Here we go again. The final game of the 2011 college football season takes place tonight in New Orleans with the top two teams in the country and the SEC battling in one of the most anticipated contests in football history. Tonight's game between No. 1 ranked LSU (13-0) and No. 2 ranked Alabama (11-1) is unique because it is not only the first BCS Championship game to feature two teams from the same conference, but also the first rematch in title game history. The Tigers and Crimson Tide faced each other in Tuscaloosa in early November in what many labeled the "game of the century" in college football. The game filled the bill to some, but most fans were left disappointed with a 9-6 LSU overtime victory that was, well, pretty boring. The combined 15 total points were a result of the stout defenses, with Alabama ranked first in points allowed and LSU ranked second, and a series of missed kicks from Alabama's Cade Foster and Jeremy Shelley.
LSU went onto finish the season undefeated in conference play and ensured a spot in the BCS title game with a dominant 42-10 victory over Georgia in the SEC Championship game. Alabama would respond to the heart breaking loss by finishing the season 11-1 and would slide into the national title game after Oklahoma State's late season upset loss to Iowa State. Although many have criticized the notion of a rematch in the national championship game, the LSU-Alabama rematch remains the most attractive matchup to determine the national champion. With two of the hardest schedules in the country, neither team broke a sweat against their SEC foes and both schools beat high profile out of conference teams, with LSU crushing Rose Bowl champion Oregon and Orange Bowl champion West Virginia and Alabama defeating Big-10 foe Penn State.
The Tigers will rely on quarterback Jordan Jefferson, who is 4-0 as a starting quarterback this season, to lead them tonight. Both Jarrett Lee and Jefferson played in LSU's first contest with Alabama and both of them struggled equally against Alabama's strong defense. Jefferson has played well since being named the starter, leading the Tigers offense to an average of 42.3 points per game during the home stretch of the season, but will have to continue being effective out of the pocket if LSU is to put touchdowns on the board. Alabama has one of the greatest defenses in college football history and will look to use their stout front seven to disrupt Jefferson. LSU defensive phenoms Tyronn Mathieu and Morris Claiborne might both be playing in their final college games and will have to play big to force Alabama to be a one dimensional team. Luckily for the Crimson Tide they have one of the top running backs in the nation in Trent Richardson. Richardson, who was a Freshman when the Tide won the national title over Texas two years ago, had only three carries inside the LSU 40 yard line in their first meeting. Expect that to change tonight when Alabama coach Nick Saban pulls out all the stops to get the offense moving.
The two top coaches in the country, Alabama's Nick Saban and LSU's Les Miles, are each battling for their own legacies when the two teams square off tonight. Saban is looking to win his third national championship after his 2009 win with Alabama and his 2003 win with the LSU Tigers. Saban's decision to head to Alabama after his short stint with the Miami Dolphins left fans in Baton Rouge angry and I don't expect them to let up anytime soon. Miles is in search of his second national title after the Tigers beat Ohio State in New Orleans back in 2007 and will pass Saban's one-title mark at LSU with a win tonight. As great of a coach as Les Miles is, I can't imagine Saban losing to the same team twice in one season, especially with the national title on the line. Expect a close one tonight in the Bayou with the Crimson Tide of Alabama winning their 13th national championship.
Let the split-national championship debates begin!
PICK: Alabama
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