No. 5 Alabama is set to put its new top-five status on the line with a tough road trip to face an old rival, squaring off against No. 14 LSU on Saturday in Baton Rouge. This is the 91st meeting in the series, which is set to cycle off the SEC schedule in 2027, so look for plenty of extra juice from these two teams looking to land a punch with College Football Playoff implications.
The Crimson Tide's position at No. 5 in the first CFP Rankings provides a fascinating backdrop for Kalen DeBoer's squad, as they checked in noticeably higher than their standing in the AP Top 25 poll and the CBS Sports 138 (No. 9 in both) and now appear to have an inside track to making the 12-team bracket if they can win out. Of course, that challenge is made more difficult by the quality of an LSU team that has matched Alabama's record so far (6-2) and looks to finish strong in Year 1 of the Lane Kiffin era.
For Kiffin, the game also represents a chance to log his first win as a head coach against Alabama, the school where he won a national championship as an offensive coordinator in 2015. He's 0-5 across stops at Tennessee and Ole Miss, though each of those five meetings were against Nick Saban.
Keep it locked here as CBS Sports provides you with live updates, highlights and analysis as Alabama battles LSU on Saturday.
Lane Kiffin brought out all the stars for today's Tiger Walk. Kevin Costner, Shaq, Angel Reese and Paul Skenes were all among the luminaries that joined Kiffin and the team for the game day tradition in Baton Rouge.
No one in the SEC had a more productive passing attack in the month of October than LSU, which averaged 339.5 passing yards across all four games last month. The Tigers went 3-1 across those games, only losing to top-10 Kentucky by one point in Lexington on a walk-off two-point try. LSU now leads the SEC and ranks tied for 7th nationally on the season, averaging 318.0 passing yards per game, and the improvements have come with both Sam Leavitt's improved play and the emergence of Jackson Harris as a go-to receiver. A transfer from Hawaii, Harris played three whole games before scoring his first touchdown of the season but has exploded ever since with seven touchdown catches across the last five games. That includes four multiple-touchdown games and a yards-per-reception average (17.6) that ranks 4th among all SEC pass catchers.
With about 90 minutes to kickoff the betting odds on this game have settled in with LSU now listed a 6-point favorite and the total is now around 53.5. That's about a 30-24 implied score, which would be the closest Alabama-LSU game since the Tigers last win in the series, back in 2022 in overtime.
While the combination of LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt and Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell provides the potential for plenty of points, this game could end up being decided by both defenses. Alabama's offensive injuries have clearly limited their ability to execute on schedule, and LSU's defense represents the best test they've faced since the loss at Tennessee. In the same manner, LSU's pass attack could set them up for some of the turnovers that have powered Alabama's excellence this season (+7 turnover margin is tied for 11th nationally) and prevent touchdowns even after successful drives. All in all, it points to a lower-scoring classic, where I'll favor the home team to make big plays late. Pick: Under 52.5
Alabama has scored 17 or fewer points in back-to-back games against ranked teams for the 1st time since 2005-06. Those results, a 26-10 loss at Tennessee at a 20-17 loss to Georgia, have set the stage for a massive challenge against an LSU defense that has allowed a total of 17 points combined in each of its last two games.
The Crimson Tide hold a 58-27-5 advantage overall, but it's the 13-2 record in the past 15 meetings that has given them the upper hand in a battle between programs that would otherwise be considered peers. This is, after all, set to be the 25th time that both schools are inside the top 15 of the AP Top 25 poll and with Alabama's recent crowning as a top-five team in the College Football Playoff rankings, there's even more ranked-on-ranked intrigue. LSU is hoping that the home field advantage of Death Valley can play a role in the game, as the Tigers are 32-3 in their last 35 home games in Tiger Stadium.
- WR Ryan Coleman-Williams (ALA): Probable due to knee injury (Missed past 2 games)
Coleman-Williams underwent arthroscopic knee surgery to repair meniscus injury earlier this season. At the time of the injury, he was the team leader in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.
- OC Racin Delgatty (ALA): Probable due to lower-leg injury (Missed past 2 games)
Delgatty's injury has lined up with a steep drop-off in rushing production from the Crimson Tide offense. His replacement has been a true freshman (Mal Waldrep) and the line has missed Delgatty's experience up front.
- LG Williams Sanders (ALA): Questionable due to lower-body injury sustained in last game
A starter in every game this season at left tackle, Sanders was injured last time out in the win against Texas A&M.
- CB Zabien Brown (ALA): Questionable due to undisclosed injury (Missed past 2 games)
The Alabama starter is one of the best players in the secondary but has not returned to action since getting injured against Georgia in Week 6.
When Alabama hired Kalen DeBoer away from Washington to take over in Tuscaloosa after Nick Saban's retirement, his track record as a big-time, high-leverage coach met the demands of the job. Since Alabama is almost always playing in high-pressure games against quality opponents, the school needed to know that Saban's successor would be ready for those moments. Currently, DeBoer is 21-8 against AP-ranked teams as a head coach, which is the fourth-best record in AP poll history with a minimum of 20 games coached (.724 winning percentage). His company on that list, for those unaware, is one spot behind Urban Meyer (.746) and one spot ahead of Kirby Smart (.710). DeBoer has also won eight straight games after a bye, with the last defeat in this spot coming in 2020 as the head coach of Fresno State.
