Alabama heads to Baton Rouge with plenty on the line, and the Crimson Tide may need more than the headline names to leave LSU with a win. The No. 5 ranking gives Alabama a little breathing room in the College Football Playoff race, but the cleanest route still runs through winning out.
That makes Saturday’s matchup a test of depth, timing and who steps up when the game tightens. Five starters showed up as questionable on Wednesday night’s availability report, and that uncertainty puts even more weight on a few other Tide players who could swing the night in key moments.
Daniel Hill is at the top of that list. Alabama has to run the ball well to have a shot here, because this can’t become a game where everything falls on Keelon Russell against a strong defense in a hostile setting.
With EJ Crowell and AK Dear both questionable, Hill and Trae’shawn Brown are likely to carry the load. Hill already showed what he can do in Alabama’s best win of the season, going for 104 yards on 18 carries in the 45-17 victory over Kentucky in Lexington.
After the bye week, Alabama needs that version of him again.
The same goes for the man in the middle of the offensive line. Racin Delgatty is officially questionable, but the trend is that he’ll play and start at center.
Alabama’s run game dipped in the last two contests after he missed time following an injury at the end of the Georgia game. His movement skills and ability to get out as a puller were part of what made the ground attack work early in the season, and if he’s on the field Saturday, the Tide have a much better chance to stay balanced.
There’s also a chance Alabama turns to Chuck McDonald in a different role than usual. Junior cornerback Zabien Brown is one of the five starters listed as questionable, and McDonald already got early work on the outside against Texas A&M before shifting back to Husky after Red Morgan was ejected for targeting in the second quarter.
Dijon Lee and Carmelo O’Neal have had issues in coverage this season, so Kane Wommack could look for another option against LSU’s receivers. The bye week should have helped McDonald settle in even more if Alabama asks him to handle snaps on the outside again.
Then there’s Yhonzae Pierre, whose impact could shape Alabama’s defensive night. He’s usually the kind of player you don’t have to put in this kind of spot, but his game against LSU matters all the same.
Pierre has 3.5 sacks in eight games, not the kind of number people expected in the preseason, but he’s also been dealing with a string of injuries while still drawing heavy attention from opposing offenses. If he’s close to full strength and can pressure LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt off the edge, that would be a major lift for the Tide defense.
In Other News...
Alabama Heads Into LSU Week With One Big Availability Problem
Alabamas first availability report for LSU week put a familiar kind of pressure on the depth chart, with five starters and one key running back listed as questionable because of injuries. There is some optimism around several of those players, including Ryan Coleman-Williams, Terrance Green and Racin Delgatty, but the early read still leaves the Tide sorting through a few important spots before Saturday.
The bigger concern is the uncertainty around others such as Zabien Brown, Will Sanders and EJ Crowell, because the way Alabama handles LSU will depend heavily on who can actually suit up. In a matchup where depth and efficiency matter as much as star power, the Tide may not know until later in the week just how much of its usual rotation it can count on. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Faces A Brutal LSU Warning Ahead Of Playoff Test
Joel Klatt sees a real test coming for Alabama when it lines up against LSU, and his preview centered on the kind of pressure that can wreck a game plan fast. He pointed to LSUs pass rush and defensive play as the biggest problems awaiting the Crimson Tide, especially with Alabama still trying to find more consistency in the running game.
Klatt also leaned into LSUs recent momentum, including strong showings from quarterback Sam Leavitt, while noting injury updates on both sides as part of the buildup. His projection was blunt, with LSU taking control and Alabama left chasing the game, a warning sign the Tide will have to answer if it wants to stay on track for the playoff push. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Faces One Brutal Matchup That Could Break The Offense
Alabamas place at No. 5 in the College Football Playoff rankings leaves little margin for error, and the next SEC test comes with a familiar kind of danger. LSU arrives ranked 14th with two losses, but the Tigers have built one of the nations most disruptive fronts, sitting second nationally in sacks and bringing multiple pass rushers who can change a game in a hurry.
That is a troubling setup for an Alabama offense that has already had issues keeping its quarterback upright, with the Tide ranking 118th nationally in adjusted sack rate allowed. Add in the offensive lines injury concerns, and pass protection becomes more than a talking point - it may decide whether Alabama can stay on schedule or spend the night fighting off pressure in one of the seasons most important SEC games. [Read more 🡒]