TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — A secondary that entered the season as Alabama's biggest strength has reached an inflection point.

The Crimson Tide was expected to be among the best in the nation, and has fallen well short. Dijon Lee's disastrous day against Georgia grabbed the headlines, but has been just one piece of a unit that has consistently failed to get off the field on third down, missed tackles, and struggled with consistency.

The removal of Dre Kirkpatrick Jr. from the team has also created a new problem in the room: availability.

"There are a lot of different pieces with guys that had to move around in this last game, guys who had to step in," head coach Kalen DeBoer said, referencing Alabama's 31-20 win over Texas A&M. "We were going through the what ifs on the sideline that were happening with who we have on the football field last week against Texas A&M. It wasn't two steps away. It got to the point where we were one step away. It was getting interesting."

Cornerback Zabien Brown, who has been the most consistent piece in the secondary, has been out since suffering a lower-body injury against Tennessee. Red Morgan was tossed against the Aggies after a questionable targeting call, and the depth has been affected by Nick Sherman's offseason injury and the stunted development of freshman Jorden Edmonds, who missed the first six games of the season.

DeBoer praised the defensive staff for how it handled the thin room in that game, while also giving credit to captains Bray Hubbard and Zabien Brown. It's not particularly common to see a team with two captains in the secondary, and fifth-year senior Keon Sabb provides additional leadership in the defensive backfield.

"That leadership is important. That consistency, I think, is key for us," DeBoer said. "With Bray out there, just, you don't see guys panicking or anything like that. And obviously, that's going to be important because it's a very good passing attack."

LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt is coming off a 38-17 decimation of Auburn in which he threw for 388 yards and three touchdowns. The Tigers' offensive identity is in the air, and the weapons are among the most skilled in the nation.

In a game where a loss would effectively kill Alabama's College Football Playoff hopes, the secondary will be under the most pressure it has faced all season. The first eight weeks don't inspire much confidence in how it will respond.