No. 5 Alabama and No. 14 LSU meet Saturday in Baton Rouge for the 91st meeting of a series that Alabama leads 58-27-5, including a 13-2 record in the last 15 games. This will be the 25th time both programs enter the matchup ranked inside the AP Top 15, adding College Football Playoff implications to a rivalry already defined by high stakes.
Where to watch
Date: Saturday, Nov. 7 | Time: 3:30 p.m. ET | Location: Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. TV: ABC | Live stream: Fubo (free trial available).
Key storylines
LSU carries a 32-3 record in its last 35 home games at Tiger Stadium, while coach Lane Kiffin seeks his first victory over Alabama as a head coach after an 0-5 mark (one loss at Tennessee in 2009, four at Ole Miss from 2020-23). Alabama's offense faces uncertainty: starting center Racin Delgatty has missed multiple games, the Tide have failed to reach 70 rushing yards in each of their last two outings, and they have allowed 21 sacks in SEC play (14th of 16 teams). Updates on wide receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams and cornerback Zabien Brown are also pending.
Conversely, LSU's passing attack has surged, averaging 339.5 yards per game in October (3-1 record, lone loss to top-10 Kentucky by one point). The Tigers lead the SEC and rank tied for seventh nationally at 318.0 passing yards per game. Quarterback Sam Leavitt has improved, and transfer receiver Jackson Harris (from Hawaii) has erupted with seven touchdown catches in his last five games, including four multi-touchdown performances and a 17.6-yard-per-reception average (fourth in the SEC).
Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer brings a 21-8 record against AP-ranked opponents (fourth-best winning percentage in poll history with a minimum of 20 games) and has won eight straight games coming off a bye week.
Prediction and picks
Analysts lean toward a lower-scoring contest decided by defense. The consensus pick is Under 52.5 total points, with the majority of experts selecting LSU -5.5 against the spread. SportsLine's computer model, which is 80-77 on top-rated college football picks this season, simulates the game 10,000 times and favors the home Tigers.
