Three Matchups That Will Decide Alabama's Week 10 Game Against LSU

No. 5 Alabama will travel to No. 14 LSU on Saturday afternoon. The numbers attached to each program are from Tuesday's initial College Football Playoff rankings, and this rivalry game in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, will certainly have future implications.

No three-loss team has ever made the CFP's 12-team field, but the Crimson Tide and Tigers have dropped two contests apiece. The pressure has never been higher this season for head coaches Kalen DeBoer and Lane Kiffin, but only one can come out on top.

Both teams have several players who will have a major impact in determining the final score. Here are three matchups that will decide Alabama at LSU.

Jackson Lloyd/Jayvin James vs. Princewill Umanmielen

Alabama has faced some prominent pass-rushers this season, but LSU defensive end Princewill Umanmielen has a strong argument to be the best. Umanmielen's 8.5 sacks rank fifth in the country, while his 12 tackles for loss are tied for ninth. The senior is second in the SEC in each of these stat categories.

There have been numerous instances this season where Crimson Tide quarterback Keelon Russell has held the ball for too long, and giving any edge to Umanmielen, along with the rest of LSU's pass-rush — which leads the country in sacks per game (4.4) — will make it very difficult for Alabama to come out on top.

Umanmielen, an Ole Miss transfer who was one of four Rebels to follow Lane Kiffin to Baton Rouge, lines up at both defensive end spots. In other words, Alabama left tackle Jackson Lloyd and right tackle Jayvin James will have to be on their A-game. Lloyd gave up three pressures and a sack in the loss to Tennessee, per PFF, while James allowed one pressure and committed two penalties. This road environment will display very similar obstacles.

"He's an excellent football player, and I think he shows up," Alabama offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb said of Umanmielen on Monday. "Sometimes, you see guys that are maybe a little more singular-faceted, like maybe he's more just against the run or the pass, but I think he's a really well-rounded player.

"You hear about the sacks, but he certainly can be destructive in the run game as well. He's got great block destruction on the edge and plays hard, plays physical. So I think he's a guy certainly, we're going to have to keep track of during the day."

Sam Leavitt vs. Caleb Woodson/Luke Metz

LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt ranks second in the SEC in passing yards this season with 2,173, but it's come with a price. During the Tigers' first six games of the season, he threw for 10 touchdowns but also eight interceptions.

That said, he's been playing his best football since then, as 677 of those yards have come in LSU's last two games. Additionally, he's thrown for seven touchdowns and no interceptions, while completing a stellar 75.9 percent of his pass attempts during that short stretch.

Leavitt is also a dual-threat and can be very dangerous using his legs. His run game hasn't been as potent as his passing of late, but he's up to 72 carries for 324 yards and eight scores on the ground this season. Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack said on Monday that "we’ve found ways to capitalize and create takeaways off RPOs," and that's where the Tide's linebacker duo comes into play.

Caleb Woodson leads Alabama in tackles this year with 63 and is tied for second in tackles for loss with 4.5. He's played a major role in preventing opposing quarterbacks and running backs from going more than a yard or two past the line of scrimmage, and he's got a tough test on Saturday.

Luke Metz is in a similar boat, as he's second on the team in tackles with 57. Getting past the second level of the field is uncommon for ball carriers when Metz is on the field, and he's shown throughout the season that he's capable of making a big play on any given snap.

Keelon Russell vs. Tiger Stadium

Russell hasn't exactly thrived on the road during his first season as Alabama's starter. He looked the part against Mississippi State, completing 16 of 22 (72.7 percent) passes for 285 yards and three touchdowns in Starkville, but against Kentucky and Tennessee, the sophomore COMBINED for 335 yards, one touchdown pass and four interceptions (he has five total this season) on a 67.6 completion percentage.

Russell is about to go into one nation's most raucous environments against a ranked team and rival with perhaps the best defense in America. Sound familiar? He had the worst game of his collegiate career during the Third Saturday in October, throwing for 147 yards and two picks.

Tennessee was Russell's most recent road game. A strong performance against Texas A&M combined with the bye week should play a positive role for him in Baton Rouge. So, what is DeBoer's message to his quarterback?

"I think it's just learning from what you've been through," DeBoer said. "It's not just a road environment that we've been in. It's all the experiences that you've been through to this point in the season. Understanding down-and-distance situation. Understanding how each game is — there are ebbs and flows.

"But you just got to stay steady and give yourself a chance to see the next play, right? It's keeping yourself upright, getting rid of the football. I think that's, again, something that continues to improve at. I think the number of plays that you see continue to drop when it comes to those times where he's trying to do too much or trying to create, but also balancing that out with the abilities that he has to go do some special things, but that will come to him because he's that type of player."

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