Could be letdown Saturday for No. 4 Alabama and No. 1 LSU (rankings from new Associated Press Top 25) after they played a mega-showdown last Saturday in Tuscaloosa, with the Tigers winning 46-41 to snap the Tide’s 31-game home winning streak. That all but clinched the SEC West for LSU and puts Alabama’s College Football Playoff hopes in some jeopardy. It is the only school to reach each playoff.
Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com
Every Alabama-LSU game is a war so players are physically and mentally worn down after. Thus, both teams are ripe for possible upsets in the next game. The Crimson Tide visit Mississippi State this Saturday at noon ET. Just for a point of reference, two years ago Alabama won a hard-fought home game against LSU and then the next week needed a touchdown pass in the final seconds to escape by a touchdown at Mississippi State. These Bulldogs aren’t as good as that team was, however. Bama is a 21-point favorite and has won the past 11 in the series by an average of more than 22 points per game.
Last year after LSU lost to Alabama, the Tigers barely beat a bad Arkansas team the following week. LSU is at Ole Miss at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday. The Rebs are struggling this year but they played an easy opponent last week so likely are in better shape physically. Ole Miss lost 45-16 in Baton Rouge a season ago and is +21.5. The Rebs are 5-1 ATS in their past six SEC games.
College football’s oldest continuous intersectional rivalry is renewed at 2:30 p.m. ET when No. 16 Notre Dame hosts No. 21 Navy. The Irish are still playing for a possible New Year’s Six bowl game and probably get one by winning out. The Midshipmen also are playing for one – the top-ranked Group of 5 school in the final College Football Playoff rankings will earn a spot in the Cotton Bowl. The Irish had 584 yards of offense last year in routing Navy 44-22 and Notre Dame leads the all-time series 78-13-1. The Irish are -7 but Navy is 10-2 ATS in its past 12 overall.
Might Saturday be the last Michigan State-Michigan game for Spartans head coach Mark Dantonio? He has had a lot of success in his Sparty career against the Wolverines, but MSU is really struggling this season and there’s talk that Dantonio might be forced out after the season or simply retire. It’s the last home game for No. 14 Michigan before its showdown with Ohio State the close the regular season. The Wolverines are -14 for the noon ET kickoff. Sparty has covered 10 of the past 11 in the series.
