NEW ORLEANS — Make room for another float in the Mardi Gras parades later this month, folks, and paint it purple and gold. Louisiana State launched it in the Louisiana Superdome on Monday night, and it spilled into Bourbon Street and rolled into history.
Coming on the tail end of a wild season in which seven second-ranked teams couldn’t handle the national stage, second-ranked LSU showed them all how it’s done on the biggest stage of the season. The Tigers used a thunderous Superdome-record crowd, a high-flying defense and a gutsy quarterback who sat on the bench four years to beat top-ranked Ohio State for the BCS championship, 38-24.
The Tigers became the first team to win two BCS titles, also winning in the 2003 season. They did in a season in which skeptics doubted this game’s participants all the way to the opening kickoff.
If LSU (12-2) needed style points to convince Associated Press voters there’s no need for a split national championship and critics that LSU backed into the game, the Tigers scored a 9.5. Against the top-ranked defense in the nation, one that gave up only 11 touchdowns all season, the Tigers scored the most points against Ohio State since the Buckeyes (11-2) lost last year’s national title game, 41-14 to Florida.
“It hurts tremendous,” Ohio State tailback Chris Wells said. “The pain, you really can’t compare to anything.”
Matt Flynn, the senior quarterback who took over for top draft pick JaMarcus Russell this season, threw four touchdown passes. LSU’s third-ranked defense recorded five sacks and three turnovers.
“These guys committed to the team, they fought and they were not going to let an obstacle stand in the way, whether it be an injury or a devastating loss at the back end of the season that we have to overcome,” LSU coach Les Miles said. “I’m so fortunate to represent LSU.”
Ohio State, a four-point underdog, came in knowing it had to accomplish two things: Wells had to run well, and the Buckeyes had to dispel the rap that LSU’s speed made them look more like blocking sleds than Big Ten champions. On the fourth play of the game, Ohio State took care of both.
Wells took a handoff off left tackle and outraced the entire LSU defense 65 yards for a shocking 7-0 lead. When the Buckeyes made it 10-0 on Ryan Pretorius’ 26-yard field goal on the next drive, the decidedly purple and gold Superdome crowd of 79,651 sounded surprisingly neutral.
“Coach (defensive coordinator Bo) Pelini said, ‘Just calm down,’ ” said defensive tackle Ricky Jean-Francois, who blocked the field goal and was the defensive MVP. “Coach said: ‘Slow down. Look at what you’re doing. What mistakes did we make on the last play?’ And we corrected it from there.”
While Ohio State’s defense wrecked havoc nearly all over the Big Ten, it was no match for LSU’s offense. Flynn was 19-of-27 for 174 yards and LSU’s scheme had Buckeye defenders spinning. Flynn, the offensive MVP, hit four straight passes and found tight end Richard Dickson all alone behind All-American linebacker James Laurinaitis for a 13-yard TD and a 10-10 tie.
With the momentum changing with the crowd noise, LSU buried the Buckeyes in the second quarter. It started when Jean-Francois, suspended for an off-the-field incident until the SEC championship game, blocked Pretorius’ 38-yard field goal.
“I said, ‘Please let this hand block the ball,’ ” Jean-Francois said. “When I did block it, I was shocked. It changed the momentum of the game.”
LSU took full advantage. It drove 66 yards with Flynn rolling left and finding Brandon LaFell in the corner of the end zone for a pretty 10-yard TD pass.
Then LSU went after quarterback Todd Boeckman. Backup safety Harry Coleman, in for All-American Craig Steltz who suffered a shoulder stinger in the second quarter, shot toward Boeckman like a blitzing missile. The rattled quarterback threw a weak pass that cornerback Chevis Jackson intercepted, setting up Jacob Hester’s 1-yard TD run.
When a roughing-the-punter penalty prolonged an LSU drive to set up Flynn’s 4-yard pass to Early Doucet, Ohio State trailed 31-10.
But the Buckeyes made it close. Down 31-17 in the fourth quarter,
Boeckman fumbled on fourth-and-7 on the Tiger 34, and LSU cruised home. Somewhere the national debate over who belonged here and who belonged atop the national polls became as quiet as Ohio State’s fans.
“I think,” Miles said, “the national champion has been crowned tonight.”
Block that kick!
Big play: Ricky Jean-Francois’ block of Ryan Pretorius’ 38-yard field goal with the score 10-10 in the second quarter. LSU scored touchdowns on its next three possessions, and Ohio State couldn’t muster another sustained drive until the game was no longer in doubt.
Hero: LSU quarterback Matt Flynn. Bouncing back from a shoulder injury that knocked him out of the SEC championship game, he threw four touchdown passes against an elite defense.
Goat: Ohio State QB Todd Boeckman. Continuing a slump that cost Ohio State its lone regular-season loss to Illinois, Boeckman was 15-of-26 for 208 yards and two interceptions. He also fumbled three times, losing one.
BESTS
Quick start, if not finish
Wells: Chris Wells’ 65-yard TD run on Ohio State’s fourth play from scrimmage was not only the longest run in BCS championship game history, it ended talk about the Buckeyes’ inferior speed. For a while.
LSU tight ends: It wasn’t just LSU’s speed that beat Ohio State but its game plan. Ohio State was out of position numerous times against tight ends; Richard Dickson caught a 13-yard pass for LSU’s tying touchdown.
Block: Ricky Jean-Francois’ hand went up right in the place where Ohio State’s Ryan Pretorius attempted a 38-yard field goal, preserving a 10-10 tie. LSU took the lead on the ensuing possession.
WORSTS
In a rush to score
OSU “D”: Ohio State allowed 80 yards rushing in the first half, 3 more than its season average per game. Jacob Hester’s 1-yard touchdown to make it 24-10 was only the third rushing score on the Buckeyes this season.
Personal fouls: Ohio State committed three of them, including one when Austin Spitler burst through the line and somehow missed blocking Patrick Fisher’s punt and instead roughed the LSU player. The 15-yard penalty prolonged a drive that ended with Matt Flynn’s third TD pass to make it 31-10.
Protection: LSU kept the heat on Ohio State QB Todd Boeckman the entire game.
John Henderson: 303-954-1299 or jhenderson@denverpost.com
