LSU’s 31-13 loss to Alabama on Saturday in Tiger Stadium left the Tigers with more than a defeat. It exposed the same problems that have been hanging around all season, only this time they showed up at full strength against a team that took control when it mattered.
The clearest issue was in the red zone. What had been an occasional problem for LSU turned into a full-blown breakdown against Alabama.
Eight Tigers drives reached inside the Alabama 40, and four of them got all the way to the red zone, but those possessions produced only 13 points. The biggest reason was LSU’s inability to move Alabama off the line of scrimmage and create room in the running game.
That same battle up front also shaped how the game finished. LSU had stretches where the defense held up, but once the Tigers grabbed a 13-10 lead with 8:20 left in the third quarter, Alabama answered with a touchdown, a punt, then two more touchdowns. The Crimson Tide’s control at the line of scrimmage kept showing up and kept LSU from flipping the game for good.
There had been some speculation during the week about whether Whit Weeks might be able to return from injury, but he was not available. Even if he had been, it is hard to see that changing much about the way Alabama controlled the game.
The loss also changes the bigger picture for LSU. In theory, the Tigers could still have College Football Playoff hopes if they win out, but realistically that path ended Saturday.
At 6-3, LSU now has to focus on the next two games, starting with Texas and then a trip to Tennessee. There will be plenty of second-guessing about LSU, its expensive roster and plenty of ridicule for Kiffin, and the Tigers will have to live with all of it.
In Other News...
LSUs Alabama Loss Exposed One Offensive Problem Fans Cant Ignore
LSUs loss to Alabama did more than sting in the standings. It also came with a harsh grading snapshot from Pro Football Focus, which handed the Tigers their lowest offensive and defensive marks since earlier defeats this season. For a team still trying to find consistency on that side of the ball, the numbers reinforced what the eye test suggested on a difficult night.
Among the individual evaluations, Jackson Harris came away with LSUs top offensive grade, while Braelin Moore drew one of the lowest marks for pass blocking. Those kinds of splits matter because they point to where the Tigers were getting solid work and where the protection issues kept showing up. For LSU, the bigger concern is not just the result itself, but how clearly the grading exposed the same offensive problem fans have been watching all season. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Playoff Hopes Took A Brutal Hit For One Frustrating Reason
LSUs playoff path took a major blow in Tuscaloosa, where the Tigers left with a 31-13 loss to Alabama despite moving the ball well for long stretches. The numbers on the stat sheet were not the problem so much as what happened when LSU got close to the goal line. The Tigers piled up more than 450 yards of offense and controlled possession, but drives kept dying in the red zone, and missed field goals plus turnovers turned promising possessions into empty ones.
Alabama made LSU pay for every mistake, with quarterback Keelon Russell delivering a sharp performance by completing 17 of 24 passes for 206 yards and three touchdowns. LSUs offense also had to deal with steady pressure and a rushing attack that never really took hold, which made the red-zone failures even more costly. For a team trying to stay in the College Football Playoff conversation, it was the kind of frustrating loss that lingers because the production was there, but the finishing touch was not. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Just Suffered Another Alabama Gut Punch At Home
LSU spent much of the night doing enough to stay in the game on paper, but not enough where it mattered most, and Alabama left Tiger Stadium with another familiar result in a place that has become increasingly unfriendly to the Tigers. The Crimson Tide won 31-13, extending a run that has seen them take seven of their last eight trips to Baton Rouge, even though LSU actually outgained Alabama in total yards.
The frustration for LSU came from missed chances that piled up as the game went on, including failed fourth-down tries and a missed field goal that kept points off the board when the Tigers needed them most. Afterward, Lane Kiffin said the loss has to be put behind them, but for LSU the bigger issue is harder to ignore: against Alabama, the margin keeps getting decided by execution, not effort. [Read more 🡒]