Chaos is brewing down in Tuscaloosa. Bryant-Denny Stadium will be sold out when the nation’s top programs square off this Saturday at 3:30 pm. The #1 LSU Tigers travel to Alabama to take on the #2 ranked Crimson Tide; Both teams come into the weekend without a blemish on their record, looking to continue their success. Both SEC rivals control their own destiny, a win will keep their hopes alive, a loss could easily end their dreams altogether.

After a few disappointing seasons in Baton Rouge, head coach Ed Orgeron has secured his job with the way his Tigers have been performing. The team is off to a great start, winning its first eight games with key wins over Texas and Florida. 

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Leading the way for LSU is Heisman candidate, Joe Burrow. Burrow transferred to Death Valley a season ago from Ohio State. After securing the starting job, the QB did not set the world on fire, lacking to produce the big plays the team needed. In his first season as a starter, he posted only 23 total touchdowns in 13 games. This season Burrow has transformed himself into one of the nation’s top players, throwing for 30 touchdowns and running for another 3 in just eight games. The senior signal-caller is by far the best quarterback to play for the Tigers since Jamarcus Russell. 

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 LSU has been one of the most complete teams this season, scoring on average 46.8 points per game (4th best in the country), while only surrendering 20.0 points per game (23rd best in the country). The Tiger’s look to continue their dominance on Saturday and keep their undefeated season alive.

On the other side of the field, Alabama looks to keep its on-going success against the Tigers, eyeing their 9th consecutive win in as many seasons. Every year Bama is expected to be one of the country’s top teams and this year is no different. They come into this matchup ranked second, while also carrying an undefeated record.

  • (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

  Just like the Tigers, the Crimson Tide is also led by their field-general, Tua Tagovailoa. The Hawaiian native is a Heisman candidate, said by most to be the front runner for the award. The dynamic playmaker is no stranger to the spotlight, winning a national championship as a freshman

Tua is said to be a “game-time” decision after recently undergoing a procedure on his ankle. Tagovailoa suffered a high ankle sprain on October 19th against Tennesee and has not played since. Without their proven leader, Alabama may be vulnerable on the offensive side of the ball. Besides the Quarterback, the Tide’s offense is still full of star power headlined by projected top 5 pick, wide receiver Jerry Jeudy. Juedy and his blistering speed must be slowed down if the Tigers even want a chance to win. 

 Dominating the opposition is an understatement, the undefeated Crimson Tide has yet to play in a game decided by less than 19 points. Alabama has been even more impressive than LSU, only giving up 15.2 points per game (9th in the nation), while scoring 48.6 points per game (2nd in the country) but their resume lacks a big win. 

The whole college football world will have their eyes on this game. Saturday’s matchup very well may determine the playoff picture. The winner likely will be the number one seed come January, barring any upset. The loser will join the crowded pack of one-loss teams that find themselves on the outside looking in, such as Oklahoma, Georgia, Oregon, and Utah. The loser must have a flawless end of the season to even sniff the playoff.

The bad blood and implications make this a must-watch. Both teams will be fighting to stay atop the rankings. Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide come in as 6.5 point favorites and are given a 71.9 chance to win according to ESPN’s Football Power Index, but this one should be a little more difficult for the home team than those odds. Saturday will be the best matchup we have seen this season, with plenty of next-level talent on the field neither team should disappoint.

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