By james art 
The Alabama-LSU rivalry is among the best matchups in college athletics, regardless of the sport or the status of each team during the season.
But this year is a little different due to the advent of the 12-team College Football Playoff. In the past 4-team format, two-loss teams proved unable to make the cut. Now with eight more teams added to the field, it looks like three losses would eliminate the program’s chances.
Enter No. 11 Alabama and No. 14 LSU, who each have two losses. The Tigers will play host to the Crimson Tide on Saturday, as all signs point to a virtual impossibility for the losing team to make the 2024-25 College Football Playoff.
Here’s what you need to know about this Saturday’s game between the Crimson Tide and the Tigers:
WHO: Alabama (6-2, 3-2 SEC) vs. LSU (6-2, 3-1 SEC)
When: Saturday, November 9, 6:30pm CT
where: Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
television: ABC
Radio: Crimson Tide Sports Network (Play-By-Play: Chris Stewart, Color: Tyler Watts). The pregame show will begin one hour prior to kickoff.
series: Alabama is 56-27-5 with the first game occurring on November 18, 1895.
Last meeting: Like the upcoming battle this year, last season was also hosted by ESPN College game day. That’s largely due to the quarterback matchup between Alabama’s Jaylen Milrow and eventual Heisman Trophy winner Jaden Daniels of LSU. Daniels went down early in the fourth quarter, but his 219 yards passing, 163 rushing yards and three total touchdowns helped the Tigers score 28 points. But they weren’t enough as Milroe rushed for 155 yards and an astounding four touchdowns to put the Crimson Tide up 42-28.
Last out, Alabama: Before the bye week, then-No. 15 Alabama dominated then-No. 21 Missouri 34-0 on Oct. 26. It was a much-needed win for the Crimson Tide, as Alabama had dropped two of its previous three games against Vanderbilt and Tennessee with a two-point win at home over South Carolina in between. The Tide’s rushing attack led the scoring against the Tigers, totaling 240 yards and four touchdowns between Milroe and running backs Justice Haynes, Jam Miller and Richard Young. Alabama’s defense may have been the drag, however, as Mizzou’s 72 passing yards were the fewest by Alabama’s SEC opponent since Tennessee had 44 in 2017.
Last out, LSU: Before the bye week, then-No. 8 Tigers went 17-7 at halftime on the road against then-No. 14 Texas A&M. However, the switch flipped and The Aggies pulled away 38-23 with a dominant second half performance. LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier finished the game completing 25 of 50 attempts for 405 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. Wide receivers Aaron Anderson and Kyren Lacy each finished with over 100 yards. Texas A&M silenced the Tigers’ rushing attack as LSU gained 38 yards on 18 carries.
all times ET
Tuesday, November 5
7:30 p.m. | Bowling Green in Central Michigan | ESPN2
20 hours | Miami (OH) at Ball State | ESPN
Wednesday, November 6
19 hours | Ohio at Kent State | ESPNU
19 hours | Northern Illinois at Western Michigan | ESPN2
Thursday, November 7
20 hours | Appalachian State in Coastal Carolina | ESPN
20 hours | Florida Atlantic at East Carolina | ESPN2
Friday, November 8
18 hours | Dartmouth at Princeton | ESPNU
20 hours | Mud at Wake Forest | ACC network
21 hours | Iowa at UCLA | FOX
21 hours | Rice in Memphis | ESPN2
10:30 p.m. | New Mexico at San Diego State | FS1
Saturday, November 9
12 p.m. | Florida at No. 5 Texas | ABC/ESPN+
12 p.m. | No. 4 Miami (Fla.) at Georgia Tech | ESPN
12 p.m. | Purdue at No. 3 Ohio State | FOX
12 p.m. | West Virginia at Cincinnati | FS1
12 p.m. | Minnesota at Rutgers | NBC
12 p.m. | Texas State at UL Monroe | ESPNU
12 p.m. | Navy in South Florida | ESPN2
12 p.m. | Syracuse at Boston College | CW network
12 p.m. | Western Carolina at East Tennessee State | ESPN+
