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After looking at the final scores of all the LSU games this year, if averaged out LSU scored around 40 points per game. That's a lot of points in not so easy of a schedule.
THANK YOU! People just don't get it, they just HATE the fact that 2 SEC teams in the big dance! Now everybody yapping playoffs, they should have listened to Mr. Slive back in '08, when he proposed a plus- one, but no conference responded except the ACC! So don't cry playoff now! The thing with other conference fans is that MOST of them tend to get caught up in - who wins the Heisman, who got the prettiest uniforms, what QB has the prettiest throw! I mean they are cool accomplishments, but we SEC fans just want #2 in the BCS, cause on game day, it's time to play some smash mouth football!
Here's my thing: the system has been unfair for a long time. Michigan fans weren't complaining when they were winning championships by beating teams like Washington in the Rose Bowl (which excluded the Floridas, FSUs, Miamis, etc.). The BCS, while not perfect, is more fair IMO than the old system. Yet everybody hates on the SEC for winning in a system that's more fair than the system that Texas, Notre Dame, and Michigan won the bulk of their titles under. I think there should be a playoff too, but in the meantime, give credit where it's due. Either give credit or don't mention anything about previous titles your school won in fixed games like the Rose Bowl that excluded the vast majority of college programs.
I agree with that....the old system really blew. A lot of the time the best teams didn't get to face each other on the field at all, unless we were lucky enough to get the right conference combination that would allow them to play.
About the only good thing about it was that sometimes you'd go into bowl season and not know who was probably going to be playing for the national title until some of the bowl games had been played, so the bowls sometimes had a little more meaning.
As for the game itself, here's how I see it at this point:
Alabama's advantages--
- A little stronger physically. The Alabama defensive line in particular was impressive in that first game. And LSU's one weakness is that they haven't been especially terrifying on the front lines. They will give QBs time to throw, and McCarron will have some time to throw and settle into the game in the first two quarters.
- Solid secondary that prevents stretching of the field. Underrated secondary. One reason QBs go down is because they spend so much time looking for open receivers.
- Good tacklers. They don't let receivers get too far. They block the running lanes and they simply do not allow cheap yards after the catch. Alabama controlled Arkansas' high-powered passing game, and they kept LSU's Randle from having a break-out game.
- A well-coached team: Really good at playing a low-risk, fundamentally-sound game. They let their superior athletes play the game, and they are an extremely cohesive, intelligent group of players. Alabama is damn near impossible to beat if they don't turn the ball over. If they don't turn it over, it's hard to see how they lose. LSU has to force Alabama into some bad decisions or get some fumbles.
- Trent Richardson had a pretty encouraging performance against LSU last time. Will probably do it again. That guy is a freak show. And even if he's gang tackled, Alabama has other runners in the backfield who can take some of the weight off of his shoulders.
- A.J. hasn't established himself as the play-maker that his predecessor was yet...but he'll be hungry to prove himself on the biggest stage. As I said earlier, he'll probably have some time to settle into the game. LSU is more worried about Trent Richardson having a big game, and they're going to take their chances with the young and not-yet-proven McCarron rather than letting Trent take over and rattle LSU early.
- Confident. They're not at all in awe of LSU. They know that they really should have won that first game. The kicking game will be a little easier inside the climate controlled conditions of the Super Dome.
LSU's advantages:
- Not quite as strong as Bama, but still quite strong and extremely well-conditioned. They will answer the bell in the later rounds - no problem. If there were any doubts about that, they were erased when LSU's defense spent nearly the entire 1st quarter on the field against Georgia - and still ended up manhandling a team that might not be great, but is still very talented.
- Loaded with big play-makers on defense. Obviously Honey Badger is the biggest play maker of them all, but Claiborne is also an all-American corner. They also go deep. If one of their guys in the secondary goes down, they can put another one right in. They're that good. Better in the secondary than on the line.
- Jordan Jefferson. He will give the Tigers a new look coming into the game. He can force the Tide to guess a little more than they had to in the first 20 minutes in the November game. They have to respect his athleticism and his ability to turn a passing situation into a 30-yard scramble.
- Creative, scheming coaching staff. The Tigers sometimes show lapses that the Crimson Tide are not as likely to have, but the Tigers coaching staff are very creative and very good at breaking down games and making in-game adjustments. Despite being controlled throughout most of the game in November, you could see that LSU's coaching staff adjusted to the game better than Alabama did as time elapsed. Saban is better than Miles at discipline, but Miles and his staff are better at figuring things out on the fly and adapting (I know that's probably blasphemy, but it's true).
Special teams is, until proven otherwise, far superior to Alabama's. Brad Wing is one of those rare kickers who can take a team that is pinned in their own end zone and end up pinning the other team in their own end zone. The kickers are also more accurate, and this could be critical in a game that may very well be as close as the last one.
Intangibles:
Big pressure and whoever can take being in the spotlight the best.
I can't help but think that Jordan Jefferson's presence will be a huge key in this regard. Not that Jefferson's the next Cam Newton - far from it - but he has played very well in big games. This started with his performance against Georgia Tech a few years ago, and that notion was punctuated this year, starting with his off-the-bench performance against Alabama in November, and continuing unfazed in the face of increasing pressure with big wins against Arkansas and Georgia.
By contrast, there are still some questions about AJ. I don't know, for all any of us know, he might make this his big Eli Manning-style coming out party and have the game of his life, but I won't count on it at this point. The problem for AJ is that lost to LSU, and he and the Tide really haven't played a significant opponent since then. LSU, on the other hand, went out and got challenged early on by two more teams that were waiting to be the spoiler. And each time, JJ played pretty well. Not lights-out great, but well enough to lead the offense.
