It was difficult to know coming into Saturday afternoon's matchup in Death Valley which Alabama team we would get. Would we get the version that looked like a contender after a 5-0 start and the one that took Georgia to the absolute limit, or would we get the team that looked outclassed and outmanned in Knoxville?
For part of the game, it looked like the latter. Alabama was severely outgained and was on the ropes, trailing 13-10 late in the third quarter.
And then it all clicked. Alabama scored 21 unanswered points, rediscovering the championship form we saw earlier in the season to win 31-13 and prove the College Football Playoff committee's faith in them prophetic.
Here are the biggest observations from Alabama's 18-point win in so-called Death Valley.
1. Two pivotal second-half plays swung the momentum toward Alabama for good
Alabama led 10-3 at halftime, but the lead felt anything but secure. Predictably, the Tide started slow in the second half, and LSU scored 10 unanswered points to take a 13-10 lead. It felt like Alabama was on the ropes, and the knockout punch was on the way.
A sputtering Alabama offense needed a spark. It got one with Keelon Russell hitting Rico Scott for a 57-yard catch-and-run.
Keelon Russell throws a beautiful pass to Rico Scott pic.twitter.com/ZvfDzuXqYx
— JAiHAWKFLY℠ (@JAiHAWKFLY) November 7, 2026
Four plays later, Russell hit a wide open Josh Ford for a touchdown to put Alabama back in the lead.
A few minutes later, Alabama's defense forced a three-and-out after an Alex Asparuhov punt pinned LSU inside their own 10-yard-line. Ryan Coleman-Williams took the ensuing punt back 32 yards down to the LSU 25-yard-line to set the Crimson Tide up with excellent field position and a chance to take a two-possession lead:
Ryan Coleman-Williams has some question marks in his profile but his short area quickness and decision-making while in the open field are unquestionable. pic.twitter.com/yEAfVBbfvM
— GameTapeGods (@GameTapeGods) November 7, 2026
The next offensive play, Russell threw a dime to Cederian Morgan for a touchdown to push Alabama's lead up to 24-13 with 9:44 to play:
Cederian Morgan hauls it in to put Bama up two scores vs. LSU 😤
— ESPN (@espn) November 7, 2026
Watch the fourth quarter of Alabama-LSU NOW on ABC and Disney+ 🍿 pic.twitter.com/PQufoWXgcT
2. Cederian Morgan needs more playing time
That was Morgan's second reception of the season. Both have gone for touchdowns. He caught a touchdown that sparked the Tide's rally against Florida State back in September, and then he got free for the TD on a beautiful dime from Russell to give Alabama separation against LSU.
Morgan was in at that point because Lotzeir Brooks had gotten banged up and exited the game.
But Morgan needs to be on the field more. He's too talented to keep riding the bench, and Alabama's receivers have consistently struggled in recent weeks to gain separation from DBs. Morgan doesn't appear to have that problem.
3. Keelon Russell avoided the catastrophic plays
It wasn't always pretty for Russell and the offense. Alabama punted five times and went three-and-out on four occasions. But as Nick Saban used to say, ending drives on a kick - be it an extra point or a punt - can be a win. You just have to avoid the catastrophic plays, which have plagued Russell, especially in the difficult road environments he's seen.
It didn't happen in Baton Rouge. Alabama avoided any turnovers while forcing two from LSU. That ended up being a pretty big deal.
Russell effectively managed the game, making the plays that were there to be made without being greedy. He finished 17-of-24 for 206 yards and three touchdowns, adding 25 yards on the ground.
He was exactly the guy Kalen DeBoer and the staff needed him to be.
4. Kane Wommack deserves his flowers
Kane Wommack has come under fire from fans a lot this season. Fans have questioned his defensive scheme and whether it could get the job done in this league. The book felt like it was out on Wommack as a play-caller.
But while LSU ended up with 457 yards of offense, that only resulted in 13 points. And that second number means a whole lot more than the first.
Alabama's defense stood tall every time it needed to. The pass rush wasn't perfect, but it was effective. Alabama sacked Sam Leavitt four times and made him frequently uncomfortable. They forced a turnover and held LSU to 5-of-14 on third down and 0-of-4 on fourth down.
There are still plenty of questions about this defense and Wommack's system in general, but he deserves praise for how his guys played in Baton Rouge.
5. Redzone execution was the difference in the game
The margins in the SEC are often razor-thin. You have to execute in the critical moments to win games. Alabama did that against LSU.
The difference in the game was the redzone. LSU made four trips inside the Tide's 20-yard-line and managed just one touchdown and 10 total points. On the flip side, Alabama's offense got into the LSU redzone three times and scored 21 points on those trips.
It started on the opening LSU drive, with the Tigers getting all the way down to the 5-yard-line before Alabama forced a field goal. Late in the second quarter, with Alabama leading 10-3, Kiffin chose to roll the dice on a 4th-and-4 from the 9-yard-line. Alabama forced an incomplete pass to turn the Tigers away.
Alabama gave up a redzone TD in the third quarter, but after they put the game away and led 31-13, they stopped LSU one more time in the red area for good measure.
Alabama's execution inside the 20s on both sides of the ball swung this game in its favor.
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