Darth Saban vs. The Mad Hatter

Saturday was probably the most amazing party I've ever seen or attended.  I've been to a lot of football games, but nothing comes close to what I experienced Saturday.  It was unbelievable!!!  The weather was perfect, and I even met a couple of Covers posters out there who got to see Jimmydafreak in rare form!!!  Alabama losing the game, however, was probably the biggest buzz-kill of all time.  Had Alabama won, the party on the quad would have probably continued until 5 in the morning.

One of the most frustrating things in gambling is when you cap a game correctly, but lose the bet.  With the exception of giving the coaching edge to Saban, that was pretty much the case here.  Miles and his staff out-coached Saban's staff for the second consecutive year, and at this point you would have to say that Miles is the best coach in the SEC.

While Kirby Smart's defense was as dominant as expected, Jim McElwain's (who I have consistently criticized on Covers for the past 2 years) offense once again tried to get too cute at critical times, and Alabama's offense couldn't capitalize on multiple scoring opportunities - any one of which would have put this game out-of-reach.  You simply cannot leave that many points on the field and expect to beat a team like LSU.

Everyone knew going in that LSU had the advantage in the kicking game, but some of Saban's inexplicable decision-making exacerbated that advantage.  Playing field position against an offense that had been rendered completely one-dimensional by his defense would have made a lot more sense than trotting an erratic long-range FG kicker who had little chance of success.  They could have played 8 quarters and LSU would not have scrored a TD on Bama's defense. 

Here were the key moments in the game as I saw it.

**  Jordan Jeffereson.  LSU had no chance of winning the game with Jarrett Lee under center.  When it became apparent that LSU could not run up the middle, and that any pass they threw downfield was just as likely to be caught by someone wearing a crimson jersey as a white & gold one, LSU began attacking the perimeter of Alabama's defense with Jeffereson in the run game and had some success.  Jefferson also had a couple of critical scrambles.

**  On 3rd and 8 from the LSU 17, McCarron overthrew Hanks in the endzone.  What many probably missed was that Brandon Gibson was all alone for an easy, uncontested TD.  And even though McCarron threw to the wrong guy, Hanks did have a step on his guy.  Had McCarron threw an accurate ball to Hanks, it still would have been a TD.  That lack of execution cost Alabama 4 points.

**  Unnecessary block in the back by Josh Chapman on Mark Barron's interception.  The guy Chapman blocked in the back had no chance of making a play on Barron.  That idiotic penalty gave Alabama the ball on the LSU's 35 yard line instead of the 3-yard line.  That potentially cost Alabama 4 points.

**  Just prior to Morris Claiborne's crucial interception, RT DJ Fluker stepped on Trent Richardson's foot.  That prevented what would have been a huge run by Richardson.

**  The play of the game, of course, was Marquis Maze's 4th quarter pass to TE Michael Williams which resulted in a controvesial interception at the LSU 1-yard line.  I will say that regardless of which way the refs called the play on the field, I don't think it could have been reversed by the replay official.  So had it been called a reception, I think it would have stood as well.  Just not sre there was indisputable evidence either way.  What is being missed about this play, however, is the pass itself.  Williams was running a corner post with nobody covering him.  Had Maze thrown the ball to the outside (and away from the defense), this would have been an easy, uncontested TD.  Instead, Maze threw the ball to the behind Williams and into the coverage.  To McElwain's credit, this was a great play call that should have resulted in an easy TD for Alabama. 

**  The Morris Claiborne interception that allowed LSU to tie the game.  The ball should never have been thrown.  Claiborne was covering TE Brad Smelley which was mis-match favoring LSU.  Very bad decision by McCarron.

**  Brad Wing's punt from the Alabama 9-yard line that pinned Alabama at the LSU 19-yard line.  Both Wing and Marquis Maze claim the punt hit the overhead wire.  The CBS camera crew claim it didn't.  I have no idea if it did or not, but I'm not sure CBS would readily admit that their equipment may have had an effect on cruicial play of this game.

**  AJ McCarron in overtime.  The first play he put too much heat on a very short throw to Richardson which Richardson could not handle.  The second play (a wheel route to Richardson) probably would have been a TD had McCarron put the ball where it needed to be.  The third play McCarron took a sack which pretty much foreclosed any chance of a FG.

Alabama's last losses have come in the form of major choke jobs against LSU twice, and Auburn.  At this rate Alabama will be known as the Chokelahoma of the SEC.  What all 3 of these games have in common is that Alabama's coaching staff did not play to win, rather they played not to lose.  The play not to lose style that defeated them against LSU & Auburn last season returned to defeat them against LSU.  At some point, the staff has to realize that all the recruiting they do, and all the preparation they do won't overcome the fact that the staff's bad habit of playing to not lose will continue to cost them championships.

LSU deserves all the credit in the world for coming into a very tough,boisterious Bryant-Denny Stadium and doing what they needed to do to leave with a win, and give them the inside track to the national championship.

I know this wasn't a MAC scoring fest, but all-in-all the game lived up to the hype.  I've never had some much fun at an Alabama loss in my life.