Get ready, DBU.

LSU likes to call itself DBU – short for Defensive Back University.

It’s a well-earned nickname, because a lot of top-flight defensive backs have graduated from the Tigers’ football program.

Patrick Peterson. Tyrann Mathieu. Jamal Adams. Tre’Davious White. Eric Reid. Morris Claiborne. Jalen Mills. Donte Jackson.

The current class at DBU is rather exceptional itself. Cornerback Greedy Williams is projected to be a high first-round draft choice if he leaves DBU early to turn pro after this season. Safety Grant Delpit arguably has been the best player on the LSU defense this season.

And here comes Alabama.

You don’t get to call yourself DBU because you shut down Mississippi State’s passing game or because you intercept Ole Miss’ or Florida’s quarterback.

You get to call yourself DBU because you rise up and play at an elite level on the biggest stages against the most challenging competition.

Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

This is as big a stage as you can get during the regular season. No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 LSU. Control of the SEC West and a CFP berth on the line. Prime-time national TV.

And the competition doesn’t get any more challenging, either.

When we think of Alabama football, we’re programmed to think of a stifling defense and a punishing running game behind a physical offensive line. And this Crimson Tide team will bring both of those elements into Tiger Stadium on Saturday night.

But this team doesn’t just have an efficient passing game that can complement those other elements – as other Alabama teams have had. This team has a passing game that’s every bit the equal of the defense and the running game, which is one of the reasons why the Tide has been rolling with such lopsided scores.

Alabama leads the nation in passing efficiency (226.29) and yards per pass attempt (13.11). It’s ranked fifth with 2,779 yards and an average of 347.4 yards, a stat made even more impressive by the fact that the Tide has rarely needed to utilize the passing game to any significant degree in the second half of games.

But most impressive of all is the fact that Tua Tagovailoa has thrown 25 touchdown passes and zero interceptions.

So Williams, Delpit and company will have their hands full trying to slow down the Alabama passing game, let alone trying to get an interception, which would certainly come in handy in this game.

Another element of the Tide’s passing game that makes it so difficult to defend is that it has a handful of receivers that are roughly equally productive.

Throw in tight end Irv Smith Jr. with wide receivers Jerry Jeudy, Jaylen Waddle, Henry Ruggs III and DeVonta Smith and Alabama has five pass catchers who have at least 21 catches, at least 384 yards, an average of at least 17.5 yards per catch and at least 3 touchdowns.

Jeudy is the main guy – 31 catches, 777 yards, 25.1 yards per catch and 10 touchdowns – so he’ll likely draw the most attention from Williams.

But as Greedy as he might be, Williams can’t guard all of them, and neither can he and Delpit as a tandem. It’s going to take a group effort to slow down the Tide passing game.

That means cornerbacks Kristian Fulton, Kary Vincent Jr., Terrence Alexander and Kelvin Joseph as well as safeties John Battle IV, Ed Paris, JaCoby Stevens and Todd Harris Jr. will be called on to help Williams and Delpit.

That might sound like a lot of defensive backs to be counting on, but DBU has plenty on hand.