LSU is a dangerous opponent for Alabama football this weekend.
They have nothing to lose. Alabama has everything.
The Tigers are all but eliminated in the race for the SEC Championship and the College Football Playoff. Alabama is in the driver's seat for both. It's been a lost season in Baton Rouge, one that cost Brian Kelly his job, but they could salvage some of it by playing spoiler and handing the hated Crimson Tide a devastating loss.
Alabama will have to prepare for all the variables. LSU interim head coach Frank Wilson may even make a QB change. There will be curveballs. Trick plays. The kitchen sink will be hurled from the LSU sideline.
Despite the odd lack of hype surrounding an Alabama/LSU game, this is still a losable game for the Crimson Tide. Kalen DeBoer knows he'll have to have the team ready for a four-quarter fight.
With a new coach, a new play caller on offense, and potentially a new QB, there's a chance things could get weird on Saturday night in Bryant-Denny Stadium, according to ESPN's Bill Connelly.
"The offense, now coordinated by former Florida State OC Alex Atkins, could benefit from the element of surprise, not to mention a week of rest for consistently battered quarterback Garrett Nussmeier," Connelly writes. "If the Tigers land some early haymakers, this could get weird."
Alabama will have to withstand an early LSU fury and make sound in-game adjustments
Fortunately for Alabama, DC Kane Wommack has proven to be pretty good at making adjustments in-game this season. If LSU starts hot, it wouldn't exactly be abnormal for the Crimson Tide.
Alabama allowed opening drive touchdowns to Vanderbilt and Missouri to fall behind 7-0 early. It also allowed a lengthy opening drive to South Carolina two weeks ago, but held the Gamecocks to just a field goal.
The greatest strength for this Alabama team is its ability not to get rattled. It has proven it can play from behind. It has proven it can hang on in close games, too.
Alabama rallied from eight points down late in the fourth quarter to beat South Carolina two weeks ago. The Crimson Tide is 3-0 in one-score games this year. All of their close games, however, have come on the road. Playing at home has been a different story.
This will be Alabama's fourth home game of the season against a Power Four opponent. It has won the previous three by an average margin of 19 points per game, and all of them have been by multiple scores.
Alabama is also 3-0 under DeBoer coming off a bye week. Most notably, for this game, was last year's thorough demolition of LSU in Baton Rouge after the bye.
So while this game could get weird, no doubt, chances are it'll end like the last seven games have for Alabama: with a Tide victory.