The Alabama defense is one of the greatest of all-time – There have been very few defenses capable of taking apart teams like Alabama has done this season. In recent history, I can think of only four others: 1992 Alabama, 1995 Nebraska, 1999 Florida St. and 2001 Miami. Even being mentioned with those teams is an accomplishment, but I think Alabama this season is better on defense than those teams. Just look at the LSU offense. As it turns out, the LSU offense maxed out in the first game with its 9 points. It didn't play well here and we all saw the results. Sadly.
Despite the loss, the LSU defense was its usual self – The LSU defense is the second best in the country. It stood on its head to keep Alabama out of the endzone for most of the game before finally running out of gas. Kudos to the effort put forth by LSU, especially the front seven that bottled up Trent Richardson entirely before the late touchdown run
On some level, the Maze punt return was the end of the game – Yes, Marquis Maze was injured on the punt return and yes I have been extra critical of him this season. Still, his punt return really shook LSU's confidence. All season, nobody had even bothered to return a punt against LSU. When Maze took off on his return, it was like the energy and will was sucked out of the LSU sideline. The one certain advantage was no longer an advantage.
LSU's offensive gameplan was pathetic
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| Thank to @Year2 of TeamSpeedKills for the image |
Just know the graphic isn't really all that far off from the truth.
Even with the bad gameplan, LSU's limitations offensively were on display – All season, nobody really thought much of LSU being a below average team offensively, as least as far as yards go. Mostly because it always had great field position and scored a ton of points. In this game, the field position was bad and there were no turnovers. Combined with a great defense, this was the result, as it might always have been destined to be. The last time this happened, the average Mississippi St. defense held LSU to 19 points, so we should have seen this as a possibility.
Jordan Jefferson should have been pulled – Jefferson was miserable in this game. No other way to describe it. He was inaccurate, made dumb decisions and was slow both in movement and in his reads in the option games. Quite simple, he was atrocious (even without the awful interception). Jarrett Lee may not have been better, but it wouldn't have hurt to try with the National Title on the line and the team in need of a spark down 15 in the 4th quarter.
The Alabama offense found a savior at wide receiver with Norwood – Kevin Norwood was pedestrian for all of his two seasons so far at Alabama. All season long, I decried the lack of a deep threat or big play receiver as the main Alabama weakness. With Marquis Maze out injured, Norwood suddenly became that guy, catching four passes for 78 yards after catching only seven passes all season. With Norwood a threat, the Alabama passing game had one of its best games of the season against the best secondary in the country.
Alabama is lucky this didn't become a kicking contest again – The Alabama kicking game was all over the place again. 5-7 and a missed extra point shows this is still a problem. At one point I said on twitter not to kick the field goal. The only way to lose was to get one blacked and returned for a touchdown.
Jordan Jefferson, you have earned the top lowlight of the season – For those who missed the interception, here it is, in all its lowlighty glory.
Jefferson's shovel pass int. now replaces Reggie Bush's infamous lateral as the worst play in NC game history.
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