The Alabama vs LSU game on Saturday is the biggest test of the College Football Playoff race so far. No. 5 Alabama visits No. 14 LSU at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, with kickoff at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC, and both teams arrive at 6-2 knowing a third loss would all but end their playoff hopes.
This is the 91st meeting in a rivalry Alabama has controlled for years, but the stakes make it feel new. LSU is chasing its first marquee win under first-year coach Lane Kiffin, Alabama is trying to prove the playoff committee right for ranking it No. 5, and the winner walks out of Death Valley with a real path to the playoff.
Alabama vs LSU: kickoff time, TV channel and how to watch
The Alabama vs LSU kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET (2:30 p.m. CT) on Saturday, November 7, at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The game airs on ABC, with Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit on the call and Holly Rowe and Laura Rutledge reporting from the sidelines.
Sportsbooks list LSU as roughly a six-point favorite at home, with the total set at 52.5 points. That line says plenty about how this Alabama vs LSU game is viewed: Alabama is ranked higher by the committee, but LSU is 5-0 at home this season and Death Valley at night in November is one of the hardest places to play in college football.
Why this game decides both teams’ playoff hopes
The first College Football Playoff rankings of the season, released Tuesday, put Alabama at No. 5 and LSU at No. 14. Both teams already have two losses, and in a 12-team field that still leaves room, a third loss would leave the loser needing help from almost everywhere else.
Alabama’s two losses came in October: 20-17 at home to Georgia, then 26-10 at Tennessee, where the offense managed just 10 points and the noise at Neyland Stadium exposed communication problems. The Crimson Tide answered with a 31-20 win over Texas A&M on October 24, then had a bye week to get healthy. Coach Kalen DeBoer has been pumping crowd noise into practice this week so the offense is ready for what Tiger Stadium will sound like.
LSU’s losses were a 32-24 defeat at Ole Miss in September and a 35-34 overtime loss at Kentucky in October. The Tigers have won two straight since, including a 38-17 win at Auburn in their last game. But their resume still lacks a signature win: their only victories over teams with winning records are Clemson (5-3) and Louisiana Tech (6-2). Beating Alabama would change that in one afternoon.
The schedule does neither team any favors after this one. LSU still has Texas, Tennessee and Arkansas to play. Alabama travels to Vanderbilt, hosts Chattanooga, and finishes with Auburn in the Iron Bowl.
Keelon Russell vs Sam Leavitt: a quarterback duel
The Alabama vs LSU game should be decided by two of the most productive quarterbacks in the SEC. LSU’s Sam Leavitt ranks second in the conference with 2,173 passing yards and is tied for second with 17 touchdown passes. He started slowly — three touchdowns and five interceptions in his first three games — but has completed 75.4 percent of his passes since then as he has settled into Kiffin’s system.
Alabama’s Keelon Russell is right behind him, third in the SEC with 2,057 passing yards, 15 touchdowns and five interceptions while completing 67.0 percent of his throws. Russell leads an Alabama offense that averages 38.3 points per game, ranked seventh in the country, and more than 400 yards per contest.
The difference is on the ground. LSU leads the SEC in passing yards as a team (2,544) and ranks fourth in rushing (1,536). Alabama is third in the SEC in passing (2,080) but just 12th in rushing (1,215), so the Crimson Tide lean heavily on Russell’s arm. If LSU’s pass rush can make him uncomfortable, Alabama’s offense has shown it can stall — it did exactly that at Tennessee.
Injury report: Coleman-Williams questionable, Weeks doubtful
Alabama’s biggest question is wide receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams, listed as questionable on the SEC availability report. The Crimson Tide’s standout receiver has not played since the Georgia game after arthroscopic knee surgery to repair a meniscus injury, though he was seen practicing on film Alabama released this week. His return would give Russell his top target back for the biggest game of the season.
Alabama has already ruled out defensive lineman Jeremiah Beaman, linebacker Cayden Jones, defensive back Nick Sherman and linebacker Desmond Umeozulu. Backup quarterback Jett Thomalla is doubtful.
LSU’s defense is also short-handed. Linebacker Whit Weeks is doubtful and his brother, linebacker Zach Weeks, is questionable. The Tigers have ruled out safety Dashawn Spears (torn ACL), wide receiver Phillip Wright III, linebacker Charles Ross II and defensive tackle Richard Anderson. On the positive side for LSU, tight end Trey’Dez Green is expected to return.
Alabama vs LSU prediction and analysis
This section is analysis, not a result: the game has not been played.
The case for LSU is straightforward. The Tigers are at home, where they are unbeaten this season, Leavitt is playing the best football of his year, and Alabama’s offense looked lost the last time it walked into a hostile SEC stadium. Kiffin is 0-5 against Alabama as a head coach, but this is his best chance yet to end that run, and ESPN’s SP+ model agrees — it projects LSU 30, Alabama 23, and gives the Tigers a 66 percent chance to win.
The case for Alabama is talent. The committee ranked the Crimson Tide No. 5 for a reason, and a bye week plus a healthier roster should help an offense that scores more than 38 points a game. Alabama also owns the recent history: the Tide won last year’s meeting 20-9, LSU has not beaten Alabama since 2022, and Alabama leads the all-time series 58-27-5, including a 30-10-3 record in Baton Rouge.
Prediction: LSU 30, Alabama 27. The Tigers’ home-field edge and Leavitt’s current form should be just enough in an Alabama vs LSU game that stays close into the fourth quarter — but if Coleman-Williams plays and Russell gets time to throw, Alabama has the firepower to steal it.
What to watch next
The winner stays firmly in the playoff picture with three games left. The loser will need a lot of help — and will spend the rest of November answering questions about what went wrong in Baton Rouge. One other note for Saturday: First Lady Melania Trump is scheduled to attend the game at Tiger Stadium, where a $5 million donation will establish a scholarship fund for LSU students who have experienced foster care.
For more college football coverage, read our earlier college preview, our college recap, and our college preview.
Whatever happens, this Alabama vs LSU game is the game Week 10 will be remembered for. Two 6-2 teams, two top-15 rankings, one stadium that rarely forgives visitors, and a playoff race that cannot afford another loss.
