LIVE BLOG: LSU, Alabama meet for legit (yes, legit) BCS title
Nick Saban: Practicing his secret play?
Les Miles: Something's up his sleeve.
NEW ORLEANS — The Falcons need to fire everybody. (Not really. But I’ve felt left out in the last 24 hours of venting since I’m covering the BCS title game. I promise to weigh in on the Falcons later this week, which still will be long before the flames on Arthur Blank’s head are extinguished.)
Now, back to the BCS. It’s LSU vs. Alabama. Please, no more whining. It SHOULD be LSU vs. Alabama. These aren’t just the two best teams in the SEC, they’re the two best teams in the country.
I’ve heard and read complaints from fans and media in every time zone. Some say this match-up completely devalues the regular season and makes LSU’s win in Tuscaloosa back in November meaningless. OK. That’s a a legitimate argument.
Some say that two teams from the same conference shouldn’t be allowed into the title game. I get that viewpoint.
Some say only conference champions should be eligible for the BCS title game. Perfectly understandable.
Here’s the problem: The rules don’t stipulate any of that. If the BCS or conference presidents or college presidents or whomever it is that actually set up this stupid system wants to tweak the set-up and attach those rules, 
that’s fine. Then we won’t have this problem.
But those rules aren’t in place and this is what you get — which are still the two best teams with the two best defenses. There’s no doubt about it in my mind. I covered that game in November and left Bryant-Denny Stadium still believing they were the two best (in fact, even after LSU won 9-6 in overtime, part of me still thought Alabama, after missing four goals, was the better team).
Some voters in the Associated Press
LSU fans (not Alabama cheerleaders) wouldn't mind repeat of Drew Alleman's overtime field goal in November.
poll — which is not a part of the BCS’s formula – are leaving the door open to voting LSU No. 1 even if Alabama wins, based on the Tigers’ win in the last meeting and going through their regular season schedule unbeaten.
Sorry, but that’s just stupid. Apply that logic to any other sport. So, if Denver Broncos win the Super Bowl, do you vote the Green Bay Packers champions, just because all evidence says they’re a better team. This is a playoff game. What happened before wasn’t a playoff game. It shouldn’t matter if the the loser of tonight’s game has 450 yards in offense and lost 7-6 on a 99-yard fumble return with 12 seconds left. Tonight’s winner should be recognized as the champion.
Now, about my outlook: I have no idea. You know that cliche that goes, “If they played 100 times, they’d each win 50″? It applies here. But just because “black” should come up half the time on a roulette wheel doesn’t mean “red” doesn’t hit 12 times in a row. (I speak from experience. But we really don’t need to go any further.)
I don’t expect another 9-6 game (and neither do the coaches). I do expect expect another close, low-scoring game. I find it hard to believe LSU coach Les Miles – who went vanilla in the last meeting — will be able to go four quarters again without so much as one trick play. In championship games, it’s expected that you play and coach aggressively so my guess is Miles does something, and the biggest question is whether it works or backfires.
It’s hard not to be impressed with the toughness and resilience of both teams. LSU went 13-0, won five road games (plus “neutral” site wins over Oregon in Dallas and over Georgia in the SEC championship at the Georgia Dome), has beaten eight ranked teams and has overcome some off-field issues, including offensive coordinator Steve Kragthorpe stepping down in August after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. (He remained on Miles’ staff as quarterbacks’ coach.)
Alabama wasn’t really tested after the LSU game (wins over Mississippi State, Georgia Southern, Auburn). But the Tide is one overtime field goal away from being unbeaten and comes in with that knowledge that it could’ve one that game if their kicker didn’t miss four field goal attempts. I’m sure coach Nick Saban has used that as motivation.
That’s enough for now. I’ll check back here as we get closer to game time. Straw poll: LSU or Alabama?
By Jeff Schultz
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965 comments Add your comment
Hawg Head
January 9th, 2012
10:27 pm
phil
January 9th, 2012
10:19 pm
No one named “Hawg Head” need call anyone but himself an idiot….
With all of you dummies who whine about a SEC West Team playing a SEC West Team for the title I guess if we had the same as in basketball and baseball with no divisions you would have seen UGA playing in the Liberty Bowl again.