12 p.m. | Brown at Yale | ESPN+
12 p.m. | Columbia at Harvard | ESPN+
12 p.m. | Morgan State in Delaware | ESPN+
12 p.m. | Long Island at Sacred Heart | ESPN+
12 p.m. | Lehi of the Holy Cross | ESPN+
13 hours | Freedom in Middle Tennessee | CBSSN
13 hours | UAlbany at Stony Brook | FloSports
13 hours | Bryant in Maine | FloSports
13 hours | Rhode Island in Delaware | FloSports
13 hours | Elon in William and Mary | FloSports
13 hours | Hampton in Towson | FloSports
13 hours | Monmouth in New Hampshire | FloSports
13 hours | North Carolina A&T at Villanova | FloSports
13 hours | Southern Illinois Youngstown State | ESPN+
13 hours | Marist at Stetson | ESPN+
13 hours | Morehead State at Davidson | ESPN+
13 hours | Penn at Cornell | ESPN+
13 hours | Lafayette at Colgate | ESPN+
13 hours | Fordham at Bucknell | ESPN+
1:30 p.m. | Eastern Illinois at Gardner-Webb | ESPN+
1:30 p.m. | Mercer at VMI | ESPN+
14 hours | West Georgia Tarleton State | ESPN+
14 hours | Central Arkansas at Eastern Kentucky | ESPN+
14 hours | Chattanooga at the Citadel | ESPN+
14 hours | UT Martin at Charleston Southern | ESPN+
14 hours | Southeast Missouri State at Lindenwood | ESPN+
14 hours | Tennessee State at Western Illinois | ESPN+
14 hours | Eastern Washington in Northern Colorado | ESPN+
14 hours | Wofford in Furman | ESPN+
14 hours | Illinois State at UNI | ESPN+
14 hours | Indiana State at South Dakota | ESPN+
14 hours | Missouri State at Murray State | ESPN+
14 hours | South Dakota State in North Dakota | ESPN+
14 hours | Butler in Valparaiso | ESPN+
14:30 | UConn at UAB | ESPN+
3 in the afternoon | Marshall at Southern Miss | ESPN+
3 in the afternoon | Northern Alabama at Southern Utah | ESPN+
3 in the afternoon | Nichols at Houston Christian | ESPN+
3 in the afternoon | Lamar at UIW | ESPN+
3 in the afternoon | Idaho State at Weber State | ESPN+
3 in the afternoon | Sacramento State at Montana State | ESPN+
3 in the afternoon | Alabama State at Grambling | ESPN+
3 in the afternoon | Florida A&M at Prairie View A&M | ESPN+
3 in the afternoon | Tennessee Tech at Samford | ESPN+
15:30 | No. 2 Georgia at No. 16 Ole Miss | ABC/ESPN+
15:30 | No. 19 Clemson at Virginia Tech | ESPN
15:30 | Michigan at No. 8 Indiana | CBS
15:30 | No. 17 Iowa State at Kansas | FS1
15:30 | Army Number 18 in North Texas | ESPN2
15:30 | Duke at NC State | ACC network
15:30 | San Jose State at Oregon State | CW network
15:30 | Georgia State at James Madison | ESPN+
15:30 | Richmond in Campbell | FloSports
15:30 | South Carolina State at Howard | ESPN+
16 hours | No. 21 Colorado at Texas Tech | FOX
16 hours | Temple at Tulane | ESPNU
16 hours | Kennesaw State at UTEP | ESPN+
16 hours | Abilene Christian at Austin Peay | ESPN+
16 hours | Idaho at Portland State | ESPN+
16:15 | South Carolina at No. 24 Vanderbilt | SEC Network
16:30 | Jacksonville State at Louisiana Tech | CBSSN
16:30 | Stephen F. Austin at Texas A&M-Commerce | ESPN+
17 hours | State of Arkansas and Louisiana | ESPN+
18 hours | Western Kentucky at New Mexico State | ESPN+
19 hours | Maryland at No. 1 Oregon | Big Ten Network
19 hours | Mississippi State at No. 7 Tennessee | ESPN
19 hours | UCF at Arizona State | ESPN2
19 hours | Oklahoma State at TCU | FS1
19 hours | Northwest state in Southeast Louisiana | ESPN+
7:30 p.m. | Florida State at No. 10 Notre Dame | NBC
7:30 p.m. | No. 11 Alabama at No. 14 LSU | ABC/ESPN+
19:45 | Oklahoma at Missouri | SEC Network
20 hours | Washington at No. 6 Penn State | Peacock
20 hours | Nevada at No. 12 Boise State | FOX
20 hours | Virginia at No. 23 Pitt | ACC network
20 hours | Northern Arizona at Cal Poly | ESPN+
21 hours | UNLV of Hawaii | CBSSN
21:45 | Fresno State at Air Force | FS1
10:15 p.m. | #9 BYU at Utah | ESPN
10:15 p.m. | UC Davis in Montana | ESPN2
10:30 p.m. | Utah State at No. 20 Washington State | CW network