Alabama vs. LSU: TV Info, Spread, Injury Updates, Game Time and More
Look no further than Saturday's SEC showdown between No. 5 Alabama and No. 16 LSU for proof that the College Football Playoff amplifies the magnitude of any contest on the schedule on a week-to-week basis.
Should Nick Saban's Crimson Tide crush its equally physical rival in Death Valley at night and somehow overcome a ludicrous final three weeks in terms of difficulty, his team is headed to the postseason.
If not, better luck next year.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
LSU is rounding into form at just the right time to play spoiler—not to mention getting a serious shot to jump into the Top 10 if it can hold its ground against an old foe.
Gritty, physical football between the tackles seems to be fading around the nation, but not when these two meet. The eyes of the globe await to see how the CFP looks by the time the clock hits zeroes.
Physicality Defined
The Tigers have been anything but consistent this year although in hindsight, the team's two losses came against the best of the best (Mississippi State and Auburn).
The team's current three-game winning streak is proof enough of the erratic play, as the Tigers hardly escaped with a three-point win over unranked Florida but then turned around and upset then-No. 3 Ole Miss recently.
Really, the only thing consistent about the Tigers this year is the ground game thanks to a number of names that help to mask issues under center:
| Leonard Fournette | 131 | 657 | 5.0 | 40 | 7 |
| Terrence Magee | 69 | 418 | 6.1 | 38 | 3 |
| Kenny Hilliard | 84 | 416 | 5.0 | 28 (TD) | 6 |
| Darrel Williams | 50 | 250 | 5.0 | 22 (TD) | 3 |
Alabama is familiar with this run-at-any-cost approach, though, thanks to a pair of talented backs and 250 rushing yards and five scores from quarterback Blake Sims:
| T.J. Yeldon | 120 | 618 | 5.2 | 31 | 5 |
| Derrick Henry | 103 | 530 | 5.1 | 28 (TD) | 4 |
LSU linebacker Kendell Beckwith sounds quite aware of the challenge at hand Saturday, especially after just a month ago allowing Auburn to rush for 298 yards and three scores.
"I know it's going to be hard-nosed football," said Beckwith, per ESPN.com's David Ching. "I know they're going to try to come downhill on us, and we're just going to have to do a good job of stopping the run."
While cliche to talk about imposing their wills and the like, few contests actually live up to such a description like this one does.
Both defenses better prove up to task although on paper, that is not difficult to see happening. Alabama ranks No. 2 in the nation by surrendering an average of just 14.0 points. LSU comes in two spots down the list at 15.9.
For players with a heart for the physicality of such an encounter, this contest has been circled in red ink all season long.
Discomfort Zone
As prolific as both offenses can be, both Alabama and LSU tout a similar deficiency—effectiveness and consistency of play from under center.
It is funny, really, as both programs annually reel in top class after top class only to struggle through the air at times.
The problems are not as serious for Alabama thanks to Sims, but he certainly has his clunkers at times such as a rough outing in a loss to Ole Miss in which he threw an interception and did little else.
Anthony Jennings, on the other hand, certainly limits what LSU can do as far as offensive balance goes. The sophomore has been in and out of the lineup this year and has not completed at least 60 percent of his passes in a game since the third contest of the season.
Last week, Jennings went just 8-of-16 for 142 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. Comments by head coach Les Miles, as illustrated by Shea Dixon of 247Sports, say quite a lot:
Miles is also concerned about Alabama's defense as a whole, as captured by Jim Kleinpeter of NOLA.com:
"I don't know that we'll find that we'll play against a team that year that has as quality a defense as this team. They're big, strong and fast and play in the secondary. Just a talented group. Landon Collins, Louisiana native, is having a great year, making plays, and again, very, very talented guy and playing very, very well in the secondary.
"
Jennings will have to take to the air at some point if LSU is going to pull off the upset. Whether or not he can minimize mistakes is something that will decide the game outright given his usually low amount of attempts.
When: Saturday, November 8, 8 p.m. ET
Where: Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Television: CBS
Betting Lines (via Odds Shark):
- Over/Under: 45.5
- Spread: Alabama (-7)
Team Injury Reports
| Ronnie Clark | DB | 10/16/2014 | will miss the remainder of the season | Out | Achilles |
| Denzel Devall | LB | 10/06/2014 | is out indefinitely | Out | ankle |
| Kenyan Drake | RB | 10/05/2014 | is out indefinitely | Out | ankle |
| Reuben Foster | LB | 11/02/2014 | is questionable for Saturday's game against LSU | Questionable | shoulder |
| Kurt Freitag | TE | 08/28/2014 | is out indefinitely | Out | toe |
| Christion Jones | WR | 11/02/2014 | is questionable for Saturday's game against LSU | Questionable | hamstring |
| Tyren Jones | RB | 11/03/2014 | is probable for Saturday's game against LSU | Probable | disciplinary |
| Cam Robinson | T | 11/05/2014 | is questionable for Saturday's game against LSU | Questionable | ankle |
| Alphonse Taylor | G | 11/05/2014 | is questionable for Saturday's game against LSU | Questionable | concussion |
| Brian Vogler | TE | 11/02/2014 | is probable for Saturday's game against LSU | Probable | knee |
| T.J. Yeldon | RB | 11/05/2014 | is probable for Saturday's game against LSU | Probable | foot |
| Jared Foster | QB | 09/06/2014 | is out indefinitely | Out | foot |
| Trey Lealaimatafao | DT | 08/02/2014 | is out indefinitely | Out | arm |
| Dwayne Thomas | CB | 09/29/2014 | is expected to miss the remainder of the season | Out | knee |
| Travonte Valentine | DT | 09/10/2014 | is out indefinitely | Out | eligibility |
Injury reports per The Sports Network, via USA Today.
Prediction
LSU at night is a tough matchup for any team, but the Crimson Tide are perfectly equipped to handle the situation.
Not only does Alabama have an advantage in the defense department, it arguably has a better ground game and easily the better quarterback, which gives the team a major advantage in the game-changing plays department.
Look for Saban to exploit the number of mismatches available to him and for an elite defense to create turnovers that ultimately reshape the complexion of the game. Alabama will take care of business late barring an epic collapse.
Prediction: Alabama 20, LSU 17
Statistics and info courtesy of ESPN unless otherwise specified.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
