Alabama football ended its annual rivalry with LSU in a fitting way Saturday at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge. The Crimson Tide found a way to beat a Tigers team that seemed on the cusp of seizing control after a dominant start to the third quarter.
Instead, Alabama (7-2, 5-2 SEC) responded as Keelon Russell calmly threw three touchdowns in the Tide next's four series in a 31-13 win. Russell fought through an ankle injury to fire touchdowns to Josh Ford, Cederian Morgan and Kaleb Edwards in a span of nine minutes on the clock.
Alabama's bend-but-don't-break defense rose to the occasion again, particularly in the final 15 minutes. The Crimson Tide stopped LSU (5-3, 3-3) on four fourth-down attempts in the game, including two in the fourth quarter.
They outscored LSU 21-0 over the final 15:36.
Russell was 17 of 24 for 206 yards with his three touchdown passes. He ran for 25 yards, including a 10-yard gain on third-and-9 to set up first-and-goal from the LSU 7 late in the third quarter.
Next up for Kalen DeBoer's team are the unranked Vanderbilt Commodores (4-5, 1-5) on Nov. 14 in Nashville.
In the meantime, here's where Alabama ranks in the new US LBM Coaches Poll after its win over LSU, and after three teams who were ranked ahead of the Crimson Tide lost during Saturday's blockbuster Week 10 schedule.
What LSU coach Lane Kiffin said about Alabama football after loss
— Roll Tide Wire (@RollTideWire) November 8, 2026
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How far did Alabama football rise in new Coaches Poll after beating LSU?
Alabama is ranked No. 7 in the Week 11 US LBM Coaches Poll, up two spots from last week. The Crimson Tide are ranked one spot below the Miami Hurricanes (8-1), and are one spot ahead of the Texas Longhorns (7-2).
Alabama is the second highest-ranked SEC team in the Coaches Poll behind No. 1 Georgia (8-1), who reclaimed the top spot after the Bulldogs' 42-7 thrashing of previously 12th-ranked Ole Miss (6-3).
Among top-25 teams that were ranked in the Week 10 poll, Tennessee (7-2) saw the biggest rise. Josh Heupel's Vols climbed seven spots to No. 9 following its dominant 34-6 win over previously seventh-ranked Kentucky (7-2).
The Oregon Ducks (6-3) had the biggest overall jump, rising 12 spots to climb back into the top 25 at No. 19. Oregon defeated previously 10th-ranked Ohio State (6-3), 41-28, in Columbus.
The Buckeyes suffered the biggest drop of any ranked team from a week ago, falling 10 spots to No. 20. LSU fell seven spots to No. 22.
New No. 1 in Coaches Poll after latest major changes in college football Top 25 rankings
With four top-10 teams falling on Saturday, including No. 1 Miami, No. 7 Kentucky, No. 8 BYU and No. 10 Ohio State, the Coaches Poll saw another shakeup at the top of the rankings. An SEC team entered the top 10, part of eight conference members -- the most of any Power Four league -- that are ranked in this week's poll.
Here's a look at the full top 25 rankings in the US LBM Coaches Poll heading into Week 11.
Schools Dropped Out
No. 19 Missouri; No. 23 Northwestern
Others Receiving Votes
Duke 172; Missouri 147; Oklahoma State 27; Northwestern 17; Illinois 13; North Texas 7; Louisville 6; Liberty 6; Wisconsin 5; Oklahoma 2; Minnesota 2; Air Force 1
SEC Power Rankings: Alabama, Texas rising following massive Week 10
— Roll Tide Wire (@RollTideWire) November 8, 2026
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Alabama football schedule 2026
Alabama faces Vanderbilt at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville in Week 11 of the 2026 college football season. Kickoff for Alabama-Vanderbilt is 11:45 a.m. CT. The game can be seen on SEC Network.
Alabama football schedule 2026
All times Central.
- Sept. 5: vs. East Carolina Pirates (W, 48-10)
- Sept. 12: at Kentucky Wildcats (W, 45-17)
- Sept. 19: vs. Florida State Seminoles (W, 50-36)
- Sept. 26: vs. South Carolina Gamecocks (W, 49-18)
- Oct. 3: at Mississippi State Bulldogs (W, 56-23)
- Oct. 10: vs. Georgia Bulldogs (L, 20-17)
- Oct. 17: at Tennessee Volunteers (L, 26-10)
- Oct. 24: vs. Texas A&M Aggies (W, 31-20)
- Nov. 7: at LSU Tigers (W, 31-13)
- Nov. 14: at Vanderbilt Commodores, 11:45 a.m., SEC Network
- Nov. 21: vs. Chattanooga Mocs, 1 p.m., SEC Network+
- Nov. 28: vs. Auburn Tigers, TBA
Record: 7-2 overall, 5-2 SEC.
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This article originally appeared on Roll Tide Wire: How far did Alabama rise in US LBM Coaches Poll after beating LSU?
