Both the No. 15 LSU Tigers and the No. 10 Alabama Crimson Tide have bye weeks this weekend.
That gives both teams extra time to prepare for their highly anticipated matchup on Nov. 7 in Baton Rouge. Many expected the game to take place at night, as it often does.
However, the SEC announced a controversial decision this week, revealing that the matchup will not be played at night. The game will air on ABC as part of ESPN’s broadcast deal and kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET.
Lane Kiffin Calls Out SEC Over Decision
Speaking to the media on Wednesday, LSU head coach Lane Kiffin called out the SEC over the decision.
LSU has established itself as one of the toughest teams to face at home at night. While the atmosphere will still be electric in the afternoon and create a challenging environment for Alabama, it won’t be quite the same.
Kiffin suggested the SEC didn’t want to give LSU an advantage, knowing how difficult it is for opponents to play in Baton Rouge at night.
“If someone thinks the SEC wants us to win this year after what’s been going on, they must have just been on Mars the last four months,” Kiffin said. “So I guess when I look at it that way, I’m not surprised.”
NEW: Lane Kiffin on LSU-Alabama getting the 2:30 p.m. CT slot instead of the night game he expected:
“If someone thinks the SEC wants us to win this year after what’s been going on, they must have just been on Mars the last four months. So I guess when I look at it that way, I’m not surprised.”
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Looking at LSU & Alabama
LSU and Alabama find themselves in very similar positions at the moment.
Both teams have two SEC losses, and it’s looking increasingly likely that a three-loss SEC team could still earn a College Football Playoff bid.
That would certainly create more drama down the stretch, making this matchup even more pivotal.
After facing Alabama, LSU will finish the regular season with games against No. 11 Texas, No. 16 Tennessee and Texas A&M.
As for the Crimson Tide, they’ll close out the 2026 regular season with matchups against Vanderbilt, Chattanooga and Auburn.
LSU’s Lane Kiffin Calls Out SEC Over Alabama Game Decision