There are plenty of intriguing storylines for the Week 11 matchup between the LSU Tigers and Alabama Crimson Tide. Both teams are coming off bye weeks, but they have been very different. LSU fired Brian Kelly 2 weeks ago following a humiliating loss to Texas A&M, and chaos surrounded the Tiger program as a new university president and athletic director were named. Frank Wilson takes over as the interim head coach, and he has a tall task going up against Kalen DeBoer and the Crimson Tide.
Frank Wilson hints 2 LSU freshman are about to see expanded roles vs Alabama
It's been a roller coaster of a ride over the bye week, but the attention is about to shift to the gridiron. LSU has a chance to pull off a significant upset, as the Tigers are currently 10.5-point underdogs against Alabama. Alabama has won 7 games in a row and is the No. 4 team in the country according to the first College Football Playoff rankings of the season.
If LSU is going to pull off the upset on the road, Mansoor Delane is going to have to keep playing dominant football. Delane has been arguably the best cornerback in all of college football this season, and he figures to draw plenty of matchups against Alabama WR Ryan Williams.
Superstar matchup: Mansoor Delane vs Ryan Williams
According to PFF, Delane has an overall grade of 89.6 this season, which is tops among power conference cornerbacks. On the season, Delane has allowed a completion rate of 32%, and has a passer rating allowed of 28.8. For his efforts, Delane won PFF's Midseason Cornerback of the Year award. He is truly as much of a shutdown corner as it gets, and he is skyrocketing up NFL Draft boards.
This Saturday against Alabama, Delane figures to have his hands full with Alabama star wideout Ryan Williams. Williams is one of the most electric playmakers in the country, and is capable of generating a big play on any given snap. On the season, he's hauled in 33 catches for 495 yards and 3 touchdowns. He is coming off a 7-catch, 72-yard performance against South Carolina, and figures to be involved in the Alabama passing game early and often.
Delane has been a reliable corner all season long, and there's no reason to think that would change against Williams and Alabama. Generally speaking, Williams has underperformed a bit this season. He has just one game with more than 6 catches, and just one game with over 100 yards. He's been consistent, catching at least 5 passes in every game he's played. But will that trend continue against Delane? With the way Delane has been shutting top receivers down all season, LSU fans have to like Delane's chances at limiting Williams.
It's also worth mentioning that Williams has battled injury this season, missing two games. Because of that, he isn't even the leading receiver on this team. That title belongs to Germie Bernard, who has racked up 38 catches for 526 yards and 6 touchdowns. But, Williams is loaded with talent and watching him go up against Delane will be a fun matchup to watch on Saturday night.