The Alabama Crimson Tide will be on the road in Baton Rouge this weekend for a critical matchup against the LSU Tigers.
Both Alabama and LSU will enter the contest with two losses on the year, and a third may prove to be fatal for both programs. The Tide are expecting a handful of reinforcements to return to their lineup on both sides of the football this weekend, and Alabama will once again find themselves facing one of the top teams in the nation with a potential spot in the College Football Playoff on the line.
Alabama offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb recently spoke about some of the challenges that LSU’s defense will present on Saturday. Grubb believes the Tigers have a top defensive unit in the nation.
“A lot of them. Coach does a really good job.” Grubb said. “I think the number one thing you look for defensively is that they play hard, I know that’s a little cliche but they certainly do. Well coached unit, they communicate together and play well. Couple of different pieces that had to step into a really important role for them, and you see that part I think. They do a really good job in communicating and getting into different calls in really short time frames, they can do it on the road, they can do it at home. I’ve been impressed with that part of their defensive structure, they did it against us last year as well. So communication I think is a big part, disguises on third down, they show different coverages and present differently at the snap of the football. And obviously they pressure the quarterback really well, top five in the country, I don’t know where they are at, sacks, yards per rush, all that stuff. They are physically talented, play hard, they execute really well. It’s everything you expect from an elite defense, and that’s what we’ll be facing.”
LSU will enter the Saturday’s contest with an impressive 5-0 record at home this season. The Tide have struggled on the road numerous times this year, and the offense as a whole will need to establish themselves as early on as possible on the road in Baton Rouge.
