Alabama and LSU will meet on Saturday for the final time on an annual basis, with the game once again important to each team’s College Football Playoff hopes.
With the Tigers entering this game off two impressive wins over Mississippi State and Auburn, head coach Lane Kiffin could grab his statement win in Year 1 against one of LSU’s fiercest rivals. The Crimson White caught up with Tripp Buehler, a senior sports reporter and LSU football beat writer at The Reveille — LSU’s student-run and editorially independent newspaper — ahead of the potential CFP elimination game.
FI: How would you grade LSU’s first season under Lane Kiffin, given all the pieces he had to acquire through the portal?
TB: “I think it’s gone exactly to plan so far. Lane has talked aloud a lot over the last couple weeks about how, with these portal teams, it’s gonna take maybe until Week 7 [or] Week 8 to really get comfortable. And I think some fans may have had some issues believing that at first, with just all the star power brought in. But he’s the head man. He knows the team the best, and he’s familiar with these types of team that people are building, these portal-heavy teams in Year 1. And so it happens, just like he was saying it was gonna happen. I think this is right where the team should be at this point. You had two losses, one that you shouldn’t have had. Ole Miss, I believe it’s pretty excusable, given the circumstances. I think he [Kiffin] and myself and a lot of other people know the team is better than that Kentucky loss, and I think LSU may lose another game here and there this year. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s to Alabama, Tennessee or Texas. Any of those teams could beat LSU. But I don’t think there will be a loss like that Kentucky loss again. I think the team has found its rhythm. Everyone is getting healthier, it sounds. Both Sam Leavitt and Trey’Dez [Green] said today that they were 100%. So I believe LSU is right where they should be right now.”
FI: Alabama’s still pretty banged up and could be without several starters. With that in mind, is LSU linebacker Whit Weeks in line to play?
TB: “There was one report today [Tuesday] that he was practicing today, but Lane is very mum on injuries. He was asked yesterday [Monday] and he just kind of gave a ‘no comment’ type answer. I find it hard to believe that he will make a Whit Weeks-type impact if he is playing Saturday. I’ll put it that way.”
FI: Much has been made of this game not being played at night. How energized do you expect Tiger Stadium to be with it being a 2:30 p.m. CT kick?
TB: “I don’t believe it’ll make much of an impact in the stadium. I think people hate Alabama enough over here to where they’re gonna show up and, like Lane said, get up a little earlier, drink a little earlier, just move your entire routine up four hours. This is my fourth year at LSU, and we’ve only had one home 2:30 kickoff. It was in September, miserably hot, and that stadium was pretty packed at kickoff. Because of the heat, some people started to disperse out pretty early. But I think with this, I think [with it being] a pseudo-elimination game for the playoffs, and just because it’s the Alabama game, and I don’t think any current LSU student will see Alabama play in Baton Rouge again in their time at LSU. So I think the crowd is still going to be as loud as possible. It’s still gonna be a tough environment to play in. I think that, I don’t want to get too ahead of myself, that could be one of the keys to the game, just to keep the crowd in it and disrupt the Alabama offense as much as possible.”
FI: Keelon Russell has been up-and-down the last few weeks. How has that affected LSU and Blake Baker’s focus on him?
TB: “One thing that’s unfortunate is that we don’t really get to talk to the coordinators during the season at all. I know Alabama coordinators were talking to the media yesterday. But Lane expressed a good amount of respect for Keelon Russell and his game and his talents. So, I’m willing to bet that Blake Baker shares the same ideas and, I mean, he is a very dynamic quarterback. I was doing a lot of research on him this summer, and I believe that even with the inconsistencies, prepare for them like they’re the best version of themselves. I think what the LSU defense has been able to do the last couple of games, especially against Byrum Brown and Auburn two weeks ago. I think they have a good recipe for success there. They have a good precedent set that was maybe one of their cleanest starts to the games on defense of the year against Auburn. And so I believe that from a preparation standpoint, there won’t be much difference with how wishy-washy Alabama has been on offense. But I think they’re respecting their opponent as much as they need to.”
FI: Can you provide us three keys to the game for LSU and your score prediction for Saturday?
TB: “First, I’ll say get Dilin Jones on his high horse as quick as you can. He’s been a great running back for LSU, and he’s totally opened up the offense. I believe the running game for either side is going to be one of the most important factors here. But Dilin Jones has really looked great. His lateral movement has been phenomenal, just juking around defenders. It’s like he’s got springs on the sides of his cleats, and he could just bounce side to side real quick. And so I believe just getting him going, what Lane was talking about on Monday, you know, he has the 3rd most receptions on this team. He’s big in the pass game. A lot of perimeter passes that are essentially run plays, and I think just the short perimeter plays, especially to start the game with Dilin Jones establish that early. That’ll be one of the keys. Number two, get to Keelon Russell as really as possible. We were talking about the noise earlier, and I believe it is gonna make a difference, but with how Deuce Geralds and the other defensive tackles have been up front. [Princewill] Umanmielen and [Jordan] Ross at the edges with Dylan Carpenter and Lamar Brown in there, too. It’s … it’s a ferocious defensive line, and the way that Blake Baker mixes his defensive line as linebackers, and even some safeties in the blitzing game, I think it’s gonna give Keelon Russell hell. And if LSU cannot at least do that, what I believe they can do from what they’ve shown, I think that’ll put them in a good spot to win. Thirdly, just keep Sam Leavitt’s game clean. He’s done it the last two weeks, no interceptions — almost had that one against Auburn — but I think turnover margin is gonna be a big thing in this game. I think if the turnover margin is plus or minus two on either side, that will be a deciding factor in the game. So as long as else you can at least be within one of Alabama or have it on the positive side for themselves. I think LSU is gonna be able to win the game. It may sound like I’m hyping up LSU a lot. I think it’s gonna be a very close game. I’m gonna go LSU 34-31, I believe.”
Hence then, the article about behind enemy bylines previewing alabama lsu from the tigers eyes was published today ( ) and is available on The Crimson White ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Behind Enemy Bylines: Previewing Alabama-LSU from the Tigers’ eyes )
Also on site :
- Grimes to Star in the First-Ever AI-Generated Film Coming to Theaters: Watch a Clip
- What ‘Legend of Zelda’ Superfan Jon Batiste Thinks of ‘Ocarina of Time’ Remake and the Game’s Iconic Score
- Could the US midterms further isolate Israel in Washington?