On a November night in Baton Rouge, before more than 100,000 people at Tiger Stadium, Alabama pulled away from LSU 31-13, and a season's arithmetic shifted for both programs. Alabama's defense, long the subject of a week's doubt over its ranking, held the Tigers to a single touchdown in four trips inside the red zone, a reminder that games are often decided less by yards than by what happens near the goal line. For LSU, a costly outlay and a fanbase's hope for a turning point now sit against three losses and a narrow path forward. What Alabama has proven is still an open question, and the week
Alabama Routs LSU 31-13 in Baton Rouge, Leaving Lane Kiffin 0-6 Against the Tide and LSU's Playoff Hopes Shaky
A massive slice of humble pie served in front of 100,000 fans
Mark
Why does this game matter beyond the score?
Mimi
Alabama had spent the week defending a No. 5 ranking, and LSU had spent over $40 million on its roster. The result tested both stories at once.
Mark
What actually decided it?
Mimi
The second half. Alabama scored 21 unanswered points, and LSU got only one touchdown on four red zone trips.
Luke
Worth noting this is an opinion column. Lines like Alabama having finally pieced it together are the author's read, not a measured fact.
Mark
Fair. What about Keelon Russell?
Mimi
Three touchdowns and over 200 yards passing as a freshman, with Ryan Grubb calling the offense.
Luke
The column also suggests the return of Ryan Coleman-Williams and other starters might explain the improvement. It says maybe. That's speculation, not confirmed cause.
Mark
And LSU's playoff chances?
Mimi
Three losses and Texas coming to Baton Rouge next. The writer calls it a thread.
Luke
The claim that Texas will be healthier and the LSU offense can't keep up is the author's judgment. The piece gives no injury report or statistics to back it.
Mimi
What is solid is the 31-13 final and Kiffin's 0-6 record against Alabama.
Il Polso
- Alabama's defense silenced the crowd after a week of doubt over its No. 5 ranking, scoring 21 unanswered second-half points to take control.
- LSU moved the ball all night but kept stalling in the red zone, leaving Lane Kiffin fuming on the sideline through the third and fourth quarters.
- Freshman Keelon Russell threw three touchdowns and over 200 yards, while returning starters gave Alabama a more complete look.
- LSU drops to three losses with its playoff hopes hanging by a thread, facing a home game against a healthier Texas next week.
- Alabama now has until selection Sunday to prove this win was the start of a run, not a single night.
On a November night in Baton Rouge, before more than 100,000 people at Tiger Stadium, Alabama pulled away from LSU 31-13, and a season's arithmetic shifted for both programs. Alabama's defense, long the subject of a week's doubt over its ranking, held the Tigers to a single touchdown in four trips inside the red zone, a reminder that games are often decided less by yards than by what happens near the goal line. For LSU, a costly outlay and a fanbase's hope for a turning point now sit against three losses and a narrow path forward. What Alabama has proven is still an open question, and the weeks before selection Sunday will show whether this night was a declaration or a single good evening.
On Saturday night in Baton Rouge, in front of more than 100,000 people at Tiger Stadium, Alabama beat LSU 31-13 and left a home crowd quiet. The Crimson Tide's defense did much of the work, holding the Tigers to one touchdown on four trips inside the red zone.
The win came at the end of a week of criticism for Alabama, whose No. 5 placement in the first College Football Playoff rankings had drawn debate, especially against Tennessee, which had beaten them head-to-head. LSU arrived with its own weight: more than $40 million spent on a transfer-portal roster and fans who believed Lane Kiffin was turning a corner. Instead the Tigers face three losses and a thin playoff path.
The game turned after halftime, when Alabama scored 21 unanswered points. LSU kept moving the ball, but the yardage kept failing to become points. Freshman Keelon Russell gave the Tide the night they needed, with three touchdowns and more than 200 yards, and the return of several starters helped Alabama look more whole.
LSU now turns to a home game against Texas, and the question for both teams is what this night really means. Alabama has the weeks before selection Sunday to show it was the start of something.
On Saturday night in Baton Rouge, in front of more than 100,000 people at Tiger Stadium, Alabama beat LSU 31-13 and left a home crowd quiet. The Crimson Tide's defense did much of the work, holding the Tigers to a single touchdown on four trips inside the red zone.
The result dropped Lane Kiffin to 0-6 against Alabama as a head coach. It also landed at the end of a week in which Alabama had been taking criticism from around the country. The College Football Playoff committee's first rankings, released Tuesday, placed the Tide fifth. That put them eight spots ahead of No. 13 Tennessee, even though the Volunteers had won the head-to-head game in Knoxville last month. Much of the week's debate centered on that gap, and on whether Alabama under Kalen DeBoer had found a clear identity.
LSU came in with a different kind of attention. The program spent more than $40 million assembling its roster this season, bringing in a group of stars through the transfer portal. Its fans, by this account, believed Kiffin was turning a corner. Instead the Tigers now enter the second weekend of November with three losses and their playoff hopes hanging by a thread.
The turning point came after halftime. Alabama scored 21 unanswered points, and the Tigers, who were still in the game during the third quarter, could not answer. The columnist behind the piece notes that LSU did move the ball, but yardage kept failing to become points. Alabama's bend-but-don't-break approach in the red zone left Kiffin shrugging in frustration on the sideline through the third and fourth quarters.
On offense, freshman quarterback Keelon Russell had the night the Tide needed, throwing for three touchdowns and more than 200 yards. Offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb gave him the plan to do it. The piece also points to the return of Ryan Coleman-Williams and several other starters on both sides of the ball as a possible reason Alabama looked more complete than it had earlier in the season.
The pregame scene around LSU drew its own mention. Olivia Dunne and Paul Skenes joined Kiffin on the Tiger Walk, which the writer says made for strong social media content. But he argues that being beaten in the trenches by a team that had been picked apart all week will not sit well in Baton Rouge. The piece is an opinion column, and that verdict is the author's own.
Next up for LSU is a home game against Texas, coached by Steve Sarkisian. The author sees little in Saturday's offensive performance to suggest the Tigers can handle a Texas defense expected to be healthier by then. LSU still has a mathematical path to the playoff, but it is a narrow one.
For Alabama, the question now is whether this was a one-night statement or the start of a run. The Tide have the weeks leading up to selection Sunday to answer it.
Citazioni salienti
Alabama made a massive statement during a week in which the country questioned how good it was.— Fox News opinion column
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