NO. 1 ALABAMA (8-0, 5-0 SEC) VS. NO. 19 LSU (6-2, 3-1)
8 p.m. › Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. CBS & 97.3/99.3 FM
THE MATCHUP
Doesn’t this game always start with the pairing of LSU’s ground assault against Alabama’s first two levels of defense? Tigers tailback Derrius Guice had just two carries for 8 yards in last year’s 10-0 loss to the Crimson Tide and will try to do what Leonard Fournette couldn’t — somehow penetrate Alabama’s front. Fournette was the top Heisman Trophy candidate two years ago heading to Tuscaloosa, but the Tide dashed those hopes by holding him to 31 yards on 19 carries. Fournette had 35 on 17 a year ago. Alabama had stars such as Jonathan Allen, Ryan Anderson, Reuben Foster and Tim Williams the past couple of seasons, but they haven’t been missed on yet another reloaded roster under coach Nick Saban, whose defense is allowing just 66.4 rushing yards per game. “They do a good job of recruiting,” LSU coach Ed Orgeron said. “They do a good job of evaluating. Give them credit. They do a good job. We go after the same guys. I’m glad we got some of the guys we got. We beat them on a couple guys. They’ve beaten us. Remember, this is his 11th year there. This is my first. OK?”
ONE TO WATCH
LSU has lost six straight times to Alabama, with three of the past four meetings decided by double digits. Whether tonight’s game stays close will be up to Tigers quarterback Danny Etling, who completed 11 of 24 passes in last year’s contest for a measly 92 yards and an interception. That translated into a 5.8 quarterback rating. “First of all, Danny has to be very, very patient,” Orgeron said. “He has to make the right throws and the right decisions in a big game. This is his test. He knows it, but we’ve got to protect him. There were some throws last year that were wide open, and he didn’t make them. He realized that, but there were also some times we didn’t block very well for him. I know we have a better plan this year. I think that the offense is working very hard to protect Danny and get the throws out that we can get and run the ball when we can.”
IN THE END
Orgeron has not shied away from the importance of this game to the LSU faithful. After all, it’s not every team that holds a 51-25-5 series edge over the Tigers. “I mean, this is the game,” he said. “Everywhere I go, they talk about this. This is the game.” The question is, will it be a game? Alabama was behind only Georgia in the season’s first College Football Playoff rankings, and the Tide seem as strong as ever after outscoring their first five Southeastern Conference foes by a combined 200 points, while the Tigers do not seem as stout as previous seasons judging by their 37-7 loss at Mississippi State and their 24-21 loss to Troy. October was a much better month for LSU, but November hasn’t started out well for the Tigers in recent years, and this season will be no different. “The difference in their football team is the offensive line,” Orgeron said. “Their offensive line is very well-coached. They’re big. They’re strong. They’re physical. They’re a typical Alabama team. They’re averaging 500 yards. They’re averaging 300 yards rushing and 200 yards passing, and they’re averaging 43 points per game.”