One of the teams in the Dec. 5 Southeastern Conference Championship Game has been set. The other could be decided Saturday.
Florida clinched the SEC East with its 41-17 win over Georgia on Saturday combined with South Carolina's 31-13 loss at Tennessee.
Now, No. 3 Alabama (8-0, 5-0 SEC) and No. 9 LSU (7-1, 4-1 SEC) will face off in Tuscaloosa at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, with control of the SEC West up for grabs. A Crimson Tide victory would give them the division title and a ticket to Atlanta. If the Tigers prevail, they would control their own destiny - win out, and LSU would play in the SEC title game.
LSU has won five of the last six games in the series, although Alabama won 27-21 in Baton Rouge last season.
The Crimson Tide and the Tigers enter the game ranked No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, in the conference in scoring defense.
"It's hard to figure out exactly scores, but I suspect both offenses will move more slowly than they'd like," LSU coach Les Miles said.
Another crucial matchup will be Alabama receiver Julio Jones against LSU's secondary. The sophomore has been plagued by injuries this season after a freshman campaign in which he ranked third in the SEC in receiving yards per game.
"I think he's 100 percent healthy, playing faster, more confident," Alabama coach Nick Saban said. "He's a guy that needs to make plays for us. He's got a lot of talent and a lot of ability. He's got great size and speed, and he's a great competitor. He's gotta become a part of the offense for us."
FATHER-SON CLICKING: Through eight games, Tennessee is only 4-4, but the Volunteers' defense has come together quite nicely under coordinator Monte Kiffin, father of coach Lane Kiffin.
"He's done such a phenomenal job," Lane Kiffin said of his father. "To be in the first year of a system and to have so many injuries to work through - (the play) has been great.
"I had not thought about the recruiting as much, but it's been unbelievable. When kids come here and meet him and he sits down with them and shows them how he can coach them and how he can get them to the next level, the reaction has been unbelievable by high school kids. We've even started putting our offensive recruits with him because they're just so blown away by him."
