LSU and Alabama are back in the kind of game that usually dominates the college football conversation, and this one carries real weight again. Both teams are ranked, both are 6-2, and both are still in the hunt for the College Football Playoff.
LSU checked in at No. 14 in the first CFP rankings, while Alabama landed at No. 5.
That’s a far cry from last year, when LSU went to Tuscaloosa with an interim coach and no playoff path left to chase. This time, the Tigers get Alabama at home in Death Valley, and they’re the favorite - a rare setup in a series that usually tilts the other way.
For LSU, the matchup comes down to three major questions.
The first is whether the Tigers can get after Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell. That’s where LSU’s defense has a real edge.
Alabama’s offense ranks 118th in adjusted sack rate, while LSU’s defense sits second. Russell has already been taken down 20 times, which is more than any other SEC quarterback except Arch Manning and Byrum Brown.
LSU’s pass rush has multiple ways to hurt an offense. Princewill Umanmielen, Deuce Geralds, and Jordan Ross all rank in the SEC’s top 10 in sacks.
Umanmielen and Ross can threaten off the edge, while Geralds creates pressure from the inside. That balance matters.
If LSU can win both outside and inside, it makes life much harder on Alabama’s offense. But if Russell gets time, Alabama has the kind of attack that can hit explosive plays and take control.
The second factor is LSU’s run game, which has been uneven all season. Some weeks the Tigers have been efficient on the ground. Other weeks, the rushing attack has stalled and forced the offense into a heavier passing load.
That’s a dangerous place to be against Alabama. The Crimson Tide rank No. 2 nationally in defensive rushing success rate, allowing opponents to succeed on just 31.4% of their runs.
LSU’s offense ranks No. 19 in rushing success rate, which is solid but not on Alabama’s level. If the Tide can shut down early-down runs and push LSU into obvious passing situations, Kane Wommack’s defense can start opening up the pressure package and disguising coverages.
LSU’s best answer is to stay on schedule and avoid second-and-long and third-and-long by finding success on early downs.
The final piece is Sam Leavitt, who has quietly changed the story around himself over the last few weeks. Early in the season, turnovers were the headline. Leavitt was putting up numbers, but he also led the SEC in interceptions through the first two months.
Lately, though, he’s been playing the best football of his career. The ball is going where it should, the explosive plays are showing up, and the mistakes have dropped off. He’s also dealt with lingering injuries during the season, but the bye week gave him time to get healthier.
That matters because LSU may need him to carry the offense. If the run game doesn’t hold up, Leavitt will have to do the heavy lifting through the air.
He’s capable of that. He can make every throw, and he adds another layer with his legs.
LSU’s receiving group is healthier too, with tight end Trey’Dez Green back at Auburn.
If Leavitt delivers and LSU wins, he could push himself into the Heisman Trophy conversation.
In Other News...
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Brian Kelly has been out of the LSU job long enough to settle into his new role as a CBS Sports analyst, but he just gave Tigers fans another reason to revisit the past. With Florida State moving on from Mike Norvell, Kelly surfaced as a name tied to the opening and spoke openly about his history with the Seminoles, while also acknowledging the programs national brand even after its recent struggles.
For LSU, the timing is what makes it linger. Kelly is still owed a buyout from the school, and any fresh coaching speculation around him naturally drags the Tigers back into a conversation they may have hoped was finished. Instead, his comments have reopened an old debate about his next move and what it means for a program that is still sorting through the aftermath of his departure. [Read more 🡒]
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For LSU, the concern is less about speculation in a vacuum and more about Bakers history of drawing outside interest. He previously turned down opportunities from Tulane and Memphis to stay in Baton Rouge, but a head-coaching vacancy at a major program is a different kind of test. Florida State is expected to cast a wide net, with names like Manny Diaz, Eli Drinkwitz, Jake Dickert, Kenny Dillingham, Jason Eck, Glenn Schumann, Rhett Lashlee and Jimbo Fisher also in the mix, and LSU will be watching closely to see whether Bakers rise has reached the point where another school tries to pry him away. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Just Got Its First Real Shot To Change Everything
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Next up is a trip through one of the toughest stretches on the schedule, starting with No. 5 Alabama in a game that could reshape LSUs position almost immediately. Three of the Tigers final four regular-season opponents are ranked in the top 13, so there is no shortage of chances to strengthen their case, but also very little margin for error. [Read more 🡒]