Every Monday we feature “Tide Takes,” where we’ll go into a different Crimson Tide topic, break down the previous game, preview the upcoming game, and everything in between.
The bye week is over for the Alabama Crimson Tide and game week preparations are set to begin for what has become the biggest game of the year for both the Tide and their opponent, the LSU Tigers.
Alabama and LSU are always a big deal, but there’s a little more juice in this edition. Both the Tide and Tigers are two-loss and likely need to win out to make the College Football Playoff.
In other words, it’s an elimination game under the lights in Death Valley.
Alabama has been on the verge of being impossible to predict this season, seeing highs and lows ranging from a dominant win over Georgia to a rotten performance on at least one side of the ball in losses to Vanderbilt and Tennessee. Coming off the second bye week of the season, we’re about to get a real look at what Kalen DeBoer’s first Alabama team is made up of.
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This looks like a team that is ready to fight, but we’ll find out if that’s really the case when they inevitably struggle in the toughest environment they’ll face all season with more pressure than they are had all season. From here on out for the Tide — every game is a one-game season. This week happens to be the longest single-game streak left on the calendar.
Jalen Milroe won’t be able to break through LSU’s much-improved defense like he did last season, but if the offense can at least do enough, it will likely come down to the defense’s ability to limit the Tiger passing game. It’s a massive November night in the best stadium atmosphere in the country this week.
What more could you want?
Michael Browner is a senior sports analyst and contributor to Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @MBraunerWNSP and hear him every weekday morning from 6-9am on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5, available online for free.
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