Published January 4, 2012 - 9:39pm
NEW: Discuss this topic in the Google+ community for SEC fans.
It is finally here. The BCS championship is just days away, not weeks. With all due respect, the only game that matters this bowl season is just around the corner. Sorry OK state, even though you won, giving up 38 points and 590 yards doesn’t make your case for #2 any stronger. I digress, back to the two best teams in the country, LSU and Bama. In case you forgot some details, here are some stats to get you reacquainted with the two combatants.
Average offensive rank of BCS opponents:
LSU: 69 Bama: 92
Average defensive rank of BCS opponents:
LSU: 41 Bama: 40
Scoring offense:
LSU: 38.5 PPG Bama: 36 PPG
Scoring defense:
LSU: 10.5 PPG Bama: 8.8
Rushing / Pass offense:
LSU: 215 / 160 YPG Bama: 219 / 213 YPG
Rushing / Pass defense:
LSU: 85 / 166 YPG Bama: 75 / 116 YPG
INT / Fumbles Forced:
LSU: 18/12 Bama: 12/6
Turnover Margin:
LSU: +22 Bama: + 6
Sacks:
LSU: 37 Bama: 26
Sacks Allowed
LSU: 14 Bama: 15
Tackles For Loss:
LSU: 98 Bama: 84
Red Zone Appearances:
LSU: 61 appearances, 44 TDs, 13 FGs
Bama: 55 appearances, 32 TDs, 8 FGs
Red Zone Defenses:
LSU: 23 opponent appearances, 12 TDs, 8 FGs
Bama: 17 opponent appearances, 6 TDs, 4 FGs
Field Goals:
LSU: 16-18 Bama: 18-29
Sadly, I think the last stat is really the one that matters in this game. 88% field goals vs. 62% field goals. If Alabama wants to win they need to keep LSU kicking off the field, and keep Brad Wing from pinning them deep. Alabama just needs to keep their kickers off the field or at least distribute the offensive scoring a little more even. Even as a Bama fan it is really a coin toss on the line of scrimmage who will win. If it comes down to special teams LSU has this one in the bag. It’s great we are 12 deep at linebacker, but we have two average kickers and a mediocre punter. LSU punts get about eight more yards than Alabama punts and in this game that is a good deal of field position.
Rant in conclusion:
- Alabama needs to manage Brad Wing
- Try to keep the offense out of kicker necessity
- LSU is pretty cut and dry they just need to play their game. I think Alabama has a little more of a tendency to self-destruct than LSU and if the tigers can minimize penalties and bonehead mistakes they have a pretty solid game otherwise.