The LSU Tigers host the Alabama Crimson Tide Saturday in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Kickoff is 2:30 p.m. in Tiger Stadium (ABC).
LSU (6-2, 3-2 SEC) is No. 15 in the AP Top 25 and AFCA Coaches Poll. Alabama (6-2, 4-2) is No. 9 in the both.
In the first College Football Playoff Rankings, LSU is No. 14 and Alabama No. 5.
Both teams are coming off a bye week. LSU defeated Auburn 38-17 on Oct. 24. The Tigers are looking for their third straight conference victory.
Alabama defeated Texas A&M 31-20 on Oct. 24. That followed consecutive SEC losses to Georgia 20-17 and Tennessee 26-10.
LSU and Alabama are one game behind leader Kentucky (7-1, 5-1) in the loss column in the SEC standings.
The Tigers are looking for their first victory over the Crimson Tide since winning 32-31 in overtime on Nov. 5, 2022 in Tiger Stadium. That ended a three-year drought.
Alabama won 20-9 last year at home and leads the overall series 58-27-5.
With three losses, the team that loses of Saturday’s game won’t necessarily be out of the playoff picture but it won’t be able to afford another loss.
This is only the third time in the last 20 years the game hasn’t been played at night.
During his appearance on the SEC teleconference last week, Head Coach Lane Kiffin joked about the game not being at night considering the recent disputes between LSU and the conference.
“I was joking to (LSU sports information director Michael Bonnette) earlier, saying obviously the SEC wanted to change it from how it’s been to give LSU less of an advantage because of how well LSU plays at night and how intimidating it is to play here,” he said. “I was like, ‘If someone thinks the SEC wants us to win this year after what’s been going on, they must’ve just been on Mars the last four months.’ ”
LSU is facing an Alabama team ranked No. 7 in the SEC in total offense at 411.88 yards per game and No. 8 in defense in 330.38.
Quarterback Keelon Russell has completed 148-of-221 passes for 2,057 yards and 15 touchdowns with five interceptions. He ranks third in the conference in average yards per game at 257.13.
Lotzeir Brooks (29 catches, 488 yards) and Rico Scott l28-434) are the Tide’s top two receivers. Star Ryan Coleman-Williams has been week-to-week since suffering a concussion against Georgia. He also had arthroscopic surgery for a knee injury he’d been playing through before the game, per media reports.
Alabama Head Coach Kalen DeBoer has told media members he is hopeful Coleman-Williams will be ready for the LSU game. He was listed as questionable on the injury report.
Four Alabama backs have rushed for 300 or more yards. Daniel Hill and Trae’shawn Brown lead the team with 332 and 324 yards, respectively.
“They’ve got really great players on offense, really explosive, great speed at receiver, quarterback has played awesome this year and is a problem running the ball,” Kiffin said during his weekly press conference. “He can take off and scramble. And he’s an elite thrower, really accurate. I think they’re really good regardless. Ryan obviously adds an explosion to them.
“This is the most talented team that we’ve played so far.”
LSU ranks first in the conference in total offense at 510 yards per game and defense at 258.13.
Sam Leavitt has completed 180-of-256 passes for 2,173 yards and 17 touchdowns with eight interceptions. His average of 271.63 yards per game ranks second in the conference.
Dilin Jones ranks fourth in rushing at 82.13 yards per game on 149 carries.
Jackson Harris is sixth in receiving at 79.25 yards per game. He has 36 catches.
Tight end Trey’Dez Green returned to action against Auburn after missing four games with an injury. He caught five passes, including a touchdown.