Every Monday, we present “Tide Takes”, where we’ll get into a different topic on the Crimson Tide, break down the previous game, preview the upcoming game, and everything in between.

The bye week is over for the Alabama Crimson Tide and game week preparation is set to begin for what has become the biggest matchup of the year both for the Tide and their opponent, the LSU Tigers.

Alabama and LSU will always a big deal — but there’s some extra juice in this edition. Both the Tide and Tigers are sitting at two losses and likely need to win out in order to make the College Football Playoff.

In other words, it’s an elimination game under the lights in Death Valley.

Alabama has been borderline impossible to predict this season, seeing the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, ranging from a largely dominant win over Georgia and putrid performances on at least one side of the ball in losses to Vanderbilt and Tennessee. Coming out of the second bye week of the season, we are about to get a real look at what Kalen DeBoer’s first Alabama squad is made out of.

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This seems like a team that’s willing to fight, but we will find out if that’s truly the case when they inevitably face adversity in the most difficult environment they will face all season with more pressure than they have had all season. From here on out for the Tide — every game is a one-game season. This week just so happens to be the biggest one-game season left on the calendar.

Jalen Milroe will not be able to rip through a much-improved LSU defense like he did last season, but if the offense can at least do enough, it will likely come down to the defense’s ability to limit the Tiger passing game. It’s a massive showdown at night in November in what will be the best stadium atmosphere in the country this week.

What more could you want?