Ad Disclosure
In this week’s upset alert, College Football Playoff contender Alabama plays the first of three nationally-ranked challenges against Western Division rivals over the season’s final four-week stretch where a single blemish will derail the Crimson Tide’s chances of a national championship:
No. 4 ALABAMA at No. 14 LSU, 8 p.m. ET, CBS — Death Valley’s already chewed up and spit out one SEC Western Division contender earlier this season, so why not another? One of the league’s best rivalries is renewed tonight under the lights at Tiger Stadium in a contest which could be a Playoff eliminator for the Crimson Tide. Alabama, currently fifth in the latest CFP Poll, is trying to strengthen its case to the selection committee with a quality win while the Tigers are trying to stay hot, inching closer to their fifth consecutive season with 10 or more wins. Often the case during every Alabama-LSU showdown, this contest should be decided in the trenches pitting a pair of run-based offenses. The Tigers have five different players who have scored three or more rushing touchdowns through nine games, but the Crimson Tide’s strength is defending against powerful ground games. Alabama’s given up a national-low two rushing touchdowns all year. If there’s one area Alabama has a clear edge it’s at the quarterback position where Blake Sims has created quite the combo with Heisman contender Amari Cooper. Keep an eye on his play tonight because last time the Crimson Tide played a nationally-ranked team away from home, the offense didn’t fare so well.