LSU Has Improved, but the Tigers Still Can't Beat Mighty Alabama

A month ago, LSU's season was lost.

Gone.

Forgotten.

The Tigers were blown out 41-7 at Auburn in a game that wasn't as close as the score indicated, the quarterback position was a hot mess, the defense was a sieve and the future—at least the immediate future—looked bleak.

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Then a funny thing happened against Florida. Running back Leonard Fournette rushed for 140 yards and two touchdowns, quarterback Anthony Jennings didn't throw a pick, Kendell Beckwith got more time at middle linebacker and the Tigers kicked off a three-game winning streak that has them back in the AP Top 25.

Alabama head coach Nick Saban knows that his Crimson Tide are catching the Tigers when they're hot.

"They're running it very effectively," Saban said on last week's coaches teleconference "[Fournette] is a really good back. They've got a good offensive line. They've controlled the ball, and it's an effective way for them to play with the players that they have. They've done a really good job, I think, of it. It's difficult to defend."

Jonathan Bachman/Associated Press

If they're going to extend it to four, head coach Les Miles' crew is going to have to take a gigantic leap forward. While the Ole Miss win in Death Valley was impressive, there are still some major problems.

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Most notably, Jennings.

The true sophomore signal-caller for the Tigers has nailed down the top spot on the depth chart after being benched prior to the Auburn game, but it's not exactly like he's been a difference-maker.

He has only completed 50 percent of his passes on the season (72-of-144) for 1,190 yards, eight touchdowns and five picks.

Against Ole Miss, Jennings threw two second-half interceptions that, had his defense not tightened up, could have cost his team the game. Despite the one-dimensional nature of the offense, Jennings thinks his team can win out, according to Ben Love of TigerSportsDigest.com:

That's not going to happen.

This Alabama front seven is loaded with fast, physical and talented players who have helped the Crimson Tide post the second-best rush defense in the nation (78.13 yards allowed per game). It also leads the nation in rushing touchdowns allowed with two.

Fournette and crew won't be enough for the Tigers to spring the upset.

The ground game may have some success, but the combination of a stout Alabama front seven and a Crimson Tide offense that will move the football will put pressure on LSU offensive coordinator Cam Cameron and force him to give the game to Jennings.

That's right where Alabama wants it to be.

LSU will be able to hang but won't be able to wear down the Tide defense like it did to Ole Miss' front seven in the second half of the matchup between the Tigers and Rebels two weeks ago.

The Tigers will have to pass to keep up and simply aren't equipped to do that yet.

Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and video analyst for Bleacher Report as well as a co-host of the CFB Hangover on Bleacher Report Radio (Sundays, 9-11 a.m. ET) on Sirius 93, XM 208.

Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. All stats are courtesy of cfbstats.com, and all recruiting information is courtesy of 247Sports. Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.