Alabama and LSU have little margin for error as they enter Saturday’s showdown in Baton Rouge, La., with both teams looking to strengthen their College Football Playoff positioning.
The winner between the No. 5 Crimson Tide (6-2, 4-2 Southeastern Conference) and No. 14 Tigers (6-2, 3-2) will boost its status, while the loser will slip into a more precarious position entering the final quarter of the regular season.
The teams know what’s at stake, but both head coaches are emphasizing that this game won’t make or break anybody’s season.
“This isn’t even close to the end,” Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer said.
“This is just one game that we’ve got to be ready to play to get to 1-0 and not worry about who we’re playing next or where we are in playoff rankings or anything,” LSU coach Lane Kiffin said. “I told the guys, don’t watch it when it comes out because it’s going to move so much between now and the end of the year, and you control a lot of it. So, play really well and win, and you won’t have anything to worry about.”
Both teams’ CFP hopes were teetering in October. Alabama was ranked as high as No. 6 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll before losing a home game against Georgia (20-17 score) and a road game against Tennessee (26-10). The Tide bounced back with a 31-20 home victory against Texas A&M two weeks ago.
The Tigers were ranked as high as No. 7 before absorbing road losses to Ole Miss (32-24) in September and Kentucky (35-34 in overtime) in October. LSU rebounded with victories at home against Mississippi State and on the road against Auburn by a combined score of 69-17. Alabama and LSU were both idle last week.
Both teams have quarterbacks who rank among the most productive in the SEC. The Tigers’ Sam Leavitt ranks second in passing yards (2,173) and tied for second in passing touchdowns (17), and the Tide’s Keelon Russell is third in passing yards (2,057).
Alabama is hoping to be more balanced on offense than it has been. The Tide are third in the SEC in passing yards (2,080), but just 12th in rushing yards (1,215) whereas LSU is first in passing yards (2,544) and fourth in rushing yards (1,536).
“It will be very important for us to (run the ball better),” DeBoer said. “Everyone doing their job, being on the same page, helps Keelon out, grabbing some momentum, staying on the football field. It keeps their offense off the field as well. That all plays into doing what it takes to win there.”
Leavitt’s improved ball security has been a major factor in the Tigers’ past two games. He threw an interception in each of the first six games and a total of eight, but in the past two games, he has no interceptions and seven touchdown passes.
“He’s just made really good decisions with the ball,” Kiffin said of Leavitt. “He’s thrown a lot of checkdowns, a lot to the running back, and taken what they’ve given.”