3 Keys to Victory for the LSU Tigers against the Alabama Crimson Tide

It's a win or go home game this weekend as #15 LSU takes on #11 Alabama as the losing team will be eliminated from College Football Playoff contention. This weekend two dynamic offenses meet with polarizing quarterbacks and defenses with some holes in a game that can truly go either way. When LSU takes the field, these three things will determine whether or not LSU wins the game.

3. Shutting down Ryan Williams

The Crimson Tide are typically very deep at wide receiver with several receivers putting up massive stat lines. This season there is only one receiver carrying Alabama's offense in True Freshman Ryan Williams. On the season Williams leads Alabama with 702 yards on 35 catches scoring seven touchdowns while every other pass catcher has combined for Six Touchdowns.

The biggest issue when defending Ryan Williams is preventing the big play as Williams has killed teams on the deep ball and with explosive plays after the catch. The last three weeks, opposing defenses have done their best job figuring out Williams as his production has dropped along with Alabama's scoring output.

Ashton Stamps and Zy Alexander have been outstanding this season earning praise from Brian Kelly but, this weekend may be their biggest test of the season. If the Tigers can takeaway Williams, Alabama's other receivers will need to have their biggest games of the year to beat the Tigers.

2. Keeping the pressure off of Garrett Nussmeier

This weekend, one of LSU's biggest keys is keeping the pressure off of Garrett Nussmeier in two ways. First, LSU needs to keep the Alabama defense off of Nussmeier as he threw three bad interceptions when Texas A&M's pass rush started to get home. Negative plays on early downs will only allow Alabama to further pin their ears back and rush Nussmeier which could lead to turnovers. When Nussmeier has time to find the open receivers he has been lethal and against a younger Alabama secondary it will be key this weekend.

The other way LSU needs to keep the pressure off of Garrett Nussmeier is by being a two dimensional offense. Against Texas A&M LSU ran the ball for just 24 yards on 23 attempts continuing the season long trend of LSU's running game struggles. Against Alabama, the run game has to help out the passing attack otherwise Kane Womack will be able to scheme up a gameplan to shut down LSU's offense.

1. Forcing Alabama to turn the ball over

In Alabama's two losses the Tide have thrown three interceptions and lost one fumble, in games the Tide narrowly escaped, against Georgia and South Carolina the Tide turned the ball over another three times. The key to slowing this Alabama offense is by forcing Jalen Milroe into dangerous plays and then capitalizing.

While Jalen Milroe is a dynamic playmaker he's been prone to bad decision making throughout his career which could be just what LSU's defense needs. Nothing will get the Tiger Stadium louder than an early game interception and it will be one of the biggest keys on Saturday night.

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