Alabama got a well-deserved bye week last week, but is up against another tough road test to kick off November.
The Crimson Tide travel to LSU to take on a Tigers team that looked unstoppable on the ground against Ole Miss. LSU is 3-0 under head coach Ed Orgeron and is looking to play spoiler, but Alabama is the most complete team in the nation and doesn't look to be slowed down until the College Football Playoff. The rivalry is hot, but is it too lopsided to be a good game?
MORE: CFP outlook for November
Here's how to watch Alabama at LSU, and keys to victory for both teams.
Alabama at LSU
When: Saturday, Nov. 5, 8 p.m. ET
Where: Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, La.
TV: CBS
Online: CBS
Alabama-LSU all-time series
Alabama leads the all-time series 50-25-5 and has won the last five meetings between the teams. Though the Crimson Tide are on a win streak in the rivalry, the Tigers held a 9-3 advantage in the series from 2000-11 incuding a huge 9-6 overtime win in 2011. The biggest game between the teams, however, came in the 2011 national championship game when Alabama blanked LSU, 21-0.
Numbers that matter
12
Alabama is all-around impressive, but their non-offensive touchdown number is ridiculous. The Crimson Tide have scored 12 non-offensive touchdowns, the most in the nation by a long shot, and have scored at least one in the last 10 games. Simply dominant.
284
Leonard Fournette has struggled to put together a full season, but he's been a force in the few games he's played. Last week against Ole Miss,
21
Jalen Hurts is deserving of some national awards recognition for his contributions on offense. Hurts has scored 21 touchdowns (12 passing, nine rushing) so far this season, ninth in Alabama's record books, and has taken control of the Crimson Tide offense as just a freshman. He's the biggest playmaker for Alabama, and his number back it up. He'll continue to be heavily involved in the ground game — he's their leader in rushing touchdowns and second in rushing yards.
Social buzz
There will be a lot of chatter surrounding this game for multiple reasons. Ed Orgeron gets his first shot at Alabama as LSU's coach, and we'll all be interested to see how he fares in comparison to the last few games under Les Miles. With Fournette healthy, we'll get to see how tough the Crimson Tide run defense really is, and we'll get to see how much improvement the Tigers have made at QB with Danny Etling in how he fares vs. Alabama compared to Brandon Harris, Anthony Jennings and Zach Mettenberger in recent years.
The big question
Can LSU upset Alabama? The question of who will be able to knock off the Crimson Tide will be asked every single game the rest of the season, and the Tigers have a decent case. After looking horrible in the first four games of the season, LSU fired Les Miles and looked like it might struggle to get to a bowl game. Now with interim head coach Ed Orgeron and a stunning performance by Leonard Fournette against Ole Miss, the Tigers look like they could give Alabama a run for its money.
