In Tuscaloosa on Saturday, LSU fans will get their first taste of life post-Brian Kelly. Will the Tigers, who have lost 3 of their last 4, show a bit more fight after their leader was dismissed?
Rece Davis thinks so.
On Thursday, Davis and ESPN reporter Pete Thamel handed out their picks for the weekend on the College GameDay Podcast. Thamel said the Crimson Tide will roll the visitors. Davis agreed with Thamel when it came to the end result, but he said he thinks LSU will be more spirited than it was when it last took the field against Texas A&M.
“I do think LSU will probably play its most inspired game in weeks,” Davis said. “This would be maybe not a season-saver but it would certainly be something that could put some salve on the numerous wounds that the Tigers have endured. … They’ve been doing some things that they haven’t done recently when Brian Kelly was in charge. So, I think you’re going to see a team that comes out and tries to make a physical statement.
“But, I’ll go Ty Simpson, those receivers, and the defense creating enough negative plays for Alabama to get out with a win.”
Alabama has won 4 of the last 5 meetings with LSU, and 12 of 14 dating back to the 2012 BCS National Championship game. Last year’s result, a 42-13 beatdown in Baton Rouge, was the worst loss of the Kelly era.
Despite Alabama coming into the game ranked No. 4 in the nation, the Tigers are expected to be a bit more competitive. They’re a 10-point underdog, per the latest odds from BetMGM.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