It's really hard to call this one. I don't know if I can. On the one hand, this sort of feels like the Giants-Patriots rematch game of 2007. The team that just barely lost gets a second crack and taking down an undefeated team that has all the hype and has accomplished a lot of great things already. It just seems like the sort of game that Alabama would relish and LSU might dread. And some teams that are emotionally unstable probably would dread facing Alabama again. But in the games against Alabama, Arkansas and Georgia, I saw in LSU a team that is very mature and doesn't panic. They don't flip out when bad things happen; they are excellent at playing the game within the game. I think that for these reasons, I am probably beginning to lean more toward LSU. If the Tigers fumble or JJ has a bad game, obviously, that changes the complexion a bit. But when all the factors are analyzed, I think LSU can win another close contest with Alabama. There might be more scoring this time; I think they might both score TD's, but I think the end result will be the same. LSU 16, Alabama 13.
Here's my thing: the system has been unfair for a long time. Michigan fans weren't complaining when they were winning championships by beating teams like Washington in the Rose Bowl (which excluded the Floridas, FSUs, Miamis, etc.). The BCS, while not perfect, is more fair IMO than the old system. Yet everybody hates on the SEC for winning in a system that's more fair than the system that Texas, Notre Dame, and Michigan won the bulk of their titles under. I think there should be a playoff too, but in the meantime, give credit where it's due. Either give credit or don't mention anything about previous titles your school won in fixed games like the Rose Bowl that excluded the vast majority of college programs.
I purposely waited until the day of the game to make a prediction because I was torn on who to pick... I'm still torn but I have to make a decision. So I'll make it.
I think LSU will come out passing a lot more than normal. I think they will try to spread Alabama out and use the arm strength and legs of Jefforson. And I expect them to have success in doing so. Rueben Randle, Odell Beckham Jr, and Russell Sheapard will all be much more involved. If JJ struggles, expect to see Jarrett Lee as well.
I also expect them to speed up their tempo of play... Almost Oregon and OSU like. Ok, maybe not that fast, lol. But definitely faster. No as methodical. That plays into Bama's hands. And Bama is better at that style of play than LSU is in my opinion.
I expect LSU to play well early and get the lead and have the lead in the second half. Then they will then go back to big boy football to shorten the game and tire out Bama.
As I said before I was torn so I think Bama can win if...
They have early success running the ball and dont get behind to where they have to pass a lot. LSU's defensive strength is their secondary. They will probably turn the ball over if they have to pass alot. On defense they need to pressure the QB (whoever plays) and not let LSU get into rhythm and dictate the tempo. If they can do those things will win. I just dont see them doing it.
I don't see this one as low scoring as the other. I also see LSU distancing themselves in the 4th quarter.
I purposely waited until the day of the game to make a prediction because I was torn on who to pick... I'm still torn but I have to make a decision. So I'll make it.
I think LSU will come out passing a lot more than normal. I think they will try to spread Alabama out and use the arm strength and legs of Jefforson. And I expect them to have success in doing so. Rueben Randle, Odell Beckham Jr, and Russell Sheapard will all be much more involved. If JJ struggles, expect to see Jarrett Lee as well.
I also expect them to speed up their tempo of play... Almost Oregon and OSU like. Ok, maybe not that fast, lol. But definitely faster. No as methodical. That plays into Bama's hands. And Bama is better at that style of play than LSU is in my opinion.
I expect LSU to play well early and get the lead and have the lead in the second half. Then they will then go back to big boy football to shorten the game and tire out Bama.
As I said before I was torn so I think Bama can win if...
They have early success running the ball and dont get behind to where they have to pass a lot. LSU's defensive strength is their secondary. They will probably turn the ball over if they have to pass alot. On defense they need to pressure the QB (whoever plays) and not let LSU get into rhythm and dictate the tempo. If they can do those things will win. I just dont see them doing it.
I don't see this one as low scoring as the other. I also see LSU distancing themselves in the 4th quarter.
LSU 34 Bama 21
Good post.
I think the short of it is, if Richardson gets loose again and if the TE Smelley can get more involved, Alabama has an even better chance to win the game -- if they don't turn the ball over.
If LSU can open it up offensively and use their speed to their advantage, I think they will win - if they don't turn the ball over.
Saban will not like Mathieu win the game for LSU. He's too smart and conservative to allow that. Saban likes to win the field position game. He did that in the first game. Alabama did everything right in that first game, except win it.
LSU will have to bring something different to the table in order to win. But Les Miles and his team know that. I don't think they're walking into a minefield unprepared here. Should be another good game.
I think the short of it is, if Richardson gets loose again and if the TE Smelley can get more involved, Alabama has an even better chance to win the game -- if they don't turn the ball over.
If LSU can open it up offensively and use their speed to their advantage, I think they will win - if they don't turn the ball over.
Saban will not like Mathieu win the game for LSU. He's too smart and conservative to allow that. Saban likes to win the field position game. He did that in the first game. Alabama did everything right in that first game, except win it.
LSU will have to bring something different to the table in order to win. But Les Miles and his team know that. I don't think they're walking into a minefield unprepared here. Should be another good game.
Yes that is the key... I'm dead on with you there.
I also agree about the Honey Badger... I dont see him returning any punts for TD's in this one.
We are basically on the same page for what needs to happen... I know the haters are saying they wont watch but I am so looking forward to this game and I think it will be exciting. I dont really have a dog in the fight so I can watch judiciously and just enjoy it.
The secret of boring people to death is a game between LSU & Alabama.
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz......*wakes up* Did you say something?
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