The Alabama Crimson Tide grabbed the No. 2 spot in the College Football Playoff rankings after their impressive 28-point win over the Tennessee Volunteers in Week 8. This Saturday, the Crimson Tide will look to cement their standing in the top 2 when they square off with the LSU Tigers. Read our preview for a breakdown of this LSU vs Alabama game.
LSU Tigers installed as +28.5 underdogs
LSU's losing woes show no sign of ending as the Tigers absorbed their third defeat in the last four games with a 31-17 loss to the Ole Miss Rebels in Week 8. The Tigers had no answer for Matt Corral, who had three critical third-down conversion runs in addition to his 185 passing yards and a touchdown.
It was a disappointing defeat for the Tigers, who dropped to 4-4 for the season and 2-3 in conference play. For LSU to record the upset win against Alabama in Week 10, the Tigers will need to improve their play on the defensive end. They allowed 470 total yards in the loss to the Rebels and surrendered 31 unanswered points, turning an early seven-point lead into a 31-7 deficit in a hurry.
It is critical for the Tigers that they establish their ground game against Alabama. They racked up just 77 rushing yards in the loss to Ole Miss. That is a far cry from the 321 rushing yards they put up in their win against Florida in Week 7. In the run game, Ole Miss had a considerable advantage against LSU, outgaining them by 189 yards on the ground.
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Alabama Crimson Tide enter Week 10 as -28.5 favorites
The Alabama Crimson Tide headed into their bye week feeling good about themselves after they crushed the Tennessee Volunteers at home in Week 8. The Crimson Tide pulled off a 52-24 win over the Volunteers to improve their record to 7-1. They head into Week 10 still ranked No. 3 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll.
Powering Alabama's ascent to the top of the college football rankings is its outstanding offense. They are second in the nation in scoring, averaging 45.9 points per game this season. Bryce Young has been exceptional for the Tide this campaign, leading the SEC with 26 passing touchdowns. He is also second in the conference in passing yards with 2,453 through Alabama's first eight games.
Young was superb in the win against Tennessee, accounting for four total touchdowns. He got some help from Brian Robinson, who ran for 107 yards and three scores. They will be licking their chops at the prospect of facing an LSU side that is 85th in the FBS in scoring defense, allowing 28.8 points per game this season.
Writer's Prediction
Alabama wins, but LSU covers the spread.
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