Thoughts on "The Game of the Century" (LSU-Bama)

[Senser81]

*Richardson is really good. He took a pounding but was really the game's only consistent threat. Alabama was successful running up the middle, but for whatever reason Saban kept running Richardson wide, and LSU was too good for that.

*Jordan Jefferson was amazingly the best QB on the field. His speed option plays were the only thing that worked against Bama's defense. McCarron was terrible, and Lee reverted back to his 2009 form.

*Obviously Alabama's special teams were terrible. I don't know why they didn't punt and try to pin LSU deep in their own territory. It seemed like most of those FG attempts were 45+ yards.

*Offensively, I would have prefered Bama to run more on those 3rd and 6 and 3rd and long plays with Richardson. McCarron couldn't complete a pass when LSU knew it was coming. I think the play of game was when Bama's TE couldn't come up with the ball on the 1 yard line and LSU ended up with it.

*Bama was done once the game got to OT. So much of it is field goal kicking. Just another example of why the college overtime rules need to be changed.

*For people complaining that the game was boring, I thought it was interesting. It was like watching chess...some of it appeared to be in slow motion, but it was neat to see the strategies. And odd as it sounds, the teams were equal in talent, with perhaps Alabama having a slight edge on offense, but the difference in the game was Les Miles outcoaching Nick Saban.

 

[ZoneBlitz]

*For people complaining that the game was boring, I thought it was interesting. It was like watching chess...some of it appeared to be in slow motion, but it was neat to see the strategies. And odd as it sounds, the teams were equal in talent, with perhaps Alabama having a slight edge on offense, but the difference in the game was Les Miles outcoaching Nick Saban.

Any true football fan can appreciate that the game was really damn good. High scoring doesnt equal good football. This game was intense and lived up to the hype.

 

[cynismus]

*Bama was done once the game got to OT. So much of it is field goal kicking. Just another example of why the college overtime rules need to be changed.

To what? I prefer college OT to the NFL (barring playoffs). The fact that each team gets the ball is huge; it all comes down to both sides of the ball executing their game plan. If you get the ball second, you know what you have to do to win or keep the game going.

Also, mandatory 2 point conversions = badass.

 

[jms493]

Both those QBs are not very good and this game proved that......either run for the score or throw up a prayer and hope for a penalty or your WR makes an amazing catch.

Decent game, both teams have nasty defenses.

 

[Senser81]

To what? I prefer college OT to the NFL (barring playoffs). The fact that each team gets the ball is huge; it all comes down to both sides of the ball executing their game plan. If you get the ball second, you know what you have to do to win or keep the game going.

Also, mandatory 2 point conversions = badass.

The fact that they need "mandatory" 2-point conversions should demonstrate how ridiculous the OT setup is. Whats next? Mandatory dive plays on 1st down, mandatory screen passes on 2nd down, and Joe Thiesmann comes in on 3rd downs to play QB for both teams?

I prefer the NFL OT to the college OT. It would have been much more interesting in the LSU-Bama game to have the NFL OT. I think 95% of the viewership knew Bama would lose once it went to OT.

 

[FirstTimer]

I don't think there was anyone in the stadium or watching the game that thought Bama would make that last kick.

 

[NAHSTE]

And odd as it sounds, the teams were equal in talent, with perhaps Alabama having a slight edge on offense, but the difference in the game was Les Miles outcoaching Nick Saban.

Yep, and it's the second straight year it's happened. At what point can we stop pretending Miles is a buffoon? He's 3-2 vs. Saban now, and 11-9 vs. top 10 teams at LSU.

Anyway I agree with your thoughts for the most part. Crazy how evenly matched the two teams were. There were definitely 15-20 NFL players on the field that day.

I think Maze's ankle injury made a huge ifference because Alabama otherwise seems to have very little talent at WR. And letting Maze throw a pass in scoring territory was questionable at best, even before it resulted in an interception.

 

[DSpydr84]

I always find it more interesting to watch two great defenses play. It's fascinating to me to watch what the offenses try to do when nothing is working, or who finds the chink in the armor first. Both teams tried every imaginable formation/motion/shift on offense and simply could not find a running lane. LSU used more option than I'd seen and Alabama was using unbalanced for the first time all season.

