Lane Kiffin is a good coach. Until the end in Tuscaloosa, he gave Alabama a much-needed offensive boost. His is skillful at gaining attention. He is also a whiner. His whining has been on full throttle for days.
Kiffin chided SEC leadership when the Nov. 7 game was announced to have an afternoon start. Kiffin said the SEC would never do LSU any favors and implied the start time was a slap aimed at him. Kiffin can't be blamed for wanting the added edge of a Saturday night kickoff. But whining about the slight was disingenuous. Kiffin knows that TV networks choose kickoff times, not the SEC.
What else will Kiffin whine about? Even though his defensive star, Whit Weeks, is expected to return, Kiffin will claim LSU is the most injury-depleted team. After LSU destroyed Auburn, Kiffin claimed he pulled Trey'Dez Green out of the game because Auburn was trying to injure him. Green was not 100% after missing four games with a sprained knee. Kiffin will emphasize that other players are out for the season and that neither Green nor Weeks will be at 100%.
Unlike Kiffin whiny claims, Kalen DeBoer will underplay the Crimson Tide's injury problems. Although it might be true, DeBoer would never say that Alabama will have more players at less than 100% than LSU will.
What will happen on Nov. 7
No one can argue that Saturday nights at Tiger Stadium are not great theatre. Alabama football players have observed the spectacle for decades, and still Alabama has three times more away wins against LSU than away losses.
Darkness will descend on Baton Rouge in the game's second half. Sunset is projected at 5:12 PM CST, and a voice through the stadium speakers can then ominously proclaim, "Ladies and Gentlemen, the sun has found its home in the western sky, it is now Saturday night in Tiger Stadium."
Let's be honest. Anyone who claims to know 100% how the game will turn out is a liar. Computer models will favor LSU. Most college football experts will predict Alabama to lose. Either team can win.
There's a best and a worst for the Crimson Tide after the Alabama vs. LSU game. The best, of course, would be an Alabama win, which would make the Crimson Tide a Playoff near-lock. In my opinion, the worst result from an LSU win would be Alabama fans complaining that Greg Byrne should have hired Kiffin.
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