LSU/Alabama rematch. Here we go again!

LSU rematched with Alabama in BCS Championship Game

Published: Sunday, December 04, 2011, 7:19 PM     Updated: Sunday, December 04, 2011, 7:47 PM

By Jim Kleinpeter, The Times Picayune The Times-Picayune

Baton Rouge - Alabama held off a late surge by Oklahoma State in the BCS rankings to earn a spot opposite LSU in the BCS Championship Game on Jan. 9 in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. It's the first time in the history of the BCS that two teams from the same conference will clash for supremacy in college football and the first rematch. No. 1-ranked LSU (13-0) won the first meeting, 9-6, in overtime at Tuscaloosa Nov. 5.

Enlarge David Grunfeld, The Times-Picayune DAVID GRUNFELD / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE LSU Tigers safety Eric Reid (1) embraces LSU Tigers cornerback Tyrann Mathieu (7) after a 9-6 OT win over Alabama at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Saturday November 5, 2011. LSU vs. Alabama Saturday, Nov. 5, 2011 gallery (37 photos)

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Oklahoma State, which finished No. 3 in the BCS rankings, crushed Oklahoma 44-10 Saturday to finish 11-1, but could not convince enough voters in the USA Today Coaches poll and the Harris interactive poll that it should supplant the No. 2 Crimson Tide (11-1).
The Cowboys had a lead on Alabama in the computer rankings, which accounts for 1/3 of the BCS formula, but Alabama maintained it's grip in the human polls, the USA Today coaches poll and the Harris Interactive poll.
 Alabama's spot in the game guarantees an SEC team take the title for a sixth consecutive season. LSU was the 2007 champion and Alabama won it in 2009. Florida won in 2006 and 2008 and Auburn was the 2010 champion.
LSU Coach Les Miles will be going for his second BCS title while Nick Saban will try to become the first coach to win three. He won with LSU in 2003 and Alabama two years ago.
LSU is the first BCS team to achieve a per score of 1.000, No. 1 in all of the computer and human polls, and the fifth to go wire-to-wire as the No. 1 team.


>>>For what it is worth:  I'm not the least bit afraid for LSU to face Alabama and certainly no more so than say playing Oklahoma St.  We know the devil we got.  The LSU/Alabama rematch will look nothing like the November defensive classic.  And yes, defeating a great team twice takes greatness squared.  The only reason Oklahoma St. intrigued me was to spread the pain around.  And I thought it might draw a more interested national audience as many away from here may not care about the rematch.  But time for all of this is over.  We will tee it up again come January 9th and I trust my LSU Tigers!  And it's in New Orleans; Tiger territory.  The Dome and Bowl games and LSU is a great combination!