Terry
January 9th, 2012
10:27 pm
Sheriff Roscoe P. Coltrane, what’s your excuse Git. you can’t even use an apostrophe. Troll! Oh wait you don’t know what that is! LOL LOL LOL
Fan of the Game
January 9th, 2012
10:27 pm
When is the college baseball world series. Now that is a true champion. Can’t wait and just think those kids have on 11 and 1/4 scholarships to divide among themselves.
tell the truth
January 9th, 2012
10:27 pm
Norwood having a terrific game
5150 UOAD
January 9th, 2012
10:27 pm
Not Legit WHO CARES if the others don’t want to recognize it. Hell most SEC fans don’t think AUBURN won it last year.
HUGE pass again
dave
January 9th, 2012
10:27 pm
Alabama could win this game 50-0 and I’d still consider LSU the better team. Their schedule was 100 times tougher than Alabama’s. Alabama beat 2 teams in the top 25 all year, one of which was Penn State. Their out of conference schedule was North Texas, Kent State and GA Southern. What a joke. Alabama is a disgrace. I guess play a bunch of creampuffs every year and still get to the BCS game because of the pro SEC biases of all the media voting in the polls. LSU had the far better season. I saw Alabama live against Miss State and they looked like trash for much of the game. Too bad Oklahoma State isn’t in this game. That would have been the true national title game.
Bob
January 9th, 2012
10:28 pm
Haha – so many but thread lsu fans. I’m loving it.
phil
January 9th, 2012
10:28 pm
Hawg Head
January 9th, 2012
10:23 pm
phil
January 9th, 2012
10:19 pm
No one named “Hawg Head” need call anyone but himself an idiot….
Actually an Arkansas Fan,,,,,you loser.
******
Really? Who could’ve ever guessed that?
tell the truth
January 9th, 2012
10:28 pm
that’s two wide open throws for tds that he has missed
Brent Musburger
January 9th, 2012
10:28 pm
I just got another tingle up my leg. Man, I love the Tide.
Bob
January 9th, 2012
10:28 pm
Alabama is the best. Lsu is second.
T-Dawg
January 9th, 2012
10:29 pm
Snore…..
katherine
January 9th, 2012
10:29 pm
Not legit
January 9th, 2012
10:26 pm
Kat, hate to tell u but majority of cfb fans agree, bammer got a big ol undeserved mulligan and no one but hammers will recognize championship should they win it
Hate to tell you but I am not an alabama fan…and I am a college football fan…the majority can think what they want..it wont change anything…just like it didnt change the fact that auburn didnt get a shot when they went undefeated….you are just an upset lsu fan
jack bull
January 9th, 2012
10:29 pm
he’s gotta check out of the run right there..he had man coverage..needed to go deep
Fan of the Game
January 9th, 2012
10:30 pm
The bottom line is that too much emphasis is put on the National Championship in college football. Go win your bowl game and get ready for next year. After all it is the ESPN national championship.
Gene Cheese Stick
January 9th, 2012
10:30 pm
You folks like my duds tonight? Pretty stylish, huh?
katherine
January 9th, 2012
10:30 pm
dave
January 9th, 2012
10:27 pm
Alabama could win this game 50-0 and I’d still consider LSU the better team. Their schedule was 100 times tougher than Alabama’s. Alabama beat 2 teams in the top 25 all year, one of which was Penn State. Their out of conference schedule was North Texas, Kent State and GA Southern. What a joke. Alabama is a disgrace. I guess play a bunch of creampuffs every year and still get to the BCS game because of the pro SEC biases of all the media voting in the polls. LSU had the far better season. I saw Alabama live against Miss State and they looked like trash for much of the game. Too bad Oklahoma State isn’t in this game. That would have been the true national title game.
I guess okie state shouldnt have lost to that unranked team huh……sucks for them
5150 UOAD
January 9th, 2012
10:30 pm
kick it out of bounds.
DAMN had a huge chance to down it inside the 5
Bob
January 9th, 2012
10:31 pm
Poor LSU fans
….
Not legit
January 9th, 2012
10:31 pm
Agree on au 5150′ butnbammer being in thisngame ismjust as corrupt, if not mores. I’m with Dave and Dan, well played Dave and dan
Just Sayin
January 9th, 2012
10:31 pm
@Fan of the Game “Just sayin what game are you watching, his hand went above his shoulder”
The rules say :
To signal fair catch the receiver must raise one arm fully above his head and wave it side to side, while the ball is in flight.
The guys arm never goes above his shoulder. Just a bad call, but it doesn’t matter.
Fan of the Game
January 9th, 2012
10:31 pm
The Bear would love this defense.
phil
January 9th, 2012
10:31 pm
You LSU punks can have your swamps and gator hunts.
Won’t be long til you clowns go on probation for lord knows what violations yet to be revealed.
Bob
January 9th, 2012
10:31 pm
An lsu fan would Dave. They can’t count.
