Can LSU’s defense slow down Alabama’s juggernaut offense?
LSU head coach Ed Orgeron takes the field with his team before LSU plays Miami in an NCAA college football game Sunday, Sept. 2, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Ron Jenkins)
The Crimson Tide’s offense averages 54 points per game, but the Bayou Bengals’ defense will be the best unit Tua Tagovailoa and company will see all season long.
Tagovailoa has handled the pressure of being a true sophomore and a Heisman hopeful quite well. He has yet to throw an interception eight games into the season and leads the SEC in touchdown passes. However, this will be his first game inside Death Valley and under the lights and the game of the year in College Football.
Miami, Georgia, Mississippi State and Ole Miss were all held to 17 points or fewer by the Bayou Bengals’ defense. LSU has some ball hawks in its’ front seven and secondary. Junior linebacker Devin White is the third-leading tackler in the SEC. Safeties Grant Delpit and John Battle form one of the best duos in the country. Delpit leads the SEC with five interceptions and also has four sacks. Battle has three of LSU’s 14 interceptions, which is No. 1 in the league.
Both teams knows what’s at stake and their positions in the Playoff Rankings. Alabama is No. 1 and LSU is No. 3. If LSU wins on Saturday the College Football world will be shaken to its’ core. This game may get chippy with words exchanged already from both sides.
LSU’s secondary will love nothing more than to be the first team to pick off one of Tagovailoa’s passes. Alabama’s true sophomore wideout Jerry Jeudy has the speed and the hands to stretch the field like nothing LSU’s defenders ever seen before. You have to get pressure on Tagovailoa to force him to make a bad throw, but the protection from his offensive line and his mobility has gave defenses nightmares.
Orgeron should probably be more concerned about his signal-caller Joe Burrow. Alabama’s defense is tenacious and leads the SEC in sacks. Trust and believe after an extra week to prepare, Nick Saban will have some nice blitz packages to dial up on Burrow.
Expect a hard-hitting, flag-throwing, lay it all on the line type of game Saturday night. Death Valley is arguably one of the hardest places to play at in all of College Football, yet Saban makes it look easy, winning the last three games in Tiger Stadium, including a shutout in 2016. Saban’s last loss at Tiger Stadium was in 2010. This is the biggest and most significant game of Ed Orgeron’s career. May the best team win.