Most people can't appreciate the little subtleties going on during each play or series, they simply see the offense "handing it off every time". Being a bit of a nerd when it comes to football, I absolutely love seeing the offense start in an unbalanced bunch left, shift it to the other side, motion the wing back into the opposite backfield spot, and have the defense adjust to every move and make the stop. If even one player gets confused, that open gap could result in a huge play. It just didn't happen in this game.

For those that want a replay of it, check it here while it still is online. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSOyeK9kXDk"]#1 LSU vs #2 Alabama 2011 - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Primetime]

I hated the idea of a rematch for a NC before the game, but this game was just so damn good. I don't think any other teams can compete with these two and I felt Alabama, outside of special teams obviously, controlled the game. Bama out-played LSU IMO, but this just goes to show how much of a factor special teams plays in college, especially in these kind of games.

 

[Senser81]

And letting Maze throw a pass in scoring territory was questionable at best, even before it resulted in an interception.

I didn't like a lot of what Saban did in the game, but I didn't have a problem with that call. The receiver was actually wide open, and Maze had time to throw. He just threw a hail mary lob when he didn't really need to. Just a halfway decent pass would have resulted in an Alabama TD. McCarron couldn't pass worth a lick.

 

[NAHSTE]

Bama out-played LSU IMO,

:yao:

 

[Blade]

Maybe I missed it, but no mention of the LSU defense coming up with those crazy turnovers at the goal-line?

 

[Primetime]

Bama had 5 scoring opportunities, LSU had 2. They controlled the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. Trent Richardson was the only threat to either team in that entire game.

 

[Senser81]

Bama had 5 scoring opportunities, LSU had 2. They controlled the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. Trent Richardson was the only threat to either team in that entire game.

Bama's scoring opportunities were pretty bogus, especially when it became apparent that Bama couldn't kick a FG. In the 1st half, Alabama missed a 44 yarder to start, then missed a 50 yarder, then had a 49 yard FG blocked. While this was happening, LSU was electing to punt and pinning Bama at their 5 yard line and their 4 yard line.

Alabama didn't do all that much on offense, either, outside of two big plays by Richardson (neither of which resulted in a TD). They also were the beneficiaries of two terrible Jarrett Lee INTs, but they couldn't capitalize on either break.

 

[Sportsbuck]

I didn't like a lot of what Saban did in the game, but I didn't have a problem with that call. The receiver was actually wide open, and Maze had time to throw. He just threw a hail mary lob when he didn't really need to. Just a halfway decent pass would have resulted in an Alabama TD. McCarron couldn't pass worth a lick.

Plus it was a great play by the defender as well.

 

[NAHSTE]

Bama had 5 scoring opportunities, LSU had 2. They controlled the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. Trent Richardson was the only threat to either team in that entire game.

Bama never crossed the 20 yard line, so I'd hardly say they had 5 scoring opportunities. Zero snaps inside the red zone does not really indicate to me that they controlled the offensive side of the ball.

:dunno:


edit- apparently they had 3 snaps inside the red zone ... either way, this is what LSU's defense limited Alabama to inside the 35 yard line:

7 Series
21 plays
4 yards gained
-6 net yards gained (includes penalties)
0-6 on 3rd down conversions

Where are these scoring opportunities you speak of?

 

[Senser81]

Plus it was a great play by the defender as well.

"Fezzik...you did something right for once..."​

 

[Primetime]

Bama's scoring opportunities were pretty bogus, especially when it became apparent that Bama couldn't kick a FG. In the 1st half, Alabama missed a 44 yarder to start, then missed a 50 yarder, then had a 49 yard FG blocked. While this was happening, LSU was electing to punt and pinning Bama at their 5 yard line and their 4 yard line.

Alabama didn't do all that much on offense, either, outside of two big plays by Richardson (neither of which resulted in a TD). They also were the beneficiaries of two terrible Jarrett Lee INTs, but they couldn't capitalize on either break.

