Roll Tide!!!

Well, I’m back from New Orleans. I’d thought I’d share a few personal observations.

* The LSU fans started celebrating early. Before the game, the Alabama fans looked determined. The LSU fans looked determined to party. They thought they were going to a coronation, not a contest. I think the team might have caught the same disease.

* One of the LSU players — a very good player — has the nickname “honey badger.” LSU had someone dressed up in a Honey Badger costume on the field. Alabama would never do such a thing. We’re all about the team.

* The Superdome is really, really LOUD. When the fans aren’t screaming, they pipe in loud music. It’s a bit overwhelming. However, it’s a clean, very well managed facility. It’s great place to watch a football game. And they serve good food.

* LSU has a great team. They have the no. 2 defense in the country — and they played like it, holding Alabama to 21 points. They’d have crushed OSU or Stanford.

* An anonymous SEC assistant coach was asked before the game whom he favored. He responded, “Giving Saban that much time to prepare for an opponent is unfair. Alabama wins.” Alabama was vastly better prepared for the game, reading every play and playing with uncanny anticipation.

* Jarrett Lee at quarterback wouldn’t have changed things. A line that couldn’t block for the mobile Jordan Jefferson wouldn’t have blocked any better for the relatively immobile Lee. And Lee’s history with Alabama is that he throws interceptions. With Lee in, we’d have won by another 14 points.

* Alabama stuffed the option. LSU’s game plan was to beat Alabama on the option, as Georgia Southern had had great success against us with the triple option. And Alabama’ corners refused to be blocked by LSU’s receivers. They stood their ground, and as the runner approached the edge, threw off the blocker and made the tackle. It looked like they were playing high schoolers. I don’t think an LSU receiver made a block the entire game.

* LSU shut down Trent Richardson — holding him to 96 yards and 4.8 yards per carry — which is a great game for most running backs. But their focus on Richardson opened up the passing game, and Alabama threw on most first downs, taking advantage of the opportunity. LSU decided to stuff the run and force A. J. McCarron to beat them with his arm, and A.J. beat them with his arm — throwing for 234 yards.

* But Alabama couldn’t get much past the 25 yard line. LSU has the second best defense in the country (they held Arkansas to 17 and West Virginia to 21), and when the field gets short, they are tough, tough, tough to drive against. But we consistently got about 5 or 10 yards closer than we did in Tuscaloosa — and that put us into field goal range.

* The LSU fans began the game laughing at our field goal kicker, begging him to kick! After 15 points off field goals, they stopped.

* The LSU fans around me seemed to be good people, but it’s just plain rude to boo Alabama’s governor. It’s low class to organize cheers to bring in Jarrett Lee while Alabama’s C. J. Mosley is lying on the field being tended to doctors. Some things really are more important than winning. Alabama’s fans sit quietly while any player for either team is injured, and we always clap for his effort and sacrifice as he comes off the field — even in a national championship game. I thought everyone did that … but I guess not.

* I thought we’d probably win and maybe win big, but it never occurred to me that we’d shut LSU down so thoroughly. I mean, they only ran 4 plays on our side of the field — all in one series that ended back on their side of the field! We play LSU every year, it’s a great series, and I’ve never seen such dominance, and that’s in a year when LSU had a truly excellent team.

* I’d love to see a four-team play off — just to give other conferences a chance. Seeing LSU vs. Stanford and Alabama vs. Oklahoma State would have been a lot of fun, but the championship still would have been UA vs. LSU.

* So here’s my prediction from November 4 —

Fourth quarter. Richardson scores, leaving LSU defenders in the dust.

Check.

LSU attempts insane trick play. This time, it fails.

No trick plays, just a very questionable decision to run the option with Jefferson for four quarters, even though Alabama stuffed it every … single … time.

Bama wins.

Check.

Close game.

Missed that one. I’ll get over it.

* Finally, a few cool stats from SB Nation —

800: Days since a team had failed to conclude a single drive in their opponent’s territory.

That was New Mexico State vs Ohio State on 10/31/09.

386.7: Average yards per game gained by the LSU offense in games against teams not named Alabama. They averaged a robust 6.0 yards per play and 40.9 points per game. In two games (and an overtime) versus Alabama, they averaged 165.5 yards, 3.2 yards per play, and 4.5 points.

Like I said, LSU is a great team that racked up tons of points against some of the best teams in the country, including Oregon, Arkansas, and West Virginia. Their problem scoring against Alabama wasn’t their lack of offensive weapons — it was a buzz saw of a defense.

22.7: Percentage of LSU’s snaps that went for a loss.

Oh … wow!

ROLL TIDE!!

So there’s a story going around that the LSU team bus couldn’t make it back to Baton Rouge. It seems someone painted a 50-yard stripe across the interstate, and they couldn’t figure out how to get over it.

Oh, and the fans weren’t able to get home either. They couldn’t finish their drives.