Is this Alabama’s greatest team ever? While that question is being debated — and can we wait until January to answer? — Nick Saban does not want his players drinking the poison that is media praise. The Crimson Tide offense is scoring 54.1 points per game and the defense is allowing 15.9. That’s why a No. 1-ranked team is a 14¹/₂-point favorite over No. 4 LSU, which is in its biggest home underdog role since 1997.

Alabama, a favorite in 115 of its past 116 games, has defeated the Tigers seven straight times by an average of 13 points per game. Barring injury or a disastrous Saturday night in Baton Rouge, Tide quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will hoist the Heisman Trophy in December. Tagovailoa has 25 touchdown passes and no interceptions. There might be a couple of NFL defenses that would have trouble slowing Tua and the Tide.

LSU’s defense has surrendered only 15.1 ppg and smothered Georgia, which was a seven-point road favorite, in a 36-16 win three weeks ago. The Tigers match up reasonably well because they boast a strong front seven and athletic defensive backs who can hang with Alabama’s wideouts. But does LSU have the quarterback capable of pulling this off? Joe Burrow has completed just 53.8 percent of his passes with six touchdowns in eight games.

The play: LSU, +14¹/₂.