LSU vs. Alabama: Breakdown and Prediction for Biggest Game of 2011

College football fans are counting down the hours until the No. 1 LSU Tigers play on the road against the No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide, which is hands down the biggest game the regular season has seen in years. 

Everybody is talking about this game, and rightfully so. After all, it's not often the top two teams battle it out on a Saturday in November. 

LSU vs. Alabama has so many great storylines that it's hard choosing which is the best one.

Fans have been waiting for this game all season, and they will all be on the edge of their seats Saturday night, intently watching the best two teams college football has to offer. 

With that said, let's break this game down. 

Before we get to that, here's an awesome hype video done by the SEC Digital Network that will get you pumped for Saturday's game. 

Key Matchup 

The Tigers defensive front vs. Trent Richardson is the matchup to watch all game long.

This is the best defense Richardson will see all season long, but he can't think about that, as the Crimson Tide desperately need him to thrive. 

Richardson has six games of over 100 yards rushing this season, and is the Heisman favorite in the eyes of several people. With a week to rest up, he will be fully prepared to give it his all for Alabama. 

However, LSU has had a week to get ready to shut down Richardson, and if they can do that, the Tigers put the game in the hands of the inexperienced Crimson Tide quarterback, A.J. McCarron. 

Key Storyline 

It's difficult to choose which one is the best because their are some great ones in this game. Other than being the biggest game of the season, the key storyline has to be Nick Saban vs. Les Miles. 

Saban, the former LSU head coach, is arguably one of the best college football coaches ever. Miles is known for his crazy antics, extreme luck and unique coaching style. 

CBS Sports' Bryan Fischer points out how far Miles has progressed. 

Of course, he's had much better players at his time in LSU, but there's no denying that he is a great coach. 

Choosing between Saban and Miles is like picking between a hot blonde or a hot brunette. Everyone has a different opinion, but in the end, nobody is going to be let down. This particular fan hits the nail on the head. 

What People Are Saying 

Social media has taken over society these days, and one great thing about that is hearing all the passionate fans share their voices about their favorite sport, team and or player. 

Since this will be the greatest game of 2011, everyone has an opinion on it. First off, we have to state how big this game is, and for that, I give the floor to Pete Burns of FOX Sports radio. 

The losing team's fans will certainly need that extra hour to cope with having their BCS National Title hopes destroyed. 

The winner of this game should run the table, win their conference and become the sixth SEC team to play for the championship. 

That's a lot of pressure on these teams to perform well, especially with big-name athletes and celebrities making bold predictions.

One in particular is San Francisco Giants' closer Brian Wilson. He's tweeted a ton about this game, and here's one of his best.

He's very adamant about LSU winning, as well as a number of people. 

ESPN's Skip Bayless chimed in on the game, and it's hard not to agree with him here.  

Being at home will greatly help the Crimson Tide, but that's a big margin for such an intense game.

Before the line was announced, I figured one team would be favored by a field goal at most, but five-plus points really makes you think about that line. 

The Tigers have proven they can win anywhere, but playing in Tuscaloosa is completely different than any road game they've experienced this year, which is another reason this is going to be an outstanding game. 

Perhaps one of the best tweets out there though came from Bleacher Report's own Zach Rymer.

He's exactly right because we all know this will be a terrific game that should come down to the wire. What more could college football fans ask for?

It's such a rarity that the nation's two best teams meet this early, and I know I'm not the only one that will be soaking it all in on Saturday night.

LSU Player to Watch 

Tyrann Mathieu is back in action after being suspended for testing positive for synthetic marijuana. 

The defensive back has been a menace to his opponents this season, and before his suspension he was a dark horse for the Heisman because of his dominating performance in the secondary.

Mathieu is a playmaker on defense that loves to get after the ball. Keep an eye on him, especially since he missed a game last week.

The kid is going to be hungry to make big plays and help the Tigers get a victory.

Alabama Player to Watch 

One would think this would be the Crimson Tide's best player, Trent Richardson. However, Saturday's game comes down to whether or not first year starter A.J. McCarron can make the clutch plays. 

LSU is going to prevent Richardson from having a monster performance, which means the Crimson Tide's season rests on the arm of McCarron.

The Tigers defense has given up a lot of yards through the air at times this season, but McCarron has yet to show he can be a 300 yard passing quarterback.

He hasn't needed to because Richardson is so good for him, but McCarron will be called upon this weekend to cover the 3rd-and-longs, as well as connect on the deep ball.

McCarron has to be smart with the ball and avoid turnovers, or else Alabama will lose. 

Prediction 

The best two teams in the country have had a week to prepare for one another, so it's hard to give either one the edge.

You can argue that Alabama has it because the game is in Tuscaloosa, but LSU is not afraid of any road challenge.

Saturday's matchup comes down to which defense plays better and which quarterback makes the least amount of mistakes.

Expect smash mouth football for all four quarters, and the winner of this game to make the big plays.

In the end, I have Alabama winning a close one because they have the better defense and McCarron shines on the big stage, whereas the Tigers' two quarterback routine will hurt them.

Alabama 26, LSU 23