Alabama football is set to play the biggest game of the week Saturday night in Death Valley. When the No. 11 Crimson Tide visits No. 15 LSU at 6:30 p.m. CT, it will be with College Football Playoff hopes on the line.
Saturday’s game will be aired on ABC. Before kickoff, here are three questions for the Crimson Tide to answer.
Can Alabama pressure Garrett Nussmeier into poor choices?
LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier is a gunslinger. At times, that’s his best trait, helping the Tigers score plenty of points in unlikely places.
However, it can also come back to bite him. On Saturday, the Crimson Tide will look to bring out his worst tendencies.
“Brett Favre threw a lot of picks in his career, but he also made a hell of a lot of plays,” UA defensive coordinator Kane Wommack said Monday. “This guy has really done some similar things in that regard. Some of that you live with a little bit as an offense, but from a defensive perspective, we need to make sure. Taking the ball off people is really the identity of who we are as a defense. That needs to show up on Saturday night.”
Given some of Alabama’s offensive struggles this season, it’s likely going to need some extra possessions. Nussmeier is liable to deliver him, so long as the Tide can crank up the heat in the backfield.
Can the Tide solve its SEC road woes?
At home, Alabama has found ways to win. Away from Bryant-Denny Stadium, it’s been a different story.
Against Vanderbilt, in an environment that was friendly to the visiting side, the Crimson Tide couldn’t get going offensively in time to fight off an upset. At Tennessee, UA looked undisciplined.
None of that will fly against LSU. Tiger Stadium is going to be loud, and it’s going to be distracting.
If Alabama is going to win and keep its playoff hopes alive, it’s going to need to pull it together fast. A slow start or a run of disastrous penalties will gift wrap the game for the Tigers.
How will UA respond to pressure?
If Alabama loses, the CFP dream is essentially over. There’s surely some scenario where the Crimson Tide could make it with three losses, especially given the selection committee’s penchant for SEC inclusion, but it’s unlikely.
It was the same stakes last week. Alabama did what it had to before the bye week, beating Missouri 34-0 in Tuscaloosa.
Those Tigers and these Tigers are different animals. Brian Kelly has never lost at night throughout his LSU tenure, and his team will be motivated to keep its season afloat.
This is the kind of game that defines legacies at Alabama. How the Crimson Tide responds to the pressure will be remembered by fans for some time.
