ALMOST - LSU 17 - BAMA 21

Moments after LSU's four point loss in the last minute to No. 1 Alabama, the Tigers' defensive leader told reporters the tale of the tape.
 “We let this get away,” LSU defensive end Sam Montgomery said. “We had tons of opportunities to maximize in the game. But we couldn’t put them away. Sometimes, it’s not the best team, but it’s the most disciplined team. It’s tough. It was slow death.”
 At least it seemed that way for Bama, which had mustered barely a pulse in the second half, until the unflappable AJ McCarron took the Crimson Tide 72 yards and lofted a screen pass that went for a 28-yard touchdown pass with 51 seconds left. The Tigers had blitzed on the play, sending the crowd of Tiger Stadium-record crowd of 93,374 into a hush.

LSU's much criticized quarterback finally played like LSU's coaches thought he could, finishing with nearly 300 yards and showing a dazzling display of nice throws. “The receivers and the rest of the offense have known what we were fully capable of all year,” Zach Mettenberger said.
 “We were finally clicking tonight. But as well as I played, I would trade 150 yards and three interceptions if we had won. It hurts; it definitely hurts.

Les Miles let LSU down by not playing Jarrett Lee @ Alabama

Looking back at the 2011-2012, LSU Fighting Tigers football season, there is a great sense of pride and joy at the accomplishments. The top team in the land for most of the season, 13-0 at one point. Undisputed No. 1 and much feared for much of the year. But alas a final test failed.

Alabama is a great team -- and they showed it in the BCS Championship Game. But who would have thought they were 21 points better than an LSU team that had been averaging more than 38 points a game?

We all know what happened throughout the season and even before it. Starting quarterback Jordan Jefferson was having an awesome spring camp and people said he would likely start the season. Then came the bar fight. Then Jarrett Lee stepped in and led the Tigers to 8 straight victories in convincing fashion.

When the team traveled to Bryant-Denny Stadium on November 5, Lee was shaky. He threw two bad interceptions, one which leading to 3 points. Then that was it. He was benched.

"I just felt we could get something going with Lee," coach Les Miles said. It was a plausible excuse. Jefferson was the more mobile of the quarterback and took vicious hits that he surprisingly got up from each and every play.

The next game and so on, Jefferson would start. The Tigers continued to roll. But then things got weird. The Tigers would be up big in the third quarter and then the fourth, yet Jefferson wouldn't see any playing time.

At first it was proper to dismiss this as "feeling Jefferson out" for the long haul. Lee had started in eight straight games. It was time to let Jefferson get off a little bit.
But then what was once construed as weird, seemed more and more just down right mean. The end of the Arkansas game with the Tigers up by 30-some points, Lee stayed in until the final seconds. It didn't feel right to the Tiger faithful. That game was Senior Day, the last time Lee or Jefferson would play in Tiger Stadium.

 Same thing against Georgia. Tigers were up big and Lee came in only to shake hands as the final seconds ticked.
By then it was clear that either Lee had did something wrong, or Miles had simply lost faith in a young man that had given his all to the school and program.

Even now, the Tiger faithful still don't know what really happened as to why Lee didn't see the field late in the season. Miles had always challenged both quarterbacks to compete against each other, only this time he had clearly picked a winner.

Still, as any coach, he had the right to play whoever he deemed best suited to provide a spark.

So in the Alabama game, the LSU faithful, the Alabama faithful, the TV folks, the whole world, knew that Jefferson was struggling so bad that he would'nt be able to run or throw his way out of this one.

The Bama defense had bore down on him and had knew his every move. It was clearly time for  a change. Everyone knew it. But Miles. Even former NFL quarterback and current TV analyst Shawn King knew it was time for a change. Not Miles.

His excuses, this time, don't fly. The Tigers didn't cross midfield til midway through the fourth quarter. Lee should have been in midway through the third.

No good reason exists as to why Miles didn't play Lee. And the damage goes beyond one blemish on a football record. Recruits and players already on the squad can't help but think, 'Wow, this man has shown that if you mess up one time, in one game, you could be benched for the reason of the season.'

LSU lost more than a game when it lost to Alabama. In alot of ways, it lost respect for itself.

LSU loses to Alabama in BCS title

The Alabama defense -- too strong, too fast for much of the night -- completely dominated the LSU Tigers on MOnday night to win the BCS National Championship. Make no mistake about it, the better team won in a rematch of the Game of the Century. Jordan Jefferson looked ill-prepared and played even worse than that. As good a season as the Tigers have had, they have not had the offensive support that they needed to be a BCS champion. Diehard fans knew it long ago, even against teams such as Florida and Tennessee. But here we were Monday night, hoping against hope that the vaunted Tigers defense could fine a way. Jarrett Lee, the quarterback that began the season as LSU's starter, watched with anticipation from the sidelines, hoping he would get a chance to prove his worth. LSU coach Les Miles would have none of it, for reasons that have remained secret for much of the past few months. As for the Tide, they rolled and rolled hard. "They are unbelievable," said Alabama offensive lineman Barrett Jones, speaking of the Tide defense. "That defense is as good as any defense I've ever seen. They rush the passer, they have awesome linebackers and they're great in coverage. They really don't have any weaknesses. They have to be as good as any defense ever." ON MOnday night, to conclude the 2011 season, LSU would have to agree.

