The Playoff doesn’t officially expand until next season, but the Alabama Crimson Tide are already getting a taste of what that scenario could feel like. Since dropping a Week 2 contest to Texas, the Tide have been in a “must-win” situation since. Another loss, and the Playoff is out the window.

Last year, it was LSU that drove that final nail in Alabama’s Playoff coffin with a heart-stopping 32-31 overtime victory at Tiger Stadium. Saturday will be the Tide’s opportunity for revenge when they host LSU at Bryant-Denny, where Alabama has won 4 of the past 5 meetings with the Bayou Bengals.

Alabama is an early 4.5-point favorite. Here are 5 keys to taming those Tigers and continuing Alabama’s run to the SEC West title and beyond.

1. Contain Jayden Daniels

This one’s pretty obvious. Daniels is the straw that stirs the LSU offense. It’s an offense that leads not only the SEC but the nation, averaging 553 yards per game. And Daniels has accounted for 70 percent of that, passing for an average of 321.6 yards per outing while adding 65.13 rushing yards per contest.

So containing him is clearly the main objective of an emerging Alabama defense that hasn’t allowed more than 2 TDs since the loss to Texas. That was 6 games ago, and it has come against some pretty decent offenses in Ole Miss, Texas A&M and Tennessee.

Of course, they’re nothing like what the Tide defense will be up against on Saturday. But at the same time, it’s a defense that keeps getting better and better with each passing week.

On the flip side, Alabama’s will be the best defense the Tigers have faced since their embarrassing defeat to Florida State in the season opener. It was a game in which Daniels turned in his lowest completion percentage rate (59.5 on 22-for-37) and fewest TD passes (1) and threw 1 of his 3 interceptions this season.

If the Tide can contain at least similarly — which they certainly have the ability to do, with their stellar D-line and elite LBs — they could make things very uncomfortable for Daniels and the Tigers.

2. Jalen Milroe’s accuracy

This will be another major key when you consider how many opportunities Milroe will have to complete passes. Why? Because the LSU secondary, and in particular its corners, are putrid by any major college standard.

There were already major questions at the position before the season started. But since then, the Tigers have lost all 4 corner transfers that head coach Brian Kelly brought in to help alleviate the problem. So for Saturday, LSU is down to moving a safety to corner or playing 2 true freshmen.

That means that Milroe will likely be looking at wide-open receivers Jermaine Burton and Isaiah Bond as well as TE Amari Niblack, among others. Whomever head coach Nick Saban and OC Tommy Rees decide to put out there will likely find open space against this secondary.

Getting them the ball has sometimes been difficult. So Alabama will need to see the Milroe accuracy against Ole Miss (17-for-21, 81 percent) rather than the inaccuracy against Arkansas (10-for-21, 47.6 percent) if it is to be successful.

3. Taking care of the football

The last thing Alabama needs to do is give LSU extra possessions. Taking care of the football will be critical, and that begins with Milroe.

The Alabama defense has come away with 10 takeaways over 8 games. That’s not a lot, but it’s not bad, either. However, Milroe has thrown 5 interceptions and Alabama has turned it over 8 times. That’s 1 per game, and that’s too many.

If Milroe can throw to the crimson jerseys and keep it away from the white jerseys, he should have a field day against that secondary.

4. Run game

While the passing game will take center stage for both teams with chunk plays to be expected with regularity, it’s the run game that could very well turn out to be the deciding factor. If Alabama can take advantage of LSU’s 2nd-to-worst run defense in the SEC, the Tide could possess the ball enough to keep Daniels and the Tigers’ offense off the field and frustrated.

Among SEC teams, only Vanderbilt has yielded more yards on the ground than has LSU this season. Senior RB Jase McClellan and Co. must take advantage.

Of course, that means the OL needs to step up and road grade a bad LSU defense in the trenches. That’s not asking a lot, but the Alabama OL has had its share of inconsistencies this season. Here’s a chance to get right.

5. 2nd-half adjustments

Second-half adjustments have been key this season in rallying past Ole Miss, Texas A&M and, most recently, Tennessee. Credit the coaching staff for recognizing the changes necessary. While you don’t want to fall behind to this LSU team — especially by the count of 33-13, like in 2019 against Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow and LSU’s eventual national championship team — it’s at least somewhat comforting to know that if it should happen, meaningful halftime adjustments will most certainly be forthcoming.

By contrast, LSU got smoked in the 2nd half in its loss to FSU, getting outscored 31-7 over the final 2 periods.