Lane Kiffin knows the language of hype, and on Wednesday he was speaking it fluently.
As Alabama and LSU head toward their Nov. 7 meeting in Baton Rouge, the LSU coach had plenty of praise for the Crimson Tide during the SEC coaches teleconference, calling them “the most talented team we’ve played.” He kept going from there, describing Alabama as a group that “really are loaded” and saying, “Look like the old Alabama teams.
Really long, fast, receivers, really special, unique defensive players. It’s going to be a really unique challenge for us to do really well and play really well.”
That kind of talk would sound harmless on the surface. But it also fits neatly into the category Nick Saban famously labeled “rat poison” - the kind of noise that can pull a team away from what actually matters.
Saban explained the term on SEC Network in 2021 this way: “Rat poison is anything that distracts you from doing the things that you need to play, to do your job,” Saban said on SEC Network in 2021. “That’s what rat poison is, whether it’s created by the media, the weather, it could be created by anything. It’s something that gets in your head and messes you up in your ability to focus.”
Kiffin wasn’t using the phrase Wednesday, but the effect is the same. He knows Alabama well enough to understand how easily praise can turn into static.
The matchup comes after both teams have an open weekend. No.
10 Alabama and No. 15 LSU will meet on Saturday, Nov. 7, with the Tide heading to Tiger Stadium.
It will also be the first time quarterback Keelon Russell makes that trip with Alabama. Asked about Russell, Kiffin was direct in his assessment.
“Really mature,” Kiffin said. “...
Really smart too. Beyond his years.
It’s not surprising he’s played so great.
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Shephard framed it as a fairness issue as much as a format issue, arguing that college athletics should account for more than just the SEC and Big Ten. For Alabama fans who watched him on the Tide sideline, the remarks were a reminder of how much the playoff discussion has grown beyond traditional power structures, and how much uncertainty still hangs over how smaller-conference teams will fit into the new setup. [Read more 🡒]
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Alabama Stars Keep Deciding NFL Games And Week 7 Proved It
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Elsewhere, Quinnen Williams, Henry To'oTo'o and Brian Branch all made their presence felt for their own teams, adding to a week that was packed with Alabama production across the league. Branchs return was especially notable after his long injury absence, and his comeback came with the kind of impact play that can swing a game in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]