By james art 
No. 16 LSU (6-2, 3-1) will take on Jalen Milroe and the Alabama Crimson Tide in Week 11, with the Southeastern Conference matchup set to begin at 6:30 pm CT on ABC.
Both programs will be inactive this Saturday in Week 10, with all focus on the Nov. 9 battle at Tiger Stadium.
All eyes will be on the battle in Baton Rouge, but will Nick Saban and the ESPN College GameDay crew make it to the Bayou State?
With Saban potentially reuniting on set, preparing for two programs he coaches at LSU and Alabama, the stage will be set for a big appearance.
Week 11 will have a slate full of key matchups that will have significant postseason implications on the line.
The odds are on where the ESPN College GameDay team will be next Saturday, Nov. 9.
Where will Saban and Co. be headed? next weekend?
A look at LSU vs. Alabama game info, showdown betting odds and current lines on where the GameDay crew will be:
11 a.m. CT – Florida at Texas, ABC
2:30 pm CT – Georgia at Ole Miss, ABC
3:15 pm CT – South Carolina at Vanderbilt, SEC Network
* 6 or 6:45 CT – Oklahoma at Missouri, ESPN or SEC Network
* 6 or 6:45 CT – Mississippi State at Tennessee, ESPN or SEC Network
6:30 p.m. CT – Alabama at LSU, ABC
*(All odds per FanDuel Sportsbook)*
Distribution:
– LSU: (+2.5)
– Alabama: (-2.5)
Money line:
– LSU: (+112)
– Alabama: (-134)
Over/Under: 59.5
The Alabama Crimson Tide enter next Saturday’s game at Tiger Stadium as 2.5-point favorites.
There are currently ESPN College GameDay Week 11 betting odds with Baton Rouge at the top of the list.
Alabama at LSU remains betting favorites by 26.7% a chance to win the College GameDay Game of the Week.
The other options:
– Clemson Tigers vs. Virginia Tech Hokies: 22.2%
– Virginia Cavaliers vs. Virginia Cavaliers: 14.3%
– Georgia Bulldogs vs. Ole Miss Rebels: 11.1%
– Colorado Buffaloes vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders: 9.1%
– BYU Cougars vs. Utah Utes: 9.1%
– Field: 8.3%
In case you’re wondering where ESPN’s Gameday might be next week for LSU/Bama, here’s the race pic.twitter.com/6OEUEmQgye
— Michael Cauble (@Cauble) October 31, 2024
An SEC showdown that will draw all eyes, it’s important to note that Brian Kelly has yet to drop a prime-time game in Baton Rouge during his tenure. It’s been a key moment over the past few days, coming to light again with LSU as the early underdogs.
Heading into the game against the Crimson Tide, LSU will focus on developing a consistent defensive game plan for dual-threat quarterback Jalen Milroe while sharpening both the offense and special teams department.
“We have to be really good at a few things and that’s what we’re doing, and let’s get really good at it. We have a bye week. We’re going to clear some things up. We have a good football team. It was a bad half of football for us tonight. And we’re going to get back to working on ourselves and get ready to play better football,” Kelly said after the loss to Texas A&M.
It will be about playing complementary football for all four quarters next weekend at Tiger Stadium against a red-hot Alabama team coming off a 34-0 win over Missouri.
“We talked about finishing plays, then we started working on some of the things we believe we need to get better at on both sides of the ball,” Kelly said Tuesday. “It’s a little bit of good, a little bit of things to work on, and then let’s get some of the young guys to work. We had a battle with the young guys so that was the focus today.”
Ahead of the 2024 season, Nick Saban commented on LSU signal caller Garrett Nussmeier and the faith he has in the first-year starter.
“I think Garrett Nussmeier is going to be one of the sleepers in college football this year,” Saban said on Saturday’s College GameDay.
Along with the comment about Nussmeier, he also predicted the Tigers would make the College Football Playoff this season.
“LSU always has skill guys. They talk about all the receivers they’ve lost — you can shake a tree in Louisiana and those guys are going to fall out,” Saban said.
In Nussmeier’s first career start against Wisconsin in the ReliaQuest Bowl, he finished the game 31-for-45 with three touchdown passes and just one interception.
It’s his team now, as he continues to work through the 2024 season as one of the top quarterbacks in the SEC. LSU is currently 5-1 (2-0) with a date against the Arkansas Razorbacks looming in Week 8.
“The car wasn’t his, he was driving that thing fast and he didn’t care if he dented it. It’s his car now. And he’s really careful not to mess it up, you know,” Kelly said of Nussmeier during fall camp. “He understands that he can’t put the ball in the other team’s hands. So, I just think it’s, you know, being a starter, understanding the importance and realizing that taking care of the football is extremely important to our success.”
No. 16 LSU will return to action on Nov. 9 against the Alabama Crimson Tide with kickoff set for 6:30 pm CT at Tiger Stadium.
Game odds are updated periodically and are subject to change.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, please call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Immediate takeaways: No. 8 LSU falls to No. 14 Texas A&M in College Station
LSU dishes out America’s No. 1 quarterback
Nick Saban calls LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier a “sleeper” ahead of the 2024 season
Follow Zack Nagy on Twitter: @znagy20 and LSU Tigers on SI: @LSUTigersSI for all the coverage surrounding the LSU program.