I'm not saying Bama dominated the game or anything. I just feel like it was obvious that Bama lost it more than LSU won it.

LSU didn't have the same opportunities. While Bama was missing field goals, LSU was punting....yes. But it's not the same. LSU's field goals would have been from 59, 58, and 55. No excuse for Bama to miss more than 2 of their 4 field goals, despite them being mid-high 40's. It's hard to speculate what happens if Bama does makes one or two of those field goals though. LSU won fair and square, but I'd love to see a rematch, which I am usually against.

EDIT: Excuse me if the yards a little off, the drive chart I looked at is fucked up.

 

[KnightNoles]

Back to the future: Alabama vs. LSU​

Anyway I agree with your thoughts for the most part. Crazy how evenly matched the two teams were. There were definitely 15-20 NFL players on the field that day.

This was awesome and stumbled upon a week+ ago... http://espn.go.com/blog/ncfnation/post/_/id/95192/back-to-the-future-alabama-vs-lsu

Just some of the noted quotes I will pull:

As the 2014 NFL draft drew to a close last Saturday, I could still hear Joe Pendry’s prophetic words in the press box on Nov. 5, 2011... “Look out there on the field, and probably 20 of the 22 defensive starters will be playing in the NFL,” said Pendry, who was an offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers and Houston Texans before ending his career in the college ranks.

Turns out, he might have undersold just how much talent was on the field, which in my 20-plus years of covering the SEC is unquestionably the gold standard for premium defensive talent on the field together at one time.

In that game alone, which LSU won 9-6 in overtime, there were 28 defensive players who played in the game -- 14 on each side -- who would get drafted. That includes 10 first-rounders.

The grand total of future draftees who played in the game was 42, and that doesn’t even count another handful of players who made NFL rosters as undrafted free agents.

But in one game, it’s hard to imagine that we’ll ever see 42 future draft choices again on the field playing, and certainly not 28 on defense.

As a comparison, in that FSU-Miami game in 2000, there were a total of 17 defensive players who would end up being drafted.

Now, when it comes to one team, good luck in trumping Miami’s 2001 national championship team. The Hurricanes had 16 players from that team who would go on to be first-round picks.

Here’s a look at the draftees from that Alabama-LSU game in 2011:

ALABAMA

2014 draft

• Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, S, first round
• C.J. Mosley, LB, first round
• Kevin Norwood, WR, fourth round
• AJ McCarron, QB, fifth round
• Ed Stinson, DE, fifth round
• Vinnie Sunseri, S, fifth round

2013 draft

• Dee Milliner, CB, first round
• Chance Warmack, OG, first round
• D.J. Fluker, OT, first round
• Eddie Lacy, RB, second round
• Nico Johnson, LB, fourth round
• Barrett Jones, C, fourth round
• Quinton Dial, DE, fifth round
• Jesse Williams DT, fifth round
• Michael Williams, TE, seventh round

2012 draft

• Trent Richardson, RB, first round
• Mark Barron, S, first round
• Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, first round
• Dont’a Hightower, LB, first round
• DeQuan Menzie, CB, fifth round
• Courtney Upshaw, DE, second round
• Josh Chapman, DT, fifth round
• Brad Smelley, TE, seventh round

LSU

2014 draft

• Odell Beckham, Jr., WR, first round
• Ego Ferguson, DT, second round
• Jarvis Landry, WR, second round
• Lamin Barrow, LB, fifth round
• Alfred Blue, RB, sixth round

2013 draft

• Barkevious Mingo, DE, first round
• Eric Reid, S, first round
• Kevin Minter, LB, second round
• Bennie Logan, DT, third round
• Tyrann Mathieu, CB, third round
• Sam Montgomery, DE, third round
• Tharold Simon, CB, fifth round
• Lavar Edwards, DE, fifth round
• Spencer Ware, RB, sixth round

2012 draft

• Morris Claiborne, CB, first round
• Michael Brockers, DT, first round
• Rueben Randle, WR, second round
• Brandon Taylor, S, third round
• Ron Brooks, CB, fourth round