Alabama spent the past five days taking heat from across the country over its No. 5 ranking in the initial College Football Playoff poll released Tuesday.
On Saturday, Kalen DeBoer’s Crimson Tide took out its frustration on Lane Kiffin and LSU in front of a stunned crowd in Baton Rouge, delivering a result that could have major ramifications for the Tigers’ playoff hopes.
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We all spent the past week arguing over why the Tide would be ranked eight spots ahead of No. 13 Tennessee after the Vols won the head-to-head matchup last month in Knoxville.
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The nonstop chatter around Alabama struggling to find an identity behind head coach Kalen DeBoer had become a hot-button topic around college football, while LSU fans were under the impression that Lane Kiffin was turning a corner in the Bayou.
Boy, how quickly the tables have turned.
LSU spent more than $40 million building its roster this season, acquiring a group of stars through the transfer portal. Now, the Tigers enter the second weekend of November with three losses and their CFP hopes hanging by a thread.
On the other side of the field, not worried about Kevin Costner or other celebrities making the walk into a game alongside the head coach, Kalen Deboer has now finally pieced it all together for a squad that has the talent to compete for a national championship.
This is the Alabama team the CFP committee thought should be ranked 5th in the country, and the Tide backed up their thinking in a dominant second half way in Baton Rouge.
Defensive lineman Terrance Green No. 99 of the Alabama Crimson Tide celebrates in the first half against the Louisiana State Tigers at Tiger Stadium on Nov. 7, 2026, in Baton Rouge, La. (ISI Photos via Getty Images)
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Maybe it was the return of Ryan Coleman-Williams or multiple starters on both sides of the ball, but Alabama finally looked like the type of team we thought would grace our television screens on a weekly basis without the hiccups.
In front of over 100,000 fans inside Tiger Stadium, it was Alabama’s Keelon Russell who fully came out of his shell in what will turn out to be a massive game in terms of his team making the playoff.
Three touchdowns and over 200 yards passing, offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb provided his freshman quarterback with the ammunition needed to put Alabama in a spot to win this game.
But, winning 31-13 in “Death Valley”?
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Lane Kiffin, head coach of the LSU Tigers, stands on the field during the first half of a game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La., on Nov. 7, 2026. (Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
That’s a massive slice of humble-pie served up to Lane Kiffin, and the ones that doubted the heart of this Alabama football team, by a Crimson Tide defense that held LSU to just one touchdown on four redzone possessions.
Sure, LSU was moving the ball on offense, but that did not translate to points in Alabama’s bend but don’t break mindset that had Lane Kiffin shrugging his arms in frustration along the sidelines throughout the third and fourth quarter.
On the other hand, Alabama scoring 21 unanswered points put the final nail in this LSU football team that will host a much better looking Texas Longhorns squad next week in Baton Rouge.
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Sure, the Tigers could upset Steve Sarkisian’s football team, but there was nothing from the LSU offense that should give fans hope that they can hold up against a Texas defense that will get even healthier over the next week.
Obviously, this is the type of scenario that LSU fans were not expecting. The noise that comes with Lane Kiffin is just that — noise. Yes, the Tigers were good enough to have us all wondering how this game would turn out during the third quarter.
Fifteen minutes later, Kiffin’s record against Alabama as a head coach was 0-6.
LSU Tigers head coach Lane Kiffin looks on against Clemson during the first half at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La., on Sept. 5, 2026. (IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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Olivia Dunne and Paul Skenes walking with Lane Kiffin through the Tiger Walk makes for some fantastic social media content. But following that up by getting beaten in the trenches by an Alabama team that has been dissected all week for its flaws will not go over well in Baton Rouge.
A massive statement was made by Alabama on Saturday night during a week in which the entire country questioned just how good they actually were.
Now, everyone should be worried about what this Kalen DeBoer team can do over the next few weeks leading up to selection Sunday in the college football playoff.