NEW ORLEANS — LSU’s Les Miles squeezed out a smile, clenched his left hand nervously and extended his right hand toward Alabama’s Nick Saban. The coaches got in an awkward grasp, forced a bit of small talk and posed for the cameras behind the crystal trophy that only one of them can hoist toward the Superdome roof tonight.
This was the last of their pregame obligations — one final chance for Miles to deflect a query about whether top-ranked LSU is the favorite to make it to the Bowl Championship Series title game next year, one more opportunity for Saban to show he has a life beyond his stranglehold on the storied program at No. 2 Alabama (turns out he does, if watching the Weather Channel qualifies).
Now, let’s get down to business. LSU vs. Alabama, Part II. The BCS title game of the 2011 season. This time, it’s for all the marbles. Really.
The teams met two months ago in Tuscaloosa, Ala., a so-called “Game of the Century” that was more of a “Brawl in the Backyard,” a brutal slugfest that sent each team scurrying for the training room the next day and left fans across the country feeling a bit cheated by an old-fashioned defensive struggle in a college game now dominated by point-a-minute offenses.
Neither team made it to the end zone in that first meeting, even with the benefit of extra time. LSU won a battle of field goals, claiming a 9-6 overtime victory and stealing away the top spot in the rankings from the Crimson Tide.
Everyone expects more scoring in the rematch, but there’s no way it’s turning into one of those back-and-forth shootouts we’ve seen so many times during this bowl season.
“I’d expect it to be big-boy football,” Miles said Sunday.
LSU (13-0) has put up a body of work that clearly establishes it as the nation’s best team. In addition to that Nov. 5 win at Alabama, the Tigers have wins over two other major bowl champions, Rose Bowl winner Oregon and Orange Bowl winner West Virginia. The Tigers have knocked off eight teams that were ranked in The Associated Press top 25.
“The only team I’ve told them not to schedule is the Green Bay Packers,” Miles quipped.
Maybe it’s only appropriate for the Tigers to find one more daunting challenge standing in the way of a championship season — a great team the Tigers already have beaten.
“When we take the field, we’ll be an emotional, fired-up football team,” Miles vowed.
Alabama (11-1) didn’t even make it to the championship game of the Southeastern Conference, but the Crimson Tide managed to sneak back into the national title race when Oklahoma State lost late in the season. In the strangest of twists, Saban’s team will be the one celebrating its second national title in three years with a mere split of the season series with LSU.
Perhaps sensing just how fortuitous Alabama was to get a do-over, Saban wants his players to seize the moment.
“I would like for them to focus on the opportunity, not the pressure part,” he said, “so that they really are zeroed into the mental practice and the things that when they go out there and play, they’re going to be confident in doing their job the way they need to do it to have success.”
That sort of robotic talk is typical of Saban, who spits out championship teams with assembly line precision, devoid of any flair. While Miles’ disjointed grammar and goofy antics make it difficult to take him seriously at times, there are no such issues with Saban. He’s all business, mixed in with a healthy dose of fear and autocracy.
“He’s not like that all the time. He does have a personality,” junior Robert Lester said. “But he’s hard on us because he wants us to get the job done.”
Today’s game
Bowl Championship Series title game
No. 1 LSU (13-0) vs. No. 2 Alabama (11-1), New Orleans, 6:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Line: Alabama by 1½.
Series: Alabama leads 45-25-5.
WHAT’S AT STAKE: The national championship, of course. Even though No. 3 Oklahoma State is clinging to hope of finishing first in the final Associated Press poll should Alabama grind out an unimpressive victory tonight, it seems likely the No. 1 team in the AP poll will be on the Superdome field. The Crimson Tide is going for its second BCS title in three years. LSU is hoping to finish on top for the second time in five seasons. No matter the outcome, the Southeastern Conference is sure to be a big winner, becoming the first league to put two teams in the BCS title game and having already won an unprecedented five straight championships. A sixth is ensured.
KEY MATCHUP: Alabama All-America tailback Trent Richardson vs. LSU’s defensive front seven. Richardson finished third in the Heisman Trophy balloting after rushing for 1,583 yards, the second-most yardage in school history. But he was held to 89 yards on 23 carries in the Tide’s 9-6 overtime loss to LSU on Nov. 5, one of only three times this season he failed to reach 100 yards. The Tigers are allowing just 85.5 yards per game on the ground, ranking third nationally behind the Tide and Florida State.
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Alabama — Kickers Jeremy Shelley and Cade Foster combined to miss four field-goal attempts in Alabama’s home loss to LSU during the regular season. In a rematch featuring probably the best defenses in the country, the Tide duo figures to get more opportunities — especially in a bowl season where kickers have played a huge role. Shelley has hit 16-of-20 attempts this season, but none longer than 37 yards. Foster has the stronger leg, but he’s made only 2-of-9 attempts.
LSU — All-America cornerback Tyrann Mathieu, just 5-foot-9 and 180 pounds, has been a game changer for the Tigers. “Honey Badger” was a Heisman Trophy finalist this season as a sophomore, leading LSU in tackles (70), ranking first nationally in fumble recoveries (five) and third in forced fumbles (six). He has returned two fumbles for touchdowns. Also, he’s a huge threat on special teams, ranking second nationally with a 16.2-yard average on punt returns (including two for touchdowns).
FACTS AND FIGURES: LSU is 13-0 for the first time in school history. … The Tigers defeated eight teams that were ranked in the top 25 at the time. … Alabama ranks third nationally in fewest penalties per game with an average of four. The Associated Press
