No. 1 Alabama will be looking for revenge vs. LSU on Saturday after the Tigers stunned the Crimson Tide last season en route to the national championship. The tables have turned in 2020 as Alabama is a 29-point favorite, making LSU the biggest defending national champion underdogs ever.
LSU coach Ed Orgeron's crew sits with three losses, a messy quarterback situation with freshmen TJ Finley and Max Johnson and a defense that has been a sieve all season. But they'd love nothing more than to ruin the Tide's perfect season at home in primetime.
It's time for the annual SEC West rivalry showdown on the Bayou. Can the Tigers pull off the massive upset as historic underdogs or will the Tide keep on rolling toward Atlanta and the SEC Championship Game? Here's all the info you need to watch the action from Death Valley on Saturday night.
Viewing information
Date: Saturday, Dec. 5 | Time: 8 p.m. ET
Location: Tiger Stadium -- Baton Rouge, Louisiana
TV: CBS | Live stream: CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App (Free)
OTT: CBS Sports App (Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV, Chromecast)
Storylines
Alabama: The offense has gotten all of the buzz, but have you seen the Crimson Tide play defense lately? They have notched 26 tackles for loss over the last four games and gave up just 3.84 yards per play in November. This all while leading the SEC in opponent red zone conversion percentage at 47.83%. It's going to be fascinating to see what Saban and defensive coordinator Pete Golding dial up against a Tigers offense that has been all over the place this season. There are stars galore on offense, but the emergence of tight end Jahleel Billingsley has been one of the more surprising storylines to develop during the latter half of the season. He caught five passes for 111 yards and one touchdown over the last two games after catching just one pass in the other six this season. If Alabama wasn't scary enough, it's finding new weapons as the season progresses.
LSU: The Tigers posted their best defensive performance of the season last week when they held Texas A&M to 3.76 yards per play and allowed Kellen Mond to complete just 11 of his 34 passes. Is that the start of a trend or a wet weather anomaly that should be viewed as such? Coach Ed Orgeron better hope that it's the former, otherwise it'll be a long night. Why? It's unlikely that the Tigers, with an offensive line that can't block and either T.J. Finley and Max Johnson taking the snaps, will be able to keep up in a shootout. To compound issues, star wide receiver Terrace Marshall opted out of the remainder of the season this week.
Alabama at LSU prediction, picks
This is a massive spread, but don't worry about it. Lay the points and enjoy the offensive show that Alabama will put on Saturday night in prime time. Saban's crew is averaging 48.5 points per game this season, and has topped the 40-point mark in seven straight contests. This LSU team not only can't keep up, but will struggle to get to double digits. Pick: Alabama (-28.5)
