It's gut-check time for the Alabama Crimson Tide. Alabama visits the LSU Tigers in Baton Rouge for the latest high-stakes showdown between the SEC rivals in Week 10 of the 2026 college football season.
Alabama (6-2, 4-2 SEC) is No. 9 in the US LBM Coaches Poll and the AP Top 25. LSU (6-2, 3-2) is No. 15. In the initial College Football Playoff rankings
reveal Tuesday, the Crimson Tide are No. 5 with the Tigers No. 14.Alabama is looking to establish an identity for itself heading into the final month of the regular season with a playoff spot firmly within reach. The Crimson Tide received a much-needed bye in Week 9, a week after using two fourth-quarter Keelon Russell touchdown passes to survive a scare from Texas A&M in a 31-20 win at Bryant-Denny
Stadium. Russell finished 19 of 30 for 311 yards and three touchdown passes.
Kane Wommack's defense rose to the occasion, holding Texas A&M to three points in the second half. The Crimson Tide forced three straight three-and-outs in the fourth quarter while Russell fired touchdown passes to tights ends Marshall Pritchett and Kaleb Edwards.
LSU didn't need a big fourth quarter to win its last game. The Tigers went to Auburn on Oct. 24 and amassed 552 yards of total offense in a 38-17 rout at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Sam Leavitt threw for 388 yards and accounted for four scores, including three touchdown passes.
Will Alabama and Kalen DeBoer get another win at Tiger Stadium, or will Lane Kiffin win his first game against the Tide as LSU's coach?
Will Alabama football beat LSU? ESPN's prediction
Oddsmakers have LSU as a 6.5-point favorite over Alabama, but as always, ESPN Analytics has its own odds for Saturday's game.
ESPN's matchup predictor, which offers a prediction model based on its college football power index and other variables, gives LSU a 57% chance to win. Alabama has a 43% chance.
The Crimson Tide are sixth nationally in ESPN's FPI, down one spot from last week, and are third among SEC teams. Alabama has a 24.5 overall FPI rating. LSU has a 24.7 FPI rating that is fifth nationally in ESPN's metrics.
ESPN predicts Alabama football odds of reaching College Football Playoff entering blockbuster game at LSU
In ESPN's FPI entering Week 10, Alabama's chances of reaching the 12-team College Football Playoff are 60.3%, a noticeable increase from 49.5% from before the win over Texas A&M. It has the 10th-best odds among power conference teams (and Notre Dame) of reaching the CFP, and it has the fourth-best playoff odds among SEC teams behind Georgia, Texas and Ole Miss.
The Crimson Tide are given a 16.6% chance of winning the SEC championship, a 13.5% chance of reaching the national championship game on Jan. 25 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas and a 6.8% shot of winning the national title.
ESPN's FPI gives Alabama a 24% chance of winning out. The Crimson Tide are one spot behind LSU in the FPI and one spot ahead of the Texas Longhorns (24.0).
SEC football teams ranked by ESPN FPI: Missouri takes massive leap after blowout win
With Missouri's 34-10 win at Arkansas in Week 9, the Tigers had the biggest jump among SEC teams in ESPN's college football power index rankings. Eli Drinkwitz's squad rose five spots among the 16 SEC teams.
Oklahoma saw the biggest drop, falling four spots after a 42-25 loss to South Carolina in Norman.
Here is where Alabama and all 16 SEC teams rank in ESPN's FPI entering Week 10.
- 16. Vanderbilt Commodores (0.3 FPI)
- 15. Arkansas Razorbacks (0.6 FPI)
- 14. Mississippi State Bulldogs (7.8 FPI)
- 13. Auburn Tigers (9.6 FPI)
- 12. Oklahoma Sooners (12.1 FPI, down four spots)
- 11. Kentucky Wildcats (13.0 FPI, down one spot)
- 10. South Carolina Gamecocks (13.5 FPI, up one spot)
- 9. Texas A&M Aggies (13.8 FPI)
- 8. Florida Gators (13.9 FPI)
- 7. Missouri Tigers (14.1 FPI, up five spots)
- 6. Tennessee Volunteers (16.7 FPI)
- 5. Ole Miss Rebels (21.5 FPI)
- 4. Texas Longhorns (24.0 FPI)
- 3. Alabama Crimson Tide (24.5 FPI, down one spot)
- 2. LSU Tigers (24.7 FPI, up one spot)
- 1. Georgia Bulldogs (25.4 FPI)
What are ESPN FPI ratings?
ESPN explains:
"The Football Power Index is a measure of team strength that is meant to be the best predictor of a team's performance going forward for the rest of the season. FPI represents how many points above or below average a team is. Projected results are based on 20,000 simulations of the rest of the season using FPI, results to date, and the remaining schedule. Ratings and projections update daily. FPI data from seasons prior to 2019 may not be complete."
Alabama football vs. LSU start time, TV channel information
'College GameDay' announces Week 10 location, unenviable position
— Roll Tide Wire (@RollTideWire) November 4, 2026
📸 Nathan Giese/Avalanche-Journal, USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect https://t.co/ZED0bzxYor pic.twitter.com/1r0Uk61l3Q
Kickoff for Alabama-LSU in Week 10 of the 2026 college football season is 2:30 p.m. CT Saturday at Tiger Stadium. The game can be seen on ABC. Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit will have the call of the game. Holly Rowe and Laura Rutledge will report from the sidelines.
ESPN Radio will have the national radio broadcast of the game featuring play-by-play announcer Mike Couzens, Max Starks and Mike Peasley.
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, 2:30 p.m., ABC
- 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: 6-2 overall, 4-2 SEC.
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This article originally appeared on Roll Tide Wire: ESPN predicts the winner of Alabama football vs. LSU at Tiger Stadium
