What did you think of that standout performance from the Crimson Tide? Alabama dominated in all three phases against LSU on Saturday, downing the SEC’s last remaining unbeaten to gain control of its destiny entering the home stretch.

RELATED: Reaction: Tide delivers flurry of haymakers, downs Tigers

5 TAKEAWAYS

1. Alabama Football, as a national powerhouse, retained serious momentum: Where’s the crowd that complained about Alabama’s No. 4 ranking in last week’s initial College Football Playoff Poll? Crickets. There’s a reason Nick Saban has won four national titles in the SEC, including three in Tuscaloosa since 2009: in big games, the Tide rarely disappoints.

Since falling to Ole Miss in September, Alabama has steadily improved as one of the nation’s most consistent teams, and Saturday’s win was another signature stamp toward its goal of reaching the final four. Fueled by a dominant power run game and a suffocating physical defense, the championship formula is in place for Saban.

2. Tide’s defense shoved Leonard Fournette off the Heisman podium: Fueled by the noise surrounding college football’s best back, Alabama’s front seven seemed to take it personal every time No. 7 touched the football between the tackles. Fournette rarely found room to operate and was often brought to the ground by a feeding frenzy of sharks anticipating his next move.

LSU’s offensive line was whipped at the point of attack, leading to Fournette’s ineffective outing. His “Heisman moment” never came to fruition during a night of serious frustration.

3. Extra week of preparation was extremely beneficial to one team and not the other: Did anyone else have the impression that LSU was never quite there offensively? Alabama was hungry throughout, magnified early when the Tigers suffered 3-and-outs on two of their first three possessions. Outside of Brandon Harris’ 40-yard strike to Travin Dural for LSU’s first points in the second quarter, there wasn’t much to cheer about for a team that looked one step behind throughout Saturday’s showdown.

4. Derrick Henry, as a second half locomotive, was relentless: Henry showed up for the heavyweight fight with gloves off, ready to fight. His counterpart, however? He never came to the ring.

Henry’s 210-yard explosion was his finest hour, pushing his way through the heart of LSU’s front seven with grit and determination. Even when the Tigers had the nearly 250-pound back wrapped up, Henry would push forward for an extra 2-3 yards. It takes that kind of effort to knock off an unbeaten.

Henry carried it 10 times on Alabama’s final possession alone, rushing for 78 yards against an LSU defense running on empty. The soul-crushing drive that spanned 9:18 ended in the victory formation.

5. LSU in odd predicament with title seemingly out of reach: With three games left against SEC West rivals and needing help to win the division, have the Tigers reached the ceiling in 2015? Even at 10-1, chances are slim LSU is voted into the Playoff at season’s end. The Tigers had the nation’s lowest “win-out” probability for any of the remaining unbeatens heading into Week 10 and the gauntlet proved as much in Tuscaloosa. For now, finishing November on a three-game win streak assures LSU of a New Year’s Six berth.

REPORT CARD

Offense: (A-) – Did you like the Tide’s decision to put 300-pound defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson in the backfield during short-yardage situations? That’s unfair. It won’t show up in the box score, but Jake Coker made several throws on third down, including a memorable completion over the middle to Calvin Ridley in the second half, that extended drives for the Tide and led to points. Mario Cristobal injected Alabama’s offensive line with a dose of rivalry testosterone and it showed during one of this unit’s most complete outings.

Defense: (A-) – This game tape, rich with noticeable push at the line of scrimmage and several head-to-head collisions with Fournette, will be one Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart watches for years to come. The Tide’s effort after intermission was championship-level with LSU’s only points coming on a short field following a fumble recovery.

Special teams: (A) — Kicker Adam Griffith was precise, making all three of his field goal attempts, including a 55-yarder. It was the first time the junior from Calhoun, Ga., made at least kicks in a game since last season’s opener vs. West Virginia. Tony Brown’s impressive tackle on Derrius Guice in the second half was a fitting exclamation point to a near perfect effort on special teams for the Tide.

Coaching: (A) — Close to the Georgia game from a flawless preparation perspective, Alabama showcased an ability to appear elite once more on the grand stage, shredding the league’s front-runner with precise effectiveness. Saban and Smart came up with an excellent plan defensively to keep Fournette in check as the Tigers were forced to rely on rare breakdowns in coverage for big plays. And when the opportunity was there to deliver the dagger, Alabama responded with clutch, point-producing possessions.

Overall: (A) — Straight A’s. How’s that for Alabama’s report card after the SEC’s game of the year? There wasn’t much to complain about during arguably Alabama’s most complete performance of the season, a clinic on winning 1-on-1 battles and, as Saban would say, finishing your assignment.

The Tide offense stayed on the field, disrupted any rhythm that LSU hoped to establish offensively and seemed to follow every counter-punch with jaw-numbing haymakers throughout the second half.

Alabama was well-prepared and it showed. From a national perspective in the elite teams conversation, we should categorize this win as one of college football’s most impressive this fall.

GAME PLAN

• One of Lane Kiffin’s finest performances as the Tide’s offensive coordinator, Alabama held the football nearly 40 minutes thanks to an array of well-executed calls that left LSU’s athletic defense on its heels. Coker completed 18-of-24 passes, the Tide converted 7-of-15 times on third down and Kenyan Drake provided the ideal compliment to Henry with 108 yards on total offense on 13 touches. Spreading the wealth was key and Kiffin’s direction paid dividends for the Tide.

GAME BALLS

RB Derrick Henry: Alabama’s wrecking ball of a running back lowered his shoulder a career-high 38 times for 210 yards and three touchdowns, taking the SEC lead for trips to the end zone in the process. Henry did a lose a fumble that led to an LSU touchdown in the fourth quarter, but by that point, the damage was already done.

LB Dillon Lee: The senior linebacker contributed arguably the game’s most important play, picking off Brandon Harris on LSU’s first possession of the third quarter on an errant throw to a tight end. It was the Tigers’ first giveaway through the air this season, the last college football team to hold that impressive distinction. Lee added a sack and his solo tackle behind the line of scrimmage nearly counted for a safety.