By: George Ahearn

The much-anticipated rematch between LSU and Alabama takes place this weekend, as the No. 13 Tigers will travel to Tuscaloosa to face the red-hot No. 8 Crimson Tide. The Tigers will look to win in Bryant-Denny Stadium for only the third time since 2010, attempting to join the 2019 and 2011 teams, both of whom went on to play for a national championship. 

After Alabama dropped their second game of the season – a home game against No. 11 Texas – the nation was ready to write them off as true playoff contenders. Now, after rattling off six straight wins, notably including those over No. 15 Ole Miss and No. 17 Tennessee, the Tide are back in the thick of the College Football Playoff race. 

Despite the Tigers entering their 2022 matchup against the Tide as 13.5-point underdogs, LSU converted a 2-point conversion in the final seconds to win outright, a victory that would see them into the SEC title game. Now, LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels looks to become the first quarterback to beat Nick Saban in consecutive years since he became the Alabama head coach. 

While this statistic puts into perspective how difficult it is to best Saban and the Tide, if any quarterback were to pull off the impossible, it would be Jayden Daniels. 

Daniels has been the best quarterback in college football this season, throwing for 2,573 yards, 25 touchdowns, and only three interceptions – stats that would position him as the clear-cut Heisman favorite if not for the Tigers having two losses on their record. 

The two losses for the Tigers have effectively eliminated them from playoff contention, yet with a path to the top of the SEC West still alive, a playoff berth is still in the realm of possibility. 

The LSU offense is the top-ranked unit in total offense according to ESPN, averaging over 550 yards per game with an impressive 379 points scored, all while playing in the big, bad SEC. 

The fault of the Tigers this season has been the atrocity that is their defense. They are the 88^th ranked total defense, allowing 395 yards of offense per contest. Thankfully for the Tigers, the Alabama offense does not pose the same threat as Florida State and Ole Miss. The Tigers lose games when teams have the ability to outscore them. This week, I do not believe that is the case. 

Call it blasphemous, call it outrageous, but I expect Brian Kelly to lead his troops into Tuscaloosa and improve his record against Nick Saban as SEC foes to 2-0. 

The perfect storm for the Tigers to pull off the upset has formed once again, as the opinion on Alabama is as high as it has been all season, and the talk is as quiet as it’s been regarding LSU. 

I foresee this week being Daniels’ Heisman moment as well, and he currently sits at +450 to win the illustrious award. Yet, a win in Bryant-Denny would likely catapult him into the favorite position.

If you’re terrified to fade Nick Saban, I understand, as this choice has proven regrettable in the world of college football. However, I urge you to load up Jayden Daniels highlights, and hopefully your doubts will no longer exist. He has every tool imaginable to become the first quarterback to knock off Saban in back-to-back seasons. 

The plays?

Jayden Daniels to win the Heisman +450 (0.5u)

LSU +3 (3u)