LSU football lost to Alabama 42-28 Saturday night. The loss dropped LSU to 6-3 on the season, officially eliminating the Tigers from a chance at winning the SEC West.

Despite starting the game well, a lot went wrong for LSU. Most of what went wrong was on defense, but there were issues in each phase of the game. LSU led as late as the third quarter, but Alabama played another strong second half to seal the win. 

Here are three takeaways from LSU’s 42-28 loss:

Jayden Daniels probably lost his chance at the Heisman Trophy

It’s really not his fault either. 

Daniels might still be the best-performing quarterback in the country, but it’s almost impossible to win the Heisman on a team that isn’t a contender. With LSU’s third loss, that all but removes Daniels from the conversation.

READ MORE: Jayden Daniels leaves the game in concussion protocol as LSU loses to Alabama 42-28

In a year where quarterbacks like Michael Penix Jr., Jordan Travis and Bo Nix are all putting up elite numbers and play for contending teams, it’s almost impossible for a quarterback on a team with three losses to win.

Daniels had another great performance before leaving the game with a head injury, throwing for 219 yards and two touchdowns, and rushing for 163 yards and a touchdown on just 11 carries.

But just as the loss is a turning point for LSU’s season, it’s also a turning point for Daniels’ Heisman campaign.

LSU had to be perfect to win; it wasn’t

Brian Kelly summarized this point perfectly in the postgame press conference.

“We played good tonight. Good is not good enough. You have to play elite when you go on the road and play a top-10 team,” he said.

Going into halftime tied at 21, it felt like whoever made the first mistake would lose the game. Both offenses moved the ball at will, and it felt like one turnover or one wasted drive would be the difference.

It was.

On the first play of the fourth quarter, Daniels had his pass tipped at the line of scrimmage, allowing for a Terrion Arnold interception. The turnover gave Alabama the ball deep in LSU territory, and in position to take a 14-point lead late in the game.

PLAY BY PLAY: LSU football vs. the Crimson Tide

LSU even had a chance to stop Alabama on the following drive, but a horsecollar penalty called on Harold Perkins extended the drive, leading to Alabama going up by 14 and eventually sealing the game.

A generational offense will go wasted

This is nothing new, but it’s the story of the season for LSU.

What’s probably LSU’s second-best offense of all time is paired with might be its worst defense ever. On what was a comparatively off night for the offense, it still gained 478 total yards, but Alabama gained 507.

Daniels ran for 163 yards and a touchdown in what felt like a generational rushing performance for a quarterback. But it meant nothing when Jalen Milroe ran for 155 yards and four touchdowns.

Stats like that draw comparisons to the Ole Miss game where LSU gained 635 total yards, but Ole Miss put up 706. Or Florida State where Daniels impressed to start the season, throwing for 346 yards, but LSU still lost by 21 after Jordan Travis threw for 342 yards and four touchdowns.

Three avoidable losses keep LSU from competing for championships this year. All three happened in almost identical ways.