The world is nothing if not a tad ironic sometimes. 12 years ago, Bama’s OC and QB coach brought his son onto the field while celebrating a national championship win against Notre Dame. The 10-year-old then lived the dream of athletes across the nation. He held the coveted gold trophy in his grasp. Fast forward to 2024, and the plot thickens into something out of Hollywood.

The kid in question is Garrett Nussmeier, son of Doug Nussmeier. Doug’s Crimson Tide toppled a Fighting Irish outfit helmed by a certain Brian Kelly. Talk about written in the stars. Now, Brian and Garrett’s LSU Tigers (6-2) prepare to host Alabama (6-2) in a potential “loser goes home” elimination game in both teams’ quest for the playoffs. Amidst the stress and burden thrust upon him in the lead-up, Kelly found some light-hearted humor within the absurdity of the situation.

During his pre-game presser, Brian Kelly was asked about the underlying facet of Nuss and Alabama. “I told him not to bring it up again!” said a spirited Kelly. “Next time we’re on that field together, we’re gonna be holding it together.” The path to lifting the trophy for both teams converges this week. The Tigers will seek to thwart the demons of their previous game.

LSU snatched defeat from the jaws of victory in their last outing. The cliche befits proceedings against Texas A&M at Kyle Field. After seemingly heading to a commendable road win through the first half, chaos ensued. 3 Nussmeier interceptions and 5 consecutive Texas A&M scoring drives later, the Tigers now stand on the precipice of being out of the CFP running. They have no margin for error and need to win out for the remainder of the season.

Nussmeier will have to carry his weight as he heads into one of his biggest challenges so far. The redshirt junior has garnered NFL draft hype, and is coming off a poor game. A big game in front of a national audience would go a long way for his prospects. His coach has vowed to make adjustments that suit him.

Looking ahead to the game and who’s predicted to win

“We know what we need to continue to work on from an offensive standpoint. We need to build some balance so [that] Garrett is not out there trying to make a play every down“, Kelly said after the loss against the Aggies. The run game would’ve been the focus in training after a measly 35 rushing yards. Brian Kelly and co. had a bye week to get sharp, but so did the Tide. Going by what Bama did the weekend prior, the offense will have their work cut out.

Kalen DeBoer’s team came into Baton Rouge on the back of a shutout 34-0 victory against then-ranked Missouri. This was a much-needed statement after losing 2 of their previous 3. Bama is no. 11 in the first iteration of the CFP ranking, while LSU is on the cusp of the cut-off, peeking in at no. 14. The game is poised to be a game of margins.

Oddsmakers seem to agree with that sentiment, with the Tide being field goal favorites (-3) away from home. Kalen DeBoer will hope the bye wasn’t a hindrance after their dominant win. Brian Kelly, on the other hand, will hope theirs was a reset. The game of the weekend beckons in Tiger Stadium.