attention and pressure with it, and Alabama's ability to reset this week could matter as much as anything else in what comes next. [Read more 🡒]