BATON ROUGE — LSU wide receiver Justin Jefferson was asked an innocent question about the Red Elephant in the room after the then-No. 2 Tigers defeated No. 10 Auburn, 23-20, Saturday at Tiger Stadium.

After LSU improved to 8-0 overall and 4-0 in the Southeastern Conference going into its Nov. 9 game at now-No. 2 Alabama (8-0, 5-0 SEC), Jefferson was asked how different is this LSU team compared to the one in 2018 that lost, 29-0, at home to Alabama.

"I don't really know the answer to that question," he said and then he went on to say, 'We're going to, we're going to, uh, we're going to dominate. I mean, there's nothing much to it. I mean, we owe them. So, we're going to get to it."

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There is a lot different about the 2018 Tigers and the 2019 Tigers, who jumped from No 2 to No. 1 in the Associated Press poll on Sunday, while Alabama dropped to No. 2 from No. 1. The two teams each have this week open before meeting at 2:30 p.m. on CBS a week from Saturday in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

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LSU's new pass offense and quarterback Joe Burrow have been the talk of the nation this year. The Tigers are No. 1 in the SEC and No. 3 nationally in total offense with 535.9 yards a game. Burrow is a Heisman Trophy favorite, as he is No. 1 in the SEC and No. 2 nationally in passing yards with 2,805 and in passing yards a game with 350.6. He is also No. 1 in the SEC and No. 3 nationally in efficiency at 204.5 on 205-of-260 passing for 30 touchdowns with only four interceptions.

The 2018 Tigers finished ninth in the SEC and 68th nationally in total offense with 402 yards a game. Burrow finished No. 11 in the SEC and No. 65 in the nation in pass efficiency at 133.2. He was seventh in the SEC and 51st nationally with 222.6 yards a game.

"I think we're a much better team than last year," Burrow said. "I think we're a lot more explosive."

Alabama, meanwhile, is No. 3 in the SEC and No. 19 in the nation in total defense with 307.5 yards allowed a game and is No. 2 in the league and 15th nationally in pass defense with 180.1 yards allowed a game.

"They haven't seen an offense like us yet," said Jefferson, who is second in the SEC and 10th in the nation in receiving yards a game with 102.4 on 55 catches for 819 yards and nine touchdowns.

LSU wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase leads the SEC and is No. 8 in the nation with 107 receiving yards a game on 43 receptions for 749 yards and nine touchdowns.

"We're going to come for their heads," Jefferson said. "I mean, we're going to do what we need to do. We're excited to go against them and want to come out with a win."

LSU has not beat Alabama since a 9-6 overtime victory on Nov. 5, 2011, when it was also No. 1 in the nation and Alabama was No. 2. That explains the "owe them" comment by Jefferson, whose older brother Jordan Jefferson was the winning quarterback that night.

"We're going to be ready," Jefferson said.

"We know what's upon us," LSU coach Ed Orgeron said after the Auburn game. "There are some things we have to get better at. We can't make mistakes against a great team like that. We had too many penalties against Auburn (12 for 118 yards). We can't fumble a punt return (which Derek Stingley Jr. did). We have to get better on offense."

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LSU strugged in the red zone against Auburn.

"We have to continue to play like we played on defense," Orgeron said.

Alabama may be without starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who is trying to come back from ankle surgery. And if he does come back, he may not be 100 percent. Sophomore Mac Jones replaced Tagovailoa for the Arkansas game Saturday and completed 18 of 22 passes for 235 yards and three touchdowns in a 48-7 win.

"I haven't looked at them yet," Orgeron said. "I know that they're a fantastic team football team. We've got to play our best."

The winner will be one step closer to reaching the SEC Championship Game and the four-team College Football Playoff, which ends in New Orleans at the Superdome on Jan. 13, 2020.

"I'm not really worried about the national championship right now," Burrow said. "I'm worried about getting getting better in this bye week and then going after that big one."