Hello My Name Peggy
January 9th, 2012
10:32 pm
Commercials are the best part of this telecast
Nuschlerclark
January 9th, 2012
10:32 pm
Legit? Legit?? Neither of these teams can even score a TD! I would rather be watching a great team and a great QB such as Boise State or Baylor..but these two teams SUCK!
We so desperately need a true championship but as long as these prima donna schools retain control they won’t have to worry about meeting good teams..just the same ole BS teams down south here.
tell the truth
January 9th, 2012
10:32 pm
what bama needs here is a turnover returned for a td
Nuschlerclark
January 9th, 2012
10:32 pm
Legit? Legit?? Neither of these teams can even score a TD! I would rather be watching a great team and a great QB such as Boise State or Baylor..but these two teams SUCK!
We so desperately need a true championship but as long as these prima donna schools retain control they won’t have to worry about meeting good teams..just the same ole BS teams down south here.
Hawg Head
January 9th, 2012
10:32 pm
phil….your ability to have one thought that is logical is beyond comprehension.
You sound like Mike P. an Auburn loser fan.
All I can say is we will finish in the top 5 and our losses will have come from the two best teams in the nation.
Orange11
January 9th, 2012
10:33 pm
Oklahoma State would be down 35 – 0 at this point. They have no D and are not man enough to stay with either one of these teams
wannab
January 9th, 2012
10:33 pm
Dawgs will never be #1-r-#2 to play for NC..but man they can cry a river. Sure know how to cut everyone else down.
Fan of the Game
January 9th, 2012
10:33 pm
Just saying they just said it was a legit call. He waved his hand twice. It was close but LSU guy had to see it. His teammates did.
Truth Teller
January 9th, 2012
10:33 pm
Defensive end Jordan Jenkins, who is ranked as the state’s No. 1 overall prospect said “Georgia is a better fit for me and my family together because I don’t want to go to some place where my mom is worried about me all the time. I just want to go to a place I can feel comfortable, and I can go to the coach and I can confide in him and stuff like that.”
Harvey Updike
January 9th, 2012
10:34 pm
Im gonna party tonight…….count on it! I might even buy some more tree poison
Bob
January 9th, 2012
10:34 pm
Jefferson “moving on down”
5150 UOAD
January 9th, 2012
10:34 pm
LEE LEE LEE LEE.
Bob
January 9th, 2012
10:34 pm
Enter your comments hereA horrible mistake lol
Orange11
January 9th, 2012
10:34 pm
First pick
Sheriff Roscoe P. Coltrane
January 9th, 2012
10:34 pm
Who wants to watch those so called Hi-powered offenses again
We saw that with Oklahoma Twice, Texas, and Oregon last year and those teams lost to Aub, AL, FL, and LSU. They had defenses
Did you people who are whining about OK St not getting a chance not watch those National Championship games.
Get a clue
iTiSi
January 9th, 2012
10:34 pm
Brent Messburger just called the Alabama QB, “McElwain”. Yep, he’s really into it.
Not legit
January 9th, 2012
10:35 pm
Not an LSU fan Kate, just a football fan . . . Au did getnhosed when Reggie and USC cheated, and au cheated last year. But this bs is worse . . . This is the espn bowl and no one cares who wins, fans don’t like cheaters or being cheated by a joke system
Dawg48
January 9th, 2012
10:35 pm
Is the game still on?
IMHO
January 9th, 2012
10:35 pm
Jefferson needs to be replaced. He is not very good and hasn’t been all year. If he had kept running….
Bob
January 9th, 2012
10:35 pm
I couldn’t be happier for lsu fans
tell the truth
January 9th, 2012
10:36 pm
there’s the turnover- td would be nice here
Jeff Schultz
January 9th, 2012
10:36 pm
I wouldn’t normally say this at 12-0 in third quarter but that interception could bury LSU, considering it’s not moving the ball.
Unfortunate injury to CJ Mosley if this is as bad it looks.
ARdawg
January 9th, 2012
10:36 pm
Butt fuggly
Joshua
January 9th, 2012
10:36 pm
This “championship” game is as legit as the AJC’s chance of surviving the next 10 years.
5150 UOAD
January 9th, 2012
10:36 pm
Truth Teller you are NOT. The first thing out of his mouth was the DEPTH at BAMA and how he could get Playing time sooner at UGa.
Ms. Jefferson
January 9th, 2012
10:36 pm
Honey, its time to come home. What? Yes, yes, you can still sell dope on our street. Now come on home and let a real QB play.