LSU Wire Roundtable: Predictions for Week 10 battle vs. No. 6 Alabama
Year 1 on the bayou has been an unquestioned success so far for coach Brian Kelly.
His LSU Tigers are 6-2 (4-1 SEC) entering the month of November and hold a share of first place in the SEC West. However, things can go from good to great on Saturday when the No. 6 Alabama Crimson Tide comes to town with a spot in Atlanta likely on the line.
Newly christened with a top-10 ranking, courtesy of the College Football Playoff Committee, LSU will look to pull off a major upset in Week 10 and earn just its second win over ‘Bama since 2011 (and first since 2019).
With the stakes clear, here’s how our staff sees this one playing out.
Tyler Nettuno, Editor
Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images
I think this Alabama team looks a bit more vulnerable than I expected heading into the year. The defense is slightly underachieving given the talent, and the offense, while explosive, doesn’t have as many weapons to keep track of as it did last season. This is certainly the closest the rivalry has been since LSU’s last win in 2019.
With that being said, I hesitate to pick the upset. LSU’s offense is dependable, but it’s not nearly as explosive as the Tennessee unit that gave Alabama fits. Meanwhile, the Tigers were entirely outclassed in their matchup against the Vols, though they were banged up and have improved since then.
I expect a relatively close and high-scoring game, but I don’t think this team is quite ready to win a game like this.
Prediction: Alabama 38, LSU 28
Kyle Richardson, Staff Writer
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Saturday night in Death Valley, the place where dreams come to die. LSU has a dream of being the best team in the SEC West this season. I think the Tigers come up short against Alabama.
Prediction: Alabama 35, LSU 28
Will Rosenblatt, Staff Writer
Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images
LSU is playing with house money on Saturday. Nobody thought LSU in the month of November would be just one win away from controlling the SEC West. But to say “just one win” might be selling it short.
The No. 6 Crimson Tide are coming to town. In the last decade, LSU’s beaten Alabama just once. LSU once again finds itself as a double-digit underdog against the Tide, something the Tigers have come accustomed to in recent years. LSU’s put up a fight in some of those situations and almost pulled off the win last year.
I think we’ll see something similar, although there will be more points than the 34 total that was posted in Tuscaloosa in 2021. LSU starts fast and finishes fast, but I think Alabama keeps up with the Tigers the whole way. Brian Kelly has LSU trending up, but I don’t see the Tigers taking down the Tide just yet.
Prediction: Alabama 34, LSU 27
Patrick Conn, College Wire Regional Editor
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
This has been a series dominated by the Tide since the 2012 BCS title game with the exception of 2019’s 46-41 victory in Tuscaloosa for the Bayou Bengals. This team is due for another victory over Alabama.
Wishful thinking doesn’t do much when the lights come on and the game kicks off. However, this LSU team feels like they are hitting their stride, especially in the second half of games. I feel like the Tigers led by [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] can create some havoc for the Crimson Tide defense. Kayshon Boutte finally has a breakout game and BJ Ojulari gets to Bryce Young a couple of times.
Prediction: LSU 34, Alabama 31
X-Factors: [autotag]Kayshon Boutte[/autotag], [autotag]BJ Ojulari[/autotag]
Composite Prediction
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
As you can see, Patrick was the only one of us bold enough to pick the upset. LSU has made tremendous strides in Year 1 under Kelly, and a win over the Crimson Tide would be the icing on the cake. But overall, we don’t think this team is quite ready to beat one of the most talented squads in the country.
Prediction: Alabama 35, LSU 29
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