While LSU still has slim hopes alive for an SEC West title, it is unlikely that they win out in the conference. For that to happen, Alabama would have to lose to LSU and Auburn. The other SEC West contender, Auburn, would have to lose to either Tennessee, Georgia, or both. The chance of such an outlandish situation occurring is highly unlikely and leaves LSU as nothing more than a threat to Alabama’s reign of power. Nonetheless, LSU can derail Alabama’s SEC and national championship campaign with a win.

Key Matchups

LSU’s Passing Attack vs Alabama’s Defensive Back' Corps:

Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr. of LSU have proven themselves to be one of the nation’s deadliest duo of wide receivers. Both of them are touted as premier draft prospects for the 2014 draft and are both considered first round talent by some. Combined, Landry and Beckham Jr. have caught 106 passes for 1,991 yards. Also, the two each have eight touchdowns that account for 16 of the team’s 19 receiving touchdowns. Outside of the tenacious tandem, LSU’s receiving options  are relatively limited. Getting the ball to the stud receivers is senior Zach Mettenberger. This year, Mettenberger has shown much more confidence as a passer and enabled his playmaking receivers to dominate like they should. He is standing stronger in the pocket, throwing with confidence, and making fewer questionable decisions. Thus far, with several games still to be played, Mettenberger has already surpassed his touchdowns total from 2012 by seven touchdowns and has improved his completion percentage by roughly six percent.

Alabama’s strong defensive back corps will have the overwhelming task of shutting down this famed passing attack. LSU often relies on stretching the field vertically, especially down the seam. This puts loads of pressure on safeties Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and Vinnie Sunseri to command the back end of the field and close in on gaps quickly to defend passes. Likewise, the cornerback corps, led by Deion Belue, will have to play tight coverage on Landry and Beckham Jr. The key will be to take away the boundary and force them into the talented safety duo that Alabama has. Alabama cornerbacks must beware of LSU’s receivers impressive ability to go up and win in contested ball situations. They will have to play with physicality and not allow themselves to be outmatched athletically.

The Battles in the Trenches:

Both teams have several future professional players on their offensive and defensive lines. In terms of the interior, the teams are equal in talent. Alabama’s Jeoffrey Pagan, A’Shawn Robinson, and Ed Stinson have been a terrorizing trio both as pass rushers and as run stuffers.

LSU, on the other hand, is supported in the middle by Anthony Johnson and Ego Ferguson. The tandem is widely considered as one of the best in the nation. With regards to offensive line, both have had success creating lanes and moving bodies for their running backs, as well as keeping their quarterback protected.

The two powerful forces that each team possesses will clash and may ultimately decide the fate of this game.

The Quarterback Duel:

As previously stated, Zach Mettenberger has come into his own as a quarterback and has become the leader that LSU so desperately needed at the helm of their offense. Alabama’s AJ McCarron, who has won two national championships with Alabama, is not all he’s hyped up to be. Is McCarron a bad quarterback? No, but he is not a game-changer. McCarron is another game manager in Saban’s powerhouse program that feeds off of the play of others around him, such as Amari Cooper, Christion Jones, and several other talented receiving threats. Not only that, but McCarron is supported by a plethora of talented running backs, namely TJ Yeldon and Kenyan Drake, as well as an elite defense. In McCarron’s defense, he has played this role better than the previous quarterbacks under Nick Saban, but nonetheless, it is he that is not supported by the system, not vice-versa. This is not to say that Mettenberger is not somewhat elevated by the talent surrounding him, but he is a more commanding passer that McCarron.

How Can Each Team Win?

For the Crimson Tide, the key to victory is containing LSU running back Jeremy Hill. While LSU has an effective aerial assault, it often feeds off of the rushing attack led by Hill. Mettenberger likes to utilize play action to expose defenses. If Hill can be shut out, or at least slowed down, LSU’s offense will not be clicking like it should. It will force the fate of the game into Mettenberger’s hands and make it solely his responsibility to win. While he is talented, he is not an elite catalyst that can move any offense at any given time under any circumstance. When Georgia made it Mettenberger’s responsibility to win the game, Mettenberger could not come through and LSU crumbled.

While LSU also has to contain the opposing rushing attack, more importantly, they must bring heavy pressure on AJ McCarron. McCarron struggles with quick, overloading blitzes. It makes him noticeably uncomfortable in the pocket and overwhelms him into making porous decisions; often interceptions. Forcing mistakes and winning the turnover battle often goes hand-in-hand with winning the game itself. Considering how talented Alabama’s defense is, LSU’s defense will have to give their offense as many chances as they can to get into the end zone.

Prediction

Each team has their strengths and weaknesses, as do all teams, but Alabama’s strengths give them the edge. Alabama’s defense is elite and is the No.1 ranked defense in regards to “points against per game” at an average of 9.8 points per game. They will be able to slow down Jeremy Hill and force Mettenberger to win the game, which he will not be able to do. LSU’s defense is talented, but not quite as stout or experienced and will struggle to respect both the rushing attack and passing assault. AJ McCarron will play his role to the best of his ability and enable the Alabama offense to run up the scoreboard.

Score prediction: Alabama- 38 vs LSU- 21