The Alabama Crimson Tide (8-0) takes on the LSU Tigers (3-4) in a game that has in 13 months gone from being must-see to a potential car crash. Here are the three keys a Crimson Tide win.
By Steve Wright
Load on the points
The Tigers were destroyed by graduations, early draft declarations, and opt-outs before the season. That trend has done nothing but continue as 2020 has rolled on and now they have to face Alabama fresh off of their best offensive player deciding he is done with the year. Star wide receiver, Terrance Marshall is the player who won’t be suiting up for the Tigers. He scored 60 points this season, the only player on the team other than kicker Cade York to be above the 18 point mark. That is a massive hole someone has to fill and more proof that this team won’t keep up with ‘Bama scoring points.
Keep the offense rolling
The only way that Alabama falls to LSU as a massive favorite is if the offense suddenly stops working. The Tigers defense has been playing tough – they gave up just 13 points and 267 yards of total offense to Texas A&M last weekend – but their offense can’t move the ball well enough to keep up if ‘Bama is able to turn this into a shootout. Mac Jones is in the Heisman discussion with Florida QB Kyle Trask and he will have the chance to put up some big numbers here if he plays into the second half.
Use the revenge factor
Depending on your point of view the actions of the players and coaches after LSU beat Alabama last year was either euphoric or classless. The biggest margin of victory in this series for an Alabama win was set in 1922 and was 44 points. Given the gulf in class between the two is as high this year as it has been in the memory of even some of the oldest fans, some of those celebrations could easily come back to haunt LSU if Nick Saban decides his troops are to put on the squeeze.
Saturday‘s game kicks off at 7:00 PM CT (8:00 PM ET). You can watch this Alabama football game on the CBS Network.
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