In a game that had so much potential, LSU vs Alabama had all the makings of an epic slugfest between two defenses of historic proportion. As soon as there game on November 5th ended, fans and media alike were calling for a rematch. They were clearly the two best teams competing for the title in the best conference in College Football.
From the start of the game you could tell this game was going to end very differently. I’m not really sure happened to LSU after they trounced Arkansas and Georgia, but the team that showed up last night was not the same team. Whether LSU was vastly over confident or under prepared last night, the team that walked on the field was timid and was not ready to be on that stage. Alabama on the other hand looked driven and ready. A month of preparation for Nick Saban is too much for any coach, even one as talented as Les Miles. Saban had his team prepared, his defense was dialed in and his offense made Tyrann Mathieu and the LSU defense look foolish.
LSU needed a big play from its defense or punt return to win. Tyrann Mathieu looked lost on the field and made poor decisions that were not characteristic of the Heisman trophy finalist. And if not for the long run late in the 4th quarter, with the game well in hand, Trent Richardson’s game did not live up to the standards that he had set throughout the season. This only makes the Alabama victory more impressive. AJ McCarron made the right decisions at the right moments, moved the ball and put his team in a spot to win the game.
Jordan Jefferson play during the BCS title game was unimpressive and lacking. His throws were off target and continued to make the wrong decisions on option runs. He couldn’t get the LSU offense across the midfield till late in the 4th quarter with the game out of reach. With Jarrett Lee sitting on the sidelines who looked so impressive with Jefferson suspended early in the season, I don’t understand why Miles didn’t let Lee get some run. The running attack was being ineffective and with Jefferson missing receivers, Jarrett could have given Alabama something else to think about.
One, if not both of these teams will be in discussion this time next year. LSU has a stellar defense with many of its starters returning. Mathieu will be returning and has the chance to have another stellar season. If Jefferson can evolve and make better decisions, LSU will be scary once again. LSU did finish 13-1 and played really well all season until last night. Alabama will be competitive again next season. Nick Saban recruits well and has many starters returning, however losing Trent Richardson will hurt. And with that another college football season is in the books.
Since 1994 the team that has won the coin toss in overtime, has won the game 60% of the time. This result lead to a 28-4 vote that passed a proposal on Tuesday that will change the way the overtime works in NFL playoffs. In the new terms, the team who wins the coin toss can win the game by scoring a touchdown. However if they only manage to score a field goal, then the opposing team, will opportunity to score. If they get a touchdown then the game is over. If they are only able to score a game tying field goal, then the game will continue in a second over time. It will be a traditional sudden death rules. This is a permanent change that will be applied. This rule change will add excitement and intrigue to overtime. Of the many games I’ve seen the old overtime rules have allowed a team to be super cautious. They pressure to score a td was never there. With the new rule the pressure to put the ball in the end zone will be higher and provide more entertaining finishes to games. No longer will a riveting game end with an anti-climatic overtime. The potential convoluted endings make this rule confusing at first but will keep fans entertained throughout the playoffs. The majority of the owners and the competition committee felt the change was necessary and would improve games for the future. The rule that is being called the “Brett Favre Rule” because of the way the Vikings vs. Saints playoff game ended, lends a little comic value in the fact that Minnesota Vikings were a team that voted against the rule. The only flaw I see in the rule is the fact that it doesn’t take effect till the playoffs. The rules should be consistent and be in effect throughout the season. The biggest reason for the rule to not be in effect for the regular season is the resistance from the NFL Players Association. They feel that the rule in the regular season would keep the players on the field longer and give more opportunity for injury. When the regular season ends team are separated by a game or two and if the rule was in effect during the regular season this could mean the difference between making the playoffs or not, as well as whether a team is at home vs. on the road for the playoffs.
and Jason Smith.
He is a guy who the Lions can pencil in for the next 10 years at left tackle and be happy. The Lions can do something similar to what the Dolphins did last year. They can take that offensive lineman, then use a veteran at QB and draft another QB later if your feel Rhett Bohmar or Nate Davis can be the answer. The other solution lies in the other first round pick the Lions have. Offensive tackle is deep this year and the chance to draft a Michael Oher or Eben Britton. The Lions should make this move and draft a tackle with the number 20 pick overall.
He is outstanding athlete that will make strong center piece for the Lions to build their defense around. He was a stand out at Wake Forrest and will continue his progression as he enters the NFL.
With a quarter or so of the NFL season in the books there are some very interesting things going and things worth noting. There has been a shift in the NFL elite. While the mantra of going to the top can happen from one season to the next has always given fans a reason to hopeful, the same can now be said for teams going to the cellar after being highly touted for many seasons. The Colts, Chargers, Seahawks, and Patriots have all fallen off the pace they are normally setting this time of year. While some of the problems stem from injuries to key players, there is also facts that prove some of the teams are getting old and not reloading. The Colts have looked dismal. They should be 0-4 right now squeaking out wins against the Vikings trailing 15-0 in the 4th quarter and this past weekend down 27-10 with 4 minutes in the 4th quarter. If not for Sage Rosenfels fumbling twice on 4 plays, the Colts are the most disappointing team in football. They still have the offensive potential and they have produced very little. As for the Chargers, they cannot seem to get on track. LaDainian Tomlinson has not been the same since getting injured last season. The defense has looked decent at times but with the offense having problems running the ball and controlling the clock; the defense is tired at the end of games. Even teams like the Bengals and Lions who are terrible overall cannot seem to produce on offense. With players like T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Calvin Johnson, points should be put up and be somewhat competitive. The Seahawks and Pats have been hurt with injuries at key postions, however their defenses are still intact and have not looked good. If they can get healthy or Matt Cassel can play well in the case of the patriots there’s still time to turn it around.