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
Follow me on Twitter (@JeffSchultzAJC). Friend me on Facebook (Facebook.com/JeffSchultzAJC).
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
965 comments Add your comment
Orange11
January 9th, 2012
9:47 pm
Tide’s playing hard
tell the truth
January 9th, 2012
9:47 pm
big fg
jack bull
January 9th, 2012
9:47 pm
another FG attempt by Saban,,,,i simply didn’t know how great of a coach he is…
5150 UOAD
January 9th, 2012
9:47 pm
KAT is in the HOUSE.
SuperSize I have more friends that are BAMA fans and I can’t stand the Katrina leftovers we have in Atlanta.
Sugar Free Diet
January 9th, 2012
9:47 pm
Roll Tide Roll !!!
Andy
January 9th, 2012
9:48 pm
It’s a two score game now. Not exactly what you want but with the way Bama is playing defense it will be tough for LSU in the second half.
Sam
January 9th, 2012
9:48 pm
What a boring game. Ok state should’ve played instead of bama
Sheriff Roscoe P. Coltrane
January 9th, 2012
9:49 pm
Since 1990
Ive seen AL play for a national title 3 times
Ive seen FL play for a national title 4 times
Ive seen LSU play for a national title 3 times
Ive seen Tenn play for a national title 2 times
Ive have yet to see the UGA Pre-Season National Title holders to be mentioned….
5150 UOAD
January 9th, 2012
9:49 pm
jack bull I think it has something to do with 2 MNCs (playing for a 3rd) in the last Decade.
Bucked toothed Bama babe
January 9th, 2012
9:49 pm
@katherine
Of all of the teams that play NCAA football, AL is the only team that is given 2 chances to win the mythical NC. Every other team is given only one chance. For everyone else, lose once and you are out. AL is allowed to choke up an ugly game, lose on their home field and get a redo.
Supersize that order, mutt
January 9th, 2012
9:50 pm
UOAD, to be honest, I can’t stand either school, but I guess I can’t stand LSU less than I can’t stand Bama. LOL
smart dawg
January 9th, 2012
9:50 pm
Nice 2:00 drive for Bama.
Paul in NH
January 9th, 2012
9:50 pm
The Atlanta Falcons fans should be happy. It appears as if Mike Mularkey left the team to become OC at LSU.
Orange11
January 9th, 2012
9:51 pm
I bet Bama’s QB doesn’t lay the ball on the ground from the first play of the first offensive series
Hawg Head
January 9th, 2012
9:51 pm
Sam
January 9th, 2012
9:48 pm
What a boring game. Ok state should’ve played instead of bama
And you are an idiot.
katherine
January 9th, 2012
9:51 pm
oklahoma state had no business playing for the title over bama….bamas worst loss was to the number one ranked team in overtime…okie state lost to an unranked team…..
tell the truth
January 9th, 2012
9:52 pm
still classy as ever eh 5150??
Mister Pants
January 9th, 2012
9:52 pm
I’m gonna go read Al Gore’s book. Let me know when this is over.
5150 UOAD
January 9th, 2012
9:53 pm
SuperSize whatever makes the Pill go down smoother I guess. LOL
Sam
January 9th, 2012
9:53 pm
At least ok state won their conference. Bama didn’t even win the division. I didn’t know we had the wild card rule in college football.
jack bull
January 9th, 2012
9:54 pm
what’s Homey Badger done tonight?
Phil Laeshio
January 9th, 2012
9:55 pm
When will Crowell start to run the football like Richardson?
Deacon Blues
January 9th, 2012
9:55 pm
They call Alabama the Crimson Tide.
5150 UOAD
January 9th, 2012
9:55 pm
SAM and BAMA isn’t better than the SEC Least that played for the SEC title too right?
Hawg Head
January 9th, 2012
9:55 pm
And got beat by a team who finished 6-7. yeah boy. nice failed argument. Your ignorance runs very high. I guess all the coaches who voted LSU 1 and Alabama 2 know less about football than you.
phil
January 9th, 2012
9:56 pm
wins-by-a-link
January 9th, 2012
6:38 pm
I’m picking LSU over Bama, I just don’t think Bama has the QB to beat the Tigers, I know he has pretty good numbers, But I don’t think he can overcome the LSU defense. LSU by 10.
******
Nice pick, manure for brains!
Fire FG!!
Orange11
January 9th, 2012
9:56 pm
Enjoyable game thus far
Tech Fan Since 1950
January 9th, 2012
9:56 pm
The BCS is a fraud and this is a boring game to boot.
Bucked toothed Bama babe
January 9th, 2012
9:57 pm
@katherine
Bama lost on their home field, played terrible and choked in OT, didn’t win their division, didn’t win their conference. But you think they should get a redo because?
