The matchup at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Nov. 9 will have a lot on the line.
After wins for Alabama and LSU on last week, both schools in the Southeastern Conference (Western Division) found themselves at Nos. 1 and 2 respectively in the updated Associated Press poll.
As for the Crimson Tide, it defeated Texas A&M by a score of 47-28 at Kyle Field and its quarterback – Tua Tagovailoa – became its all-time leader for career scoring passes.
When one looks at the Tigers, it cannot deny its vast improvement on offense.
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The Bayou Bengals have gone from being one-dimensional to having an explosive passing attack. Joe Burrow at quarterback has been special for this team, as he spearheads a group that is first in the nation in scoring offense (52.5 ppg) and second in total offense (561 ypg).
To add with having the divisional winner, potential conference champion and College Football Playoff implications in the balance, this year’s Heisman Trophy could be decided between Alabama and LSU.
Both Tagovailoa and Burrow are two of the five primary frontrunners for the coveted bronze award.
The trio of Clemson (No. 3), Ohio State (No. 4) and Oklahoma (No. 5) make up the remainder of the top five, but the Tide and Tigers are driving the conversation.
Should both teams be undefeated before Nov. 9, we may see a repeat of what happened in 2015.
During that season, it was Leonard Fournette and Derrick Henry in a collision course for the highest individual honor in the sport.
Fournette of LSU drew all the attention, but it was Henry that ended up with the big performance.
He rushed for 210 yards on 38 carries with three touchdowns and not only pushed Alabama to a 30-16 win, but he also snatched the Heisman from Fournette and guided the Tide to CFP National Championship win over Clemson.
It seems like Alabama and LSU are always playing for something big and this year’s matchup will be nothing different.
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Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
