Kalen DeBoer and Jalen Milroe save Alabama, while LSU and Brian Kelly are eliminated

by Junna Base November 10, 2024

How do you like Kalen DeBoer now? Alabama revived its hopes for the CFP bracket and brought LSU to its knees.
Brian Kelly still hasn’t solved LSU’s defense. Jalen Milroe proved that.
Alabama fans who were in agony just a month ago should enjoy this revival.

BATON ROUGE, La. – Who’s talking about Vanderbilt now? Who’s Worried About Kalen DeBoer’s Fashion Choices?

All is well again in Roll Tide World.

DeBoer and his Crimson Tide stepped off the mat and silenced critics. No. 11 Alabama saved its season by defeating No. 13 LSU 42-13 in front of a hostile crowd of 102,283 at Tiger Stadium.

When the buzzer sounded, the stands were almost empty.

Alabama’s season seemed ripe for burial after losses to Vanderbilt and Tennessee. Consider this an Alabama resurrection, but keep the shovel handy. Ditch the dirt on Brian Kelly’s third LSU season as DeBoer heads toward the College Football Playoff in his first season as Nick Saban’s successor.

Who would have believed a few months ago that DeBoer would lose to Vanderbilt and still be eligible for a CFP offer?

Alabama fans who were in agony a few weeks ago, worrying about everything from penalties and discipline to DeBoer’s choice of gameday wardrobe, will take a victory lap Monday when they light up the phone lines on “The Paul Finebaum Show.” .

Jalen Milroe runs wild against LSU, fueling Alabama’s revival

This place was full of energy all day long and created an environment that suited this CFP remover.

ESPN carnival barker Pat McAfee coaxed Tigers fans into several rounds of their infamous lewd chant on the morning of “College GameDay,” and that energy carried through to the opening kickoff.

Amid loud cheers, Alabama was accused of a false start even before the first breakthrough.

And then, over the next three and a half hours, Alabama tortured that crowd.

LSU brought a caged tiger to the sidelines in this high-risk matchup, reviving an old tradition. This big cat watched as Alabama’s offense purred while LSU appeared a combination of woefully unprepared and ill-equipped to stop Jalen Milroe and company.

For the second straight game, Milroe ran around an LSU defense that remains bewildered by any quarterback with wheels.

Maybe we should have had an Alabama season like this. DeBoer’s Washington Huskies won as Heartcats last year, tiptoeing over the high wire in multiple one-possession victories.

He’s a heart-Kalen, but that gave Alabama heartburn in losses to Vanderbilt and Tennessee.

No drama in this case. No abundance of punishments. No discipline problems. No turnovers from Milroe, who looked like the Heisman-caliber performer we saw in September.

No problem at all. Alabama played pretty much all season and turned this into a complete loss.

Alabama (7-2) still has a lot of work to do to complete a playoff resume. You can’t afford another loss, but you won’t be playing against another ranked team either.

In what could have been Alabama’s last chance to make a statement to the CFP committee, the Tide loudly claimed they had burnished their playoff respectability while simultaneously ruining LSU.

Brian Kelly’s third LSU season falls flat

LSU, a playoff team? Forget it.

Alabama, which was on the precipice of elimination, found its footing and pushed LSU off the edge.

The Tigers bet big on Kelly three years ago and backed the Brinks truck to get him out of Notre Dame. Kelly’s three LSU predecessors each won a national championship, but he seemed far from a place worthy of praise that night.

This becomes the low point of Kelly’s tenure.

The Tigers couldn’t stay out of each other’s way.

If they ever took one step forward, they took two steps back.

In a two-game recap of the night for LSU (6-3), the Tigers stopped Alabama on fourth down in the second quarter and turned the ball over on the next play.

Later, Garrett Nussmeier threw a brutal interception in the red zone to thwart a scoring opportunity, one of Nussmeier’s three turnovers.

The less said the better about LSU’s abysmal defense.

Last season, Milroe ran for 155 yards in a rush against LSU.

He just stretched out his legs. In this encore he rushed for 185 points with four touchdowns.

Kelly changed defensive coordinators after last season but didn’t solve LSU’s porous defense.

Milroe hustled and sprinted 39 yards for a touchdown on Alabama’s opening drive, then danced a jig in the end zone.

He later ran 72 yards for a score and continued running until he reached the edge of the crowd, where he was able to high-five a young Alabama fan in a crimson hoodie.

Everyone grins for the tide.

DeBoer and Milroe have orchestrated an Alabama revival while things get a little warm under Kelly’s collar.

Blake Toppmeyer is the national college football columnist for the USA TODAY Network. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @btoppmeyer. Subscribe to read all his columns.