TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The No. 11 Alabama football team heads to Baton Rouge this weekend for an SEC test that will go a long way in deciding the Crimson Tide’s postseason fate. Alabama’s College Football Playoff hopes hinge on defeating No. 15 LSU in Death Valley as first-year coach Kalen DeBoer is still looking for his first conference win on the road.

The Crimson Tide face one of their biggest tests in terms of environment as Tiger Stadium is routinely one of the toughest places to play in, but the challenge doesn’t end there as LSU has one of the most prolific offenses in the country, led by redshirt junior quarterback Garrett Nussmeier.

“Garrett Nussmeier reminds me a lot of Mac Jones. Same kind of journey,” former Alabama head coach Nick Saban said in July on ESPN. “Not the same player — same kind of journey, stuck in the program, sitting behind some really good players. Waiting for his opportunity. Developing it all the time. Was smart enough to understand that it was important that when he got a chance to play, he would don’t be frustrated that he didn’t play at that moment I think those guys can be pretty dangerous.

Nussmeier was just as Saban suggested this summer, done. The first-year starting quarterback spent time marinating behind Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels and has guided LSU to the No. 6 passing offense in all of college football. His 2,627 yards are good for seventh in the nation and are only second in the SEC behind Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart.

It’s not just yards for Nussmeier, but he also excels at the most important part of offensive football, scoring touchdowns. His 20 passing touchdowns put him in a five-way tie for eighth in the nation ahead of Heisman favorite Dillon Gabriel of Oregon and Georgia’s Carson Beck.

“I think he’s an aggressive player, don’t you?” Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack said. “Sometimes you live by the sword and you die by the sword a little bit. We’re a team that’s really going to focus on taking the ball away from people. We’ve got to be able to show enough looks and snaps and change some things at quarterback to Carson Beck who is a Great quarterback and has had a hard time. At the same time, this dude has played a lot like he is. This guy has really done some things like that what you live with as an offense, but from a defensive perspective, that’s what really takes away the identity of who we are as a defense. That has to show up on Saturday night.”

The Alabama defense has made a living turning the football over, especially in recent weeks with 10 takeaways in the last three contests. The Crimson Tide is No. 16 in turnover margin at plus-seven on the season with 11 interceptions and seven fumble recoveries. Nussmeier has thrown just nine interceptions all year, making it seem unlikely he’ll turn the ball over against the Crimson Tide this weekend.

But a closer look at LSU’s top three opponents shows that Nussmeier is a bit more careless with the football than the numbers suggest. Against South Carolina, Ole Miss and Texas A&M, the signal caller had six interceptions with a seventh erased by penalties, showing his propensity to become ruthless as the competition improves.

What happens in all nine Nussmeier wiretaps?

1. USC rushes three on the last play of the game. Nussmeier’s pass is a mistake in front of Mason Taylor.
2. South Carolina rush five, Kyle Kennard lays hand on Nussmeier before pass, LSU QB rush. The ball is out before the sack but is incorrect due to pressure and interception. The interception is deleted due to a horse collar.
3. South Carolina simulated pressure, show seven, rush four. Nussmeier throws an interception directly to a Gamecocks defender who jumped off the rush.
4. South Alabama simulated pressure, show four, rush three with a Tackle-End stunt. Nussmeier rolls out right and makes the right read, but throws the ball badly down the sideline for an interception.
5. South Alabama simulated pressure, show five, rush four with the two inside tackles on a twist. Nussmeier has plenty of time and goes for his second read but his pass is behind Kyren Lacy and is picked off after the running back tips the ball.
6. Ole Miss rushes four straight and wins a one-on-one matchup on LSU right tackle Emery Jones Jr. Nussmeier fades nicely with pressure but chooses to get rid of the football instead of taking a sack. Nussmeier’s pass goes off an LSU lineman’s helmet and into the teeth of the Rebels defense for an interception.
7. Ole Miss only rushed three but got good inside pressure on Nussmeier that kept him from stepping into his throws. Nussmeier had time but remained locked into Kyren Lacy downfield and his pass fell short and into the hands of former Alabama running back Trey Amos.
8. Texas A&M rush four with an End-Tackle stunt and they flush Nussmeier out of the pocket. The LSU quarterback rolls left but decides to throw right back into the action and is intercepted by an Aggie defender.
9. Texas A&M rushes four straight up and looks to run either Cover Two or Cover Four behind it. Nussmeier misidentifies it as man coverage and fires out to Aaron Anderson on an outside hitch route but is intercepted by the flat defender.
10. Texas A&M runs a wild concept to force Nussmeier into a bad decision for his last interception. The Aggies appear to rush four, but only three comes with one of the inside linebackers looping all the way around the right side. Texas A&M’s left end drops out of the rush and sits on LSU’s back, intercepting Nussmeier as the QB picks his check down to the press.

Simulated pressures and confusing visuals are a constant theme as we look at each of Nussmeier’s mishaps throughout the season. He often struggles when forced out of the pocket as his ball placement and decision making become erratic.

Alabama has shown simulated pressure all season, using packages with multiple linebackers and pass-rushing specialists to confuse quarterbacks from a personnel standpoint. Wommack credited changing the defensive picture after the Beck interception for his unit’s first-half success against Georgia and will likely use a similar strategy in Death Valley this weekend.

“They’ve thrown for over 330 yards a game,” Alabama cornerbacks coach Mo Linguist said. “You’ve seen what they do in conference play. Their quarterback, Nussmeier, he’s got a live arm, 20 touchdown passes and he really spreads the field. They can throw it horizontally, they can throw it vertically, they understand spacing and timing the passing game They’re down to the details of how they want to move the ball with the quarterback’s arm and when the game is on the line, you look at South Carolina, you look at Ole Miss – LSU vs. South Carolina, LSU vs. Ole Miss, those games that the quarterback and the receivers had to make plays in the fourth quarter and they did those things. We understand that we have a tough task ahead of us plays that they have and the amount of yards that they throw for, we have to put a really good plan to put ourselves in a position to go on the road at LSU, we all know what those night games are like and what it’s going to take to come up with a W on the road.”