From College Football News
From College Football News
SEC Game of the Week
LSU (7-1) at Alabama (6-2) 5:00 PM CBS
Why to watch: It's Nick Saban against his old program, it's LSU getting back on the field after an alleged bar fight involving backup QB Ryan Perrilloux and LB Derrick Odom, and oh yeah, and there are the SEC West and national title implications. LSU remains No. 3 in the BCS ranking as it sits and waits for Ohio State and/or Boston College to screw up, but it about more than that. With an unbeaten Arizona State still out there, Oregon starting to get more respect, and a slew of other teams in the mix, LSU doesn't just have to win, it has to win impressively. Style points might be the furthest thing from LSU's mind as it has to deal with an Alabama team able to take control of the West with a win. Beat LSU, and it'll take just one more SEC win for the Tide to play for the championship. LSU has won the last four in the series and six of the last seven. Alabama hasn't beaten the Tigers at home since 1999.
Why LSU might win: Can Bama keep John Parker Wilson upright? The Tide offensive line has been great at times, but it's given up its share of sacks and has gotten Wilson battered around a little bit. Ole Miss, particularly Greg Hardy, was able to do whatever it wanted when it came to getting into the backfield, and LSU should have similar success. Defensively, Bama has faced two teams, Arkansas and Houston, that can run. The Hogs rumbled for 301 yards and two touchdowns, and the Cougars got a 100-yard day out of Anthony Alridge. Even though LSU can run, with the second best ground attack in the SEC, it'll have a few issues since ...
Why Alabama might win: ... Perrilloux isn't going to play thanks to team-imposed suspension. He might just be a backup, but he's a dimension the Tide would rather not have to deal with. LSU, for all its hype and statistics, haven't been as strong defensively as the numbers appear. Kentucky was the first balances offense the Tigers faced, and it was able to crank out 375 yards and the win. Auburn only got 296 yards, but its average attack was able to move when it had to. Alabama has been fine when its back has been against the wall, coming through clutch on both sides of the ball in several close wins. As long as there's a bit of offensive balance, and as long as the turnovers are kept to a bare minimum, the Tide is good enough to pull this off.
Who to watch: Saban and Miles. The coaches have played down the obvious storyline this week, but it hasn't worked out well with both campuses and both teams buzzing. Saban has said all the right things and isn't playing up the importance of facing his old program any more than this just being a really big game, but that's simply not true. A win over LSU wouldn't just bring Bama to the doorstep of winning the West, it would show that in just one year, Saban has shifted the West's balance of power away from LSU; the Tide will only be getting better. For Miles, this is a must-win if only to keep the still uncertain fan base believing that he's the man who can lead the program to a national title like Saban did. Woe to anyone who criticizes Miles, the LSU fans will rally, but he's constantly having to prove himself. Beating Saban should go a long way to cementing him as a championship-worthy coach.
What will happen: It'll be a dead-even game for about 50 minutes, and then LSU's running game will start to pound away and take over. And then the Tide passing game will wake up. After struggling all game long, Bama's receivers will start to beat the LSU corners late and take the lead. LSU will have one final chance, and unlike the Auburn game, won't come through.
CFN Prediction: Alabama 23 ... LSU 20 ... Line: LSU -7.5
