Alabama powers past LSU: Keelon Russell erupts late as Crimson Tide bolsters CFP resume

While some of college football might have questioned Alabama's spot at No. 5 in the first set of College Football Playoff rankings on Tuesday, no one is doubting the Crimson Tide's bona fides after a thunderous 31-13 win against No. 14 LSU in Baton Rouge on Saturday night.

In fact, college football fans may be asking bigger questions, like whether this Keelon Russell-led group should be among the top picks to win the national championship.

It's unlikely that Alabama, with two losses already this season, is going to seriously challenge for No. 1 in the rankings before other teams take losses. But in a 12-team College Football Playoff world, the key is to make the bracket by playing your best football, and while it took a while for Alabama to get rolling, the Crimson Tide seem to be getting healthy at the right time with a quarterback who can make plays against anyone.

Keelon Russell and the Alabama offense were mostly bottled up in the first half before cashing in on some explosive plays late in the game to pull away for the win. Russell finished with just 206 passing yards but three passing touchdowns, connecting with three different pass…

Original source: https://www.cbssports.com/