LSU coach Lane Kiffin reacts after a defensive penalty in the third quarter against Alabama on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026 at Tiger Stadium.
The word for LSU football on Saturday was “No.”
No traditional night game in Tiger Stadium as LSU fans would like to have against an old rival like Alabama.
No victory either for the Tigers — also traditional against the Crimson Tide — which pulled away from LSU in the fourth quarter for a shocking, humbling 31-13 victory.
And the biggest no of all for the Tigers: no trip to the College Football Playoff, the reason why LSU spent millions to pry Lane Kiffin away from Ole Miss then spent millions to assemble a championship-caliber roster around him.
That last no isn’t a firm “No, you won’t get cast as the next James Bond” like I’m sure I’d get from the folks at Amazon. If the Tigers (now 6-3, 3-3 Southeastern Conference) somehow win out against Texas, Tennessee and Arkansas, there’s still a chance.
But about as much chance you or me being able to make a Shaq-like slam dunk. There’s theory and there’s reality and the latter is where the Tigers dejectedly now reside after yet another home loss to Alabama.
If you’re keeping track on a purple and gold box of tissues, LSU is now 1-7 in its last eight home games against Alabama, the only win a 32-31 overtime thriller in 2022. They won’t play next year because of the SEC’s new nine-game conference schedule format, and the Crimson Tide won’t darken Tiger Stadium’s door again until 2030.
Maybe things will be different for LSU by then. But why should anyone expect that?
You know what they say about doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results? It’s folly, maybe insanity, certainly the apex of frustration.
That’s LSU to a “T” — “T” for Tide — against Alabama. LSU has hired and fired coaches, spent mega millions on buyouts and new contracts and keeps getting the same result, at least against this team.
First-year LSU coach Lane Kiffin may eventually be a big winner at LSU. But right now he’s the coach of an underachieving team and he personally is a combined 0-6 against Alabama between LSU and Ole Miss.
Kiffin’s word for the day wasn’t “No” but “disappointing.” LSU fans far and wide are probably using stronger verbiage right now, but if the adjective fits go with it.
Why did the Tigers lose? Despite being outgained 457-285 by LSU, the Tide frequently controlled both lines of scrimmage, didn’t commit a turnover (LSU had two), turned the red zone (inside the 20-yard line) into a no man’s land for LSU and, most importantly, answered adversity when it counted most.
The Tigers took their only lead 13-10 with 2:44 left in the third quarter on a 5-yard run by Dilin Jones. Alabama answered just two minutes later with a touchdown to go back up 17-13, then tacked on two more touchdowns in the fourth quarter as LSU imploded and its fans melted away to their tailgate parties to drown their sorrows.
“Taking the lead, the stadium was ready to help (LSU) take over and they went down and scored,” Kiffin said.
“We played a really bad (last) 18 minutes of football.”
No question about that.
The question is what do Kiffin and LSU do about it? Against the three best opponents they have played this season — Ole Miss, Kentucky and Alabama — the Tigers didn’t have any answers.
#answers #LSU #Tigers #fall #Alabama #LSU
Source link
