TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- No. 2 LSU ended an eight-game losing streak to its SEC West rival with a stunning 46-41 victory over No. 3 Alabama under the lights at Bryant-Denny Stadium. For the first time since 2011, the Tigers have beaten the Crimson Tide, and it was a game that felt entirely different than the one these teams played the last time LSU beat Alabama, 9-6.
The win not only got the proverbial Alabama monkey off LSU's back, but it put the Tigers firmly in the driver's seat in the SEC West. It likely cements Joe Burrow in front of the Heisman Trophy race as well. The LSU quarterback threw for 393 yards and three touchdowns, completing 31 of his 39 passes. Running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire combined for 180 total yards and four touchdowns (three rushing) in a star-making performance of his own.
The 46 points Burrow and the Tigers put on the board against Alabama were the most any team has scored against Alabama since Oct. 25, 2003, when Tennessee scored 51 points against the Tide. Of course, that game went to five overtimes and was only 20-20 at the end of regulation.
The game seemed over when Edwards-Helaire scored to make it 46-34 LSU with only 90 seconds remaining, but Alabama responded right away with an 85-yard touchdown to Devonta Smith to cut the lead to 46-41. LSU held on to win in a rare Game of the Century that managed to live up to the hype.
Let's break down the game with some takeaways from LSU's stunning, season-defining win over Alabama.
1. LSU is the best team in the nation: There, I said it -- and I won't apologize to Ohio State either (despite the thorough dismantling of Maryland on Saturday). What LSU did to Alabama at Bryant-Denny Stadium was historic. No, history shouldn't matter when discussing which team deserves the No. 1 ranking. But LSU just walked into the belly of college football's beast, ripped its heart out, stomped on it on the ground and threw it out like a used paper towel.
The 33 first-half points by LSU were the most in the the opening 30 minutes against a Nick Saban-coached since 1999, when Purdue -- led by quarterback Drew Brees -- dropped Saban's Michigan State squad 52-28. Burrow and passing game coordinator Joe Brady have transformed LSU's offense from the punchline of a very bad college football joke into the most prolific offense in the country. That's not what sets this team apart, though. The Tigers defense -- which hasn't been great all year -- rattled quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, confused coordinator Steve Sarkisian and created havoc in the backfield thanks to creative pressure dialed up by defensive coordinator Dave Aranda. K'Lavon Chaisson was the star of the show, including a thunderous third-and-short stop of Najee Harris on the Crimson Tide's first drive of the second half.
2. Burrow makes a clear statement ... The senior signal-caller for the Tigers entered as the front-runner for the most prestigious individual award in sports and left the field with a grip on the stiff-arm trophy as tight as a bite from Mike the Tiger. Burrow stood tall in the face of enormous pressure and delivered strike after strike in tight windows all game long. He opened the game 9 of 9 and hit Ja'Marr Chase for the first score of the game in the blink of an eye. LSU never looked back. Burrow brought the fight to Bama and forced it to counterpunch. The only person who has done that in the last two years is Clemson's Trevor Lawrence … and we all remember how that worked out. That's the company Burrow keeps now. He's no longer the scrappy graduate transfer who changed a program; he's a transcendent college football legend with more in the tank.
3. ... but Edwards-Helaire put the Tigers on his back, too: The junior tailback was a star through the air and on the ground two weeks ago in the win over Auburn, and he shined even brighter on Saturday. Sure, his 103 rushing yards were great, but his heart was his biggest asset. With LSU up six on third-and-10 early in the fourth quarter, he caught a pass 8 yards shy of the sticks and willed his way to the Alabama 25 to keep the drive alive. That drive ended four plays later when he hit the circle button to spin past an Alabama defender and waltz into the end zone from 5 yards out. Burrow gets credit for the Tigers' turnaround this year, but Edwards-Helaire deserves his share for willing his team to a win when it counted most.
We will have additional takeaways from Alabama-LSU up shortly.
CBS Sports was will be with you the entire way updating this story with the latest scores, highlights and analysis from the game. If you are unable to view the updates below, please click here.
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Alabama vs. LSU score, takeaways: No. 2 Tigers conquer No. 3 Tide in thriller, first series win since 2011 - CBS Sports
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