Kalen DeBoer given "scary" warning about Brian Kelly-less LSU ahead of Alabama's high-octane SEC clash by Nick Saban

Kalen DeBoer's Alabama will face the LSU Tigers in a blockbuster Southeastern Conference Week 11 clash at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on Saturday. This will be the Tigers' first game since firing Brian Kelly from his coaching role.

Ahead of the Alabama-LSU game, former Tide coach Nick Saban has sent a warning to DeBoer and co. about a potential threat the Tigers have after Kelly's firing.

“I think that it’s a very scary situation because it’s very unknown to them,” Saban said on “The Pat McAfee Show" on Friday. “How is LSU’s team going to react to this? And what changes are they going to make? The players have nothing to lose, as you said.

"So, are they going to play free and easy and just go out and try to play the best football they can? And they probably feel a little disrespected. I’m talking about LSU relative to where they are, their season, how it’s gone, their coach getting fired. So it’ll be interesting to see how they respond.”

Saban also said that LSU's defense can cause a problem for No. 4 Alabama (7-1, 5-0).

“So this is not a game that Alabama can not go out and play their best game of the year because for Alabama to me, LSU has a great secondary,” Saban said. “Alabama’s depended on the forward pass quite a bit this year with the receivers they have in the quarterback and their inability to create a consistency in the running game, you know, makes this a pretty good matchup for LSU versus their defense versus Alabama’s offense. So it’s going to be a really interesting game to see how LSU’s team responds.”

Following Kelly's firing, LSU (5-3, 2-3) named Frank Wilson as its interim coach.

Saban knows a thing or two about playing teams that have nothing to lose. He coached Alabama for 17 seasons and won six national titles. Saban also won the national championship at LSU in 2004.

When Saban stepped down from coaching at Alabama in January 2024, Kalen DeBoer succeeded him.

Ty Simpson will lead the offense for Kalen DeBoer's Alabama in Week 11 vs. LSU

NCAA Football: Alabama HC Kalen DeBoer - Source: Imagn

Ty Simpson will start as Alabama's quarterback against LSU. The Tide QB has enjoyed a great season so far, recording 2,184 passing yards, 20 touchdowns, one interception and two rushing TDs under Kalen DeBoer's guidance.

Simpson is expected to play a key role against LSU. Meanwhile, Garrett Nussmeier will star as the Tigers' QB on Saturday.

The Alabama-LSU game will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET from Bryant-Denny Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Fans can watch the game on ABC and live stream it on Fubo.