5150 UOAD
January 9th, 2012
9:57 pm
hawg head you know many coaches don’t vote. A lot of the time it is the SID.
jack bull
January 9th, 2012
9:57 pm
LSU simply needs to go into the locker room and start ‘Tebowing’..
Terry
January 9th, 2012
9:57 pm
Sheriff Roscoe P. Coltrane, Have to be an idiot boy, you can’t even make a comment right, and you type, or paste the same thing twice what a Git.
Bucked toothed Bama babe
January 9th, 2012
9:58 pm
@Orange11 “Enjoyable game thus far”
What an idiot.
Orange11
January 9th, 2012
9:58 pm
Doncha hate trolls?
Paul in NH
January 9th, 2012
9:58 pm
Only good thing about this game is that I don’t have to watch The Bachelor with my wife.
Hawg Head
January 9th, 2012
9:59 pm
Bucked toothed Bama babe
January 9th, 2012
9:49 pm
@katherine
Of all of the teams that play NCAA football, AL is the only team that is given 2 chances to win the mythical NC. Every other team is given only one chance. For everyone else, lose once and you are out. AL is allowed to choke up an ugly game, lose on their home field and get a redo.
I guess that same rule should have applied to Florida beating Florida St. You losers are just too jeolous. I guess your teams are sitting at home right now waiting for spring practice.
This is big boy football and we saw how much of a hard time OKSU had beating Stanford who we all saw get spanked in the regular season by a team LSU beat soundly.
iTiSi
January 9th, 2012
9:59 pm
Watching these two play is like watching a soccer game. One thing about it the SEC teams play some of the most boring brand of football there is. BTW, something occurred to me a few minutes ago. Usually in a national title game of this type there is either one or two outstanding, extremely talented QBs. This game doesn’t have any. Maybe that’s why it’s reminding me of a soccer game.
Sheriff Roscoe P. Coltrane
January 9th, 2012
9:59 pm
I love the loser UGA fans on here talking about OK St who should have lost to Stanford if they had a field goal kicker that could kick;; acting like they deserved to play this game when they couldnt beat an unranked team
With that mentality Boise St should have played; they beat the mighty 10 win champion Bulldawgs
Not legit
January 9th, 2012
10:00 pm
If bammer loses by two they will win mnc from bcs becausenthey had a kicked blocked and deserved the points anyway
katherine
January 9th, 2012
10:00 pm
Bucked toothed Bama babe
January 9th, 2012
9:57 pm
@katherine
Bama lost on their home field, played terrible and choked in OT, didn’t win their division, didn’t win their conference. But you think they should get a redo because?
Actually alabama played better and if they had not missed field goals would have won that game..and that still doesnt negate the fact that okie state lost to an unranked team….its not the first time two teams have played again for the national championship either so you’ll just have to get over it.
Bucked toothed Bama babe
January 9th, 2012
10:00 pm
@Hawg Head “And got beat by a team who finished 6-7. yeah boy”
On the road in the rain a couple of days after a terrible tragedy at their school. But continue to listen to your stupidity and think ESPN/BCS is trying to determine the NC.
Hawg Head
January 9th, 2012
10:00 pm
5150..Hate to point out something to you, but the final ballots are public record and are published. Every coach signs it when it is turned in. Just thought I would pass that little nugget along to you.
jack bull
January 9th, 2012
10:00 pm
wow, did you see that stat? LSU had less yards against the Dawgs in the first half of that game than they do this game…wait, does that mean Georgia’s D is better than…..naw, couldn’t be better than Saban/Smart..
Gdawg fan
January 9th, 2012
10:01 pm
All saying its a boring game..turn the channel. You don’t have to watch..grow up.
Bucked toothed Bama babe
January 9th, 2012
10:01 pm
Sheriff Roscoe P. Coltrane I just flushed you twice. Man you stank.
tell the truth
January 9th, 2012
10:01 pm
Watching winning football boring to you eh???
Sheriff Roscoe P. Coltrane
January 9th, 2012
10:02 pm
Terry
Whats wrong with the comment; it has truth
oh thats right
UGA fans dont like the truth so they hide behind moral victories and 10 win seasons
Hawg Head
January 9th, 2012
10:02 pm
Bucked toothed Bama babe
January 9th, 2012
10:00 pm
@Hawg Head “And got beat by a team who finished 6-7. yeah boy”
On the road in the rain a couple of days after a terrible tragedy at their school. But continue to listen to your stupidity and think ESPN/BCS is trying to determine the NC
More excuses for a second rate school that lost to a losing team. The loss of the women’s basketball coaches had no effect on the football team and that is a very poor excuse.
Paul in NH
January 9th, 2012
10:02 pm
Like a soccer game? If Barca and Real played like this the fans would burn the stadium down
Orange11
January 9th, 2012
10:03 pm
Name one team that could beat either one of the teams playing tonight