Alabama secures deal with Devil, will play LSU for national title

College football fans not living in Alabama are livid at the BCS for selecting the Crimson Tide to play LSU for the national championship.

The usual catchphrases were at work late Sunday -- "body of work" and, wait for it, "eye ball test" -- in denying the Oklahoma State Cowboys of the Mighty Big 12 a shot at the title game.

For many voters in the Harris poll, it came down to Oklahoma State's double overtime loss to lowly Iowa State.

But check how one Bama fan summed it all up:

"Cry me a river, come play in the SEC week in and week out, tell me that you have a great team after running the gauntlet we play every week. Yes we lost at home in OT, just like OkIe State, but the difference is, LSU and Iowa State. We can’t help that our schedule did not have us playing S Carolina or Georgia, we rotate them every 2-3 years, so yes we do play them.

I am so tired of all the SEC haters, people get over it, play some teams that play defense, that is what wins Championships, not the high scoring offenses, why do you think it was 9-6, the No.’s 1 and 2 defenses provided a stalemate, neither of the remaining one loss teams could hold a candle to LSU or Alabama, they would be run out of the stadium, look over the last six years, only Oregon is the only team I can recall that had a decent game last year against Auburn and Cam.

I do feel bad for Ok. State, they had a great season and game against OK, but OK was playing withour several of their star players, wonder what the outcome would have been had they been healthy? I guess we will never know will we, congrats to Okie State on the Big 12 Championship, hopefully, they will get smart and get in a conference that plays not only offense, but defense and special teams, that is why Bama and LSU will battle it out and give the SEC its 6th straight BCS Title."

Will Jarrett Lee EVER get any meaningful playing time?

It got egregious in the Arkansas game. Ahead, 41-10, LSU coach Les Miles continued to insert Jordan Jefferson after the game was way out of hand and victory over the No. 3 Razorbacks was all but assured.

Jarrett Lee, the No. 2 rated passer in the mighty Southeastern Conference strapped his helmet on and just stared at Miles, waiting for, at that point, obligatory playing time. After all, it was Senior Day. Lee's parents, as were all the mothers and fathers and available relatives of the undefeated LSU Tigers, in attendance.
But Miles, being Miles, didn't let Lee in until less than 2 minutes remained in the game.
On Saturday in the SEC Championship, LSU was up big-time over Georgia 35-10 even as the third quarter drew to a close.
To start the fourth quarter, who was it again? Jefferson.
So, the question begs itself: Why isn't Lee getting any meaningful playing time?
This is a guy who staked LSU, in its most important football campaign in five years, to an 8-0 start before throwing two bad interceptions at Alabama.
His punishment since that time? About 5 minutes P.T.
Tops.
Is there something deeper? Did Lee's father possibly curse Miles out after the Bama game and the coach see fit to send a message? We don't know.
Whatever the offense, Lee's time in the game has been reduced to Token Time. Garbage.
While Lee has only thrown for more than 200 yards once (against Mississippi State) he was completed more than 70% of his passes an astounding five times, including 90% against Northwestern State.
For comparison, Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck, the likely Heisman winner and No. 1 pick in next year's NFL draft, has completed 70% of his passes in five games also.
Jefferson, a constant threat on the ground, has only completed 70% of his passes in two games, including one in which 100% of his passes were caught (against Ole Miss).
Will Lee get some valuable P.T. in the BCS game against likely opponent Alabama, especially since having a horrible showing against them on November 5?
Time will tell.

LSU wins SEC Title, will play for BCS National Championship

LSU is back in the BCS title game.
After defeating the Georgia Bulldogs, 42-10, the Tigers await their opponent -- Alabama or Oklahoma State.
Saturday night, the Tigers looked like the could handle both of them as Tyrann Mathieu turned in an MVP and maybe Heisman, performance, running back a punt 62 yards for a touchdown, setting up another score with a fumble recovery and whipping No. 14 Georgia

LSU (13-0) gets to play the BCS title game in New Orleans. The team on the other side of the field will be announced Sunday night.
Will it be the mighty Tide, whose only loss was a3-point defeat to the LSU Tigers? Or Okahoma State, who dropped a 2-overtime thriller to lowly Iowa State?

4 Reasons why Alabama lost to LSU 2011

First off, let's be honest. If the referees don't call a block in the back, the Tide take over at LSU's 3-yard-line after an intereception return. Also, if the referees don't make the initial call of an interception on the Michael Williams-Eric Reid jump ball, again, it's Tide's ball at the 1. But these were two supremely talented defenses going at it when No. 1 LSU went to Bryant-Denny Stadium to face the No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide.

Here are the 4 reasons why Alabama lost the game.

1. Bama's confidence @ QB: AJ McCarron refused to look in the middle of the field for his passes. The one interception spooked him something awful. Don't know if he thought he could screenpass all day (which was very successful), but sooner or later you've got to throw the ball vertically to keep the defense honest. Nick Saban refuses to let his players "just play." As someone who likes to be in complete control, iIf he could take over the use of their limbs via puppetry he'd do it.

