Is LSU hitting its stride heading into matchup with Alabama?

As we go into this matchup, set us up, overview. Is L&T really hitting its stride? I look at a defense that seems like it's really shut teams down since that Kentucky game I looked at. You know, did not expect Sam Leavitt to kind of carve Auburn up like that. Is the momentum real heading into this bye week? Does it feel like a corner has been turned overall? Definitely on the offensive side of the football. And that was something that Lane Kiffin said earlier in the year, is that this is a very portal-heavy offense. And so there's obviously a new quarterback, completely remade receiver core. Offensive line was heavily adjusted to from last season. So he knew it was going to take some time to build. And Sam Leavitt, again, who missed most of the spring. Thank It seems to really have kind of found his comfort in the offense. Early in the season, he was scrambling around a lot. He wasn't that decisive when he was actually back to pass. Now he's kind of getting the ball out fast. He's finding guys. Trade. Trades Green, their star tight end, went out against Ole Miss, but he's back now too, so you kind of plug him back in. you. Jackson Harris, the receiver from Hawaii, just really emerged while Trades was out. He's looking like a playmaker. Dylan Jones, who was a transfer from Wisconsin, who was heavily under the radar as a transfer, has turned out to be a real hit. So they got a lot of pieces that are working well there. They're finding Dylan Jones more out of the backfield, stressing people laterally, and then also vertically with Jackson Harris, and then you got Trey Des Green over the middle. So they're a really tough offense to stop when all their pieces are working in concert. And yeah, defensively. So it's tough to completely judge, I will say, because, I mean, they played some not so great offenses. I mean, I don't think Clemson had the greatest offense known to mankind. Texas A&M has not had a great offense all year. And then at Ole Miss and at Kentucky, they had some struggles at times. But at home, they've been absolutely, again, some of it's the opponents, but they've been absolutely shut down. I mean, I think it's 5.3 points per game that Power 4 opponents are scoring at LSU. You know, at LSU. And a lot of that has to do with their defensive line. I mean, they're getting after quarterbacks regardless of who it is. They're second in the nation in sacks with 34. Thank The secondary has been pretty good. It seems to be maturing. DJ Pickett, who's a sophomore, a 6'4 corner, just a really rare type of athlete. Ty Benefield, the safety from Boise State. And so they got a lot of dudes on defense. It's going to be interesting to see them against you. an offense the caliber of Alabama and an offensive mind like Kalen DeBoer and his staff. So that will be a really, really interesting matchup for sure. How has it been covering a season in your first year in this position, covering this beat and seeing just the ups and downs as you talk about some of these big playmakers, but then also some of those upsets that the Tigers have kind of experienced this season? What are some of those complications that you've experienced as a writer and a reporter? Um, I mean, you're learning. Uh, and so obviously like at the very beginning, um, you're checking your facts even more cause you think, you know, something like, wait, make sure I didn't screw that up. Um, but it's, uh, yeah, I mean, you kind of get into the swing of things. You kind of learn kind of who everybody is. I mean, I think after kind of like a month, you're just like, You feel like you're up to speed. I mean, as much as I would have been where I was, because you're watching them every day or thinking about them every day. We'll And yeah, it's been, it's been, again, like I said earlier on, it's been a very interesting early season. I remember after the Mississippi state game, I mean, see Lane was saying like, we needed to win this game. Obviously they didn't have Camario Taylor, Fluff Bothwell and some of their better players, but it was. you We need to win this game because I can't even imagine what it would have been like if we had lost. I mean, if they had three losses then. in the SEC before they hit the bye week, I mean, people would have really been panicking around here, especially in his first year as coach. And so a lot of pressure, obviously, for him to produce, especially since they put a lot of investment into this roster. I mean, it's rumored like a $50 million roster NIL-wise. And so, you know, I think people are expecting a little bit of a payoff here. Um, they wanted them playing meaningful games in November and that's where we are. So, um, but again, it's going to be really, really, uh, you know, intense three weeks, uh, because, you know, they got back to back to back ranked opponents, which can put you in the playoff or it can knock you out completely. So it'll be interesting to see what happens. Do you think there's an air – sorry, Theo, I was just going to ask. Do you think there's an air of confidence in the air, you know, following that as you head into those games? Yeah, I mean, I think, again, like I was saying about the offense, I think the way the offense is playing, I think there is a lot of confidence. And, again, getting Trey Desgreen back and the chance that maybe Whit Weeks comes back at some point. I know in the availability report he was listed as doubtful yesterday. So I don't know if he comes back this week, if he's full go. At some point, you maybe get him back, and that makes your defense better. So, uh, And again, Lane has said a lot about the injuries in terms of, you know, it's kind of unfortunate it's the first year. We're trying to build this thing, and all of a sudden, the team's not exactly how we wanted it to be because of these injuries. It's starting to look more like he kind of planned it to be in terms of having some of these guys back. So I think there is some confidence, but again, the result of this game, it's going to have a lot to do with how confident I think people are, whether they beat Alabama or they don't. Yeah, John, you did remind me. I forgot to do the housekeeping as, you know, the actual covering Alabama. I do have to walk. I usually walk our, you know, viewers, listeners through the injury report for Alabama. Alabama is seven players questionable. A.K. Deer, questionable. Won't matter. We're not going to see him on the field. A.K. Deer has been a crazy storyline all season with Alabama. Ryan Coleman-Williams will play. I would be shocked if he doesn't. Xavier Brown, E.J. Crowell, truly questionable. Don't have a lean on those guys. I expect Rayson Delgatti to play. I expect Terrence Green to play, but I'm very, like, it's maybe 55-45. I'm pretty close on him, despite Yonzee Pierre saying that they expect him to play. William Sanders, I was surprised, as a questionable Alabama starting left guard. Do not expect him to play. Our understanding was that we wouldn't see him until really late in the season. Third string quarterback, Jett Tamala, also somehow is doubtful. No clue what he managed to do in practice.