(Photo: SeatGeek)
Saturday Spotlight
(14) LSU Tigers at (8) Alabama Crimson Tide
LSU: After the Florida State loss in week one, I had no idea what direction they would go in. Unfortunately, they’ve played with consistent inconsistence and you just don’t know what to expect from them on a weekly basis. It’s been the defense unfortunatley that’s contributed to the inconsistency because they have weeks when they look lights out and are clicking on every cylinder imaginable, then they have moments when they’re giving up over 30 points in the game. What has been consistent has been the offense which is ranked first in the country. In year two under Brian Kelly, they have gone from averaging 34 points per game to 47 points per game and much of this improvement is due to the improvement of the Quarterback, Jayden Daniels. He’s been notoriously known to run the ball having racked up over 3,000 yards rushing during his collegiate career. Jayden has had the ability to turn long yardage situations into new opportunities for his offense with his legs. Another thing about him is how careful he has always been with the football. He threw three interceptions all last year and this year, he’s thrown only three once again. Now, you see him attacking defenses with his arm in the passing game and he’s averaging 11.5 yards passing per game. Jayden might not throw the deep ball as consistently, but he knows how to place the ball to his receivers on crossing routes. If his team were ranked in the top ten right now, Jayden would be a Heisman candidate in my opinion. These LSU Tigers have also had a strong duo of receivers to help the Quarterback in Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. I think people tend to forget the Tigers won the SEC West last year in Brian’s first season and they played in the SEC Championship. Tonight, they will partake in the “Saban Bowl”. This time, in Tuscaloosa.
Alabama: The Tennessee Volunteers had to find out the hard way a few Saturdays ago. For a second, I thought they were about to get another win over Nick Saban and company. They even jumped out to an early 13 point lead. What do I always say about football games and this is a key ingredient to succeeding? The team that makes the necessary adjustments at the half is the team that will always come out on top and that couldn’t have been more on display a few weeks ago in Tuscaloosa. I’ll just come out and say it. You will not beat the Alabama Crimson Tide playing only 30 minutes of football. You need to keep your foot on the gas, attack them with a balanced offensive gameplan and rush the passer against them. When you’re in the red zone against their defense, you won’t beat them with field goals, you must come away with points and take advantage of the opportunity presented to you. How about Jalen Milroe? Since he was benched, he’s come back with a vengeance and has played phenomenal football. He’s pacing himself more and playing more poised and collected. This is a different Tide team compared to what we’ve seen in previous years. They don’t have the firepower as we’ve seen in previous years. In fact, I believe this is Nick’s most mentally tough football team I’ve seen and I say that because even against the odds, they still find ways to win football games whether it’s the consistent effort or it’s ugly. The bye week is over and tonight, they return for another home game against a rival.
LSU X-Factor: Brian Thomas Jr– He is the best route running Wide Receiver in the SEC. For a bigger receiver, Brian is so explosive with the football in his hands. He has a nice ability to start, stop and cut on a dime to move up the field. Whenever you see receivers 6’3 and taller, they just find ways to use their height against your corners. That’s not Brian. Many have called him a possession receiver with the speed of a slot guy.
Alabama X-Factor: Dallas Turner– Last season, Dallas was the guy playing alongside Will Anderson. This year, they’ve built this offense around him and he’s been a beast for another stout Crimson Tide unit. Dallas benefitted greatly from Will’s presence because of the attention Will would command. Now, he sees a ton of double and triple teams. He has phenomenal speed to burst through blockers and make a tackle. Dallas beats you with pure speed. He’s a true bull rusher.
Final Thoughts: This is always a fun matchup for me to breakdown. When these two met last year, LSU stunned the world and upset the Crimson Tide knocking them out of playoff contention and LSU would go on to win the SEC West in Coach Kelly’s first year in Baton Rouge. That was definitely Brian’s signature win. A year later, here we are for an elimination game in the SEC West. Just imagine if the LSU defense was as consistent as their offense has been! We’d see flashes of the 2019 team with Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and so forth. I will say that they have performed better the last two weeks and I’m curious to see how they come out against Milroe. This is strength facing strength with a prolific offense against a stingy defense. Jayden Daniels can become the first Quarterback to beat Nick Saban in back to back games. The Tide must contain Daniels and pressure him into broke plays because he’s not the same guy when he’s under duress. This is the chance for Milroe to take over and attack a depleted LSU secondary. Nick Saban doesn’t lose to the same team in consecutive seasons and that isn’t about to start this year. The Tide get their revenge tonight.
Prediction: Alabama 34, LSU 27
