No. 14 LSU hosts No. 5 Alabama in final annual matchup
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The gist
No. 14 LSU hosts No. 5 Alabama on Nov. 7 at 2:30 p.m.
Both teams have two losses, making it a de facto CFP elimination game.
Background
LSU and Alabama are Southeastern Conference (SEC) football programs whose annual November game has been a fixture since 1964. The SEC changed its permanent annual fixtures, so the teams move to an every-other-year schedule and this is the last of 64 straight annual meetings, at least for now. LSU head coach Lane Kiffin is in his first season after six years at Ole Miss and was formerly Alabama's offensive coordinator; Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer is in his third season succeeding Nick Saban and is 2-0 against LSU. Both teams sit at 6-2, and with the College Football Playoff (CFP, the four-team-plus postseason bracket) in view, the game is described as a must-win.
How it unfolded
- Oct 24, 2026LSU beat Auburn 38-17 and Alabama beat Texas A&M 31-20, leaving both teams 6-2.
- Oct 26, 2026The SEC announced the Nov. 7 game in Tiger Stadium will kick off at 2:30 p.m. CT on ABC.
- Nov 2, 2026FanDuel listed Alabama as a 4.5-point underdog with an Over/Under of 53.5; LSU was 5-0 at home in 2026.
- Nov 4, 2026LSU was ranked No. 14 in the initial CFP rankings and No. 15 in the Coaches and AP polls.
- Nov 5, 2026AP reported Alabama at No. 9 and LSU at No. 15 ahead of the last of 64 annual matchups.
- Nov 7, 2026No. 14 LSU (6-2, 3-2 SEC) hosts No. 5 Alabama (6-2, 4-2 SEC) at Tiger Stadium at 2:30 p.m. CT.
Key terms
- CFP
- An annual single-elimination tournament determining the national champion of NCAA Division I FBS college football.
- SEC
- An annual preseason media event for the Southeastern Conference, a U.S. college athletic conference based in Birmingham, Alabama.
- Over/Under
- A bet that the combined score of both teams will be higher than a number set by the sportsbook.
Source: Wikipedia
Who’s saying what
- Coach
- LSU head coach Lane Kiffin said his team should be in a better position after narrow road losses to Mississippi and Kentucky, leaving less margin for error against a well-coached Alabama team.
- Coach
- Kiffin said November meaningful games are what LSU and his own coaching career have been used to for years.
- Analysts
- The game is described as a de facto CFP elimination game, with both teams already at two losses.