Paul Finebaum: LSU Football vs. Alabama is the 'Biggest Game of the Year'

Finebaum dubbed Saturday night's showdown a "playoff eliminator" in Baton Rouge, pivotal SEC clash.

Jul 15, 2015; Birmingham, AL, USA; Paul Finebaum broadcasts on ESPN during SEC media day at the Wynfrey Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Shanna Lockwood-Imagn Images / Shanna Lockwood-Imagn Images

No. 14 LSU (6-2, 3-1) will host the No. 11 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday night in Tiger Stadium with all eyes on the pair of programs hoping to keep their College Football Playoff chances alive.

It'll be a Week 11 matchup that will have Nick Saban in attendance, a prime time kickoff in Baton Rouge and more between two Southeastern Conference squads with significant history.

What is at stake needs no introduction.

LSU, who's already dropped an SEC showdown at Texas A&M, will look to avoid a second in-conference loss while the Crimson Tide will look to remain alive for postseason opportunities as well.

Alabama lost to the Texas Longhorns on Sept. 9 as well as Tennessee on Oct. 19 with the program looking to avoid another conference loss.

SEC Network's Paul Finebaum chimed in on the pivotal conference clash with one key statement: "Loser leaves town."

It'll be a College Football Playoff Elimination Game in Death Valley with all eyes on two of the sport's most iconic brands.

“The loser of this game says goodbye, adios to the season,” Finebaum told 'SportsCenter.' “Not in the literal sense, but in terms of the CFP [College Football Playoff]."

“The loser will have three losses. There’s no way to get back in. There will be an SEC Championship Game. There really won’t be any hope. There’re too many schools competing for those at-large bids.”

On Friday during an appearance on Get Up, Finebaum echoed the same statement:

“This is the biggest game of the year in college football, not because these are the two best teams, but this is the first Playoff eliminator,” the SEC Network host said. “The loser has almost no path back. The winner has a chance to figure it out. Now, it’s a battle of quarterbacks and I happen to like Jalen Milroe. He’s a dual-threat. Nussmeier is an outstanding passer … but I like LSU to go down at home.”

It's a must-win for both programs.

After being idle in Week 10, LSU and Alabama will be well-rested off of an open date, but the Crimson Tide will certainly have the momentum.

Kalen DeBoer's club is fresh off of a 34-0 thrashing of the Missouri Tigers while LSU dropped their latest contest in College Station to Texas A&M, 38-23.

"It’s hard to believe Alabama out that early,” Finebaum said of a potential loss. “It hasn’t very often, but that game is a high-stakes, loser leaves town.”

The SEC Network analyst has already dubbed the Southeastern Conference contest as a “playoff eliminator.”

What Finebaum Said Last Week:

“What (Alabama) got out of the (Missouri) game more than anything else is just some confidence into the bye week as they get ready for yet another playoff eliminator," Finebaum said on the Matt Barrie Show.

“We saw one [Saturday] with Missouri and the LSU-Alabama game … it may not be the marquee game of 2 weeks from now because there’s another game that’s more important in terms of drama, but it’s the first playoff eliminator game we’ve had.”

Finebaum dove into how high he had been on the LSU Tigers heading into the matchup, but after a catastrophic collapse in College Station, his prediction is shifting towards the Crimson Tide.

“I was so high on them against Alabama, but now I feel the wind shifting back to Alabama right now,” he said.

Now, all eyes will be on the pair of SEC programs looking to remain in the College Football Playoff race on Saturday night in Tiger Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 6:30 p.m. CT.

The Southeastern Conference Standings:

1. Georgia Bulldogs (7-1, 5-1)
2. Texas A&M Aggies (7-2, 5-1)
3. Tennessee Volunteers (7-1, 4-1)
4. Texas Longhorns (7-1, 3-1)
5. LSU Tigers (6-2, 3-1)
6. Vanderbilt Commodores (6-3, 3-2)
7. Ole Miss Rebels (7-2, 3-2)
8. Alabama Crimson Tide (6-2, 3-2)
9. Arkansas Razorbacks (5-4, 3-3)
10. South Carolina Gamecocks (5-3, 3-3)
11. Missouri Tigers (6-2, 2-2)
12. Florida Gators (4-4, 2-3)
13. Oklahoma Sooners (5-4, 1-4)
14. Auburn Tigers (3-6, 1-5)
15. Kentucky Wildcats (3-6, 1-6)
16. Mississippi State Bulldogs (2-7, 0-5)

More LSU News:

ESPN College GameDay Guest Picker Predictions: LSU Tigers vs. Alabama Crimson Tide

LSU Dishes Out Offer to No. 1 Quarterback in America

Nick Saban Calls LSU Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier a "Sleeper" Ahead of 2024 Season

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