2. Sometimes you can just get too cute: Trent Richardson was built for a game like this. He got 23 carries, but he should have gotten 33. The trick-play wild cat pass that ended in an interception was unnecessary. Richardson had just churned out a 24-yard run and was feeling it. But Bama's coaches saw fit to switch it up a bit, I guess. Wrong move.



3. Kicking themselves: Alabama missed four field goals, including Cade Foster's 52-yard attempt after the Tide got the ball first in the extra period. It could be argued that the first two shouldn't have been kicked, but Nick Saban could have been setting up a fake field goal attempt for later in the game.

4.Receiver Marquis Maze was hobbled ... and Tide coaches should have saw that. His crucial leg injury wound up at the center of two key miscues in the fourth quarter. Maze, favoring his leg, threw a pass out of the wild cat formation to a wide open tight end. But he threw it on his back foot, the bad one. It was intercepted. Also, in what some are saying was the play of the game, Maze chose not to field a  long line-drive punt. He turned away from it around his own 40 and the ball rolled all the way to the Alabama 19. INstead of the Tide taking over at the LSU 40-yard line he let the ball roll all the way to the 19. The 72-yard punt totally reversed the field position and took the wind out of the Bama coaches.

LSU's 24-21 win against Bama one for the ages

When Jordan Jefferson and Jarrett Lee aren't confused, they're pretty good.
Case in point, Jefferson's 75-yard slant to receiver Rueben Randle.
Another case in point: Lee's 47-yard lob to Randle on a 3rd down play late in the game.
Maybe the Tigers should call a timeout before every play, then they'd have confident quarterbacks under center.
Whatever you call it, LSU's 24-21 win against the defending national champs Alabama Crimson Tide was a major statement and huge win.
It meant that the Nebuchadnezzar-like (grass-eating) Les Miles doesn't have to take a back seat to any coach in the SEC.
It meant that Nick Saban can be outcoached.
It meant that LSU should be a top 5 team, schedule-wise.
But all that is for another day.
Now, LSU sits just a game behind undefeated Auburn Tigers, who need to lose to Georgia next week then Alabama for LSU to get a shot.

Les Miles: The Madhatter (VIDEO)

LSU Tigers Les Miles "The Madhatter" Myspace Layout #6

4K LSU Layouts Goteamfan.com | Myspace Video

Alabama 24 - LSU 15 (sigh)

LSU got beat up by Alabama on Saturday, plain and simple. There were no theatrics, no strange plays. Don't blame the officiating, don't even blame the coaching.
The better team won. Period.
Nick Saban has Alabama looking every bit as good as the 2003 national championship Tigers. If you remember, they would knock quarterbacks out of the game, and would totally shut you down for long periods of the game.
In the 4th quarter, LSU had 9 yards.
Super sophomore eJordan Jefferson was knocked out of the gam; so was senior running back Charles Scott, rwho's season is ove.
It was just alot of hard, hard hitting, and most of it was by boys in Maroon jerseys.
Don't get me wrong. LSU's defense accounted for itself. It just couldn't stop Mark Ingram when it needed too; and Julio Jones, quiet for most of the night, caught LSU with a second-string safety guarding him. Toast.
LSU is still a good team, but like a purple and gold-encrusted blueberry pie in the oven for a mere 30 minutes, it just aint ready yet.

Is Alabama Beatable?

Nick Satan, er, Saban has honed the 2009 edition of the Crimson Tide into a sleek, powerful gridiron machine. Led by running backs Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson, they run well; led by quarterback Greg McElroy they pass well. And let's not even talk about the defense, who limits oppenents to around 15 points a game, with arguably the fastest front four in the SEC.
Is Bama, who has yet to even trail this season, even beatable?
The Tide has shown signs of waywardness but not weakness.
Ingram, the featured back season after Glen Coffee bolted to the League, is the cog that makes the offensive engine go: He churned out 150 yards against a stout Virginia Tech defense in the season opener and has been one tackle from glory several times.
Junior quarterback McElroy has thrown only one pick this season and is in the game-manager mode rather than gunslinger. But when he has to go deep he has, arguably, the best receiver in the SEC at his disposal, Julio Jones.
Jones, who has been slowed by injury this season -- he has just one touchdown and 9 receptions -- has drew a constant doubleteam from opposing defenses after lofty expectations from 2008.
If the Tide has a weakness it will probably be their inability to get the ball to Jones. The flip side of that issue is that they seldom have needed to, especially with the emergence of tight end Colin Peek.
Bama still faces the teeth of their schedule with this week's showdown with Ole Miss, but they look better than No. 2 Texas and No. 1 Florida (who still hasn't played anybody [sorry Vols)]. Also awaiting are the Auburn Tigers and LSU Tigers.
Will the Tide trip up along the way? Time will tell.
But, make no mistake about it, LSU will not doubleteam Jones (Look how they played Georgia's A.J. Green). If they can play Jones straight up, then McElroy will have to beat the Tigers with his arm.
If Ingram doesn't with his feet.