Alabama head coach Nick Saban is talking up LSU ahead of the top-ranked Crimson Tide’s battle against the No. 19 Tigers at home on Saturday.

“This is a very, very good LSU team,” Saban said at his Monday press conference. “LSU has gotten better as the season has gone on. Probably the worst thing that happened for all of us in the SEC is when they lost to Troy.

“They really have made a turnaround as a team, which I think speaks volumes of the coaching staff and the job Ed Orgeron has done there to get the players to recenter, refocus and work on improving,” Saban added. “They have been very productive since that time, and they are playing very well as a team.”

Saban went on to mention that LSU has done a great job of taking care of the ball on offense and limiting turnovers this season. He also commended the Tigers’ ability to run the ball, their defense and their “team speed” on special teams.

“All around, I think this is probably the best team we’ve played to this point in the season,” Saban noted. “Especially the way they are playing right now. This will certainly be the most challenging game that we’ve had to this point.”

Alabama and LSU kick off from Bryant-Denny Stadium at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.