Following the game on TV and Twitter last night, I couldn't help but be confused about the general disappointment with the quality of play between LSU and Alabama. After being treated to plenty of offense-first BCS Bowl Games, there were many complaints about being bored by the elite defensive effort offered up by the title contenders. I want to examine a few season statistics before giving my reasons why I found the game to be exciting to watch, aside from the BCS Bowl setup or the fact that it was a rematch.
The Alabama offense was 69th in passing yardage, 16th in rushing, 20th in points for, and 1st in total defense. LSU was 106th in passing, 22nd in rushing, 17th in scoring, and 2nd in total defense. Throughout the season, the speed and talent on both teams' offenses were too much for smaller schools to handle. However, the real reason they were both title contenders is on the defensive side of the ball. Les Miles and Nick Saban are two of the best defensive minds in recent memory in the college ranks. Add that to their positions at highly regarded football programs and it is easy to understand why any elite defensive prospect would want to join their team.
So the question remains: Why is elite defensive football boring? This wasn't due to offensive ineptitude on either side. How can Jordan Jefferson make a pass in the pocket when the interior of his offensive line is being collapsed by some of the greatest sized and talented defensive linemen that college has to offer? The Alabama linebacking core both stuffed the run the entire game and provided stifling coverage over the middle to limit any gains on dump offs. It seemed that after every LSU back or receiver touched the ball over the middle, there were at least four guys surrounding him ready to wrap him up. Dre Kirkpatrick and the secondary were containing any screen or pass after minimal gains. Sure, Les Miles could have been more inventive in play-calling, but sometimes, a great defense can't be beaten.
On the other side, LSU's defense was generally exceptional throughout the game as well. However, there was an obvious mismatch in height on the outside, which McCarron exploited multiple times. Honey Badger was tight in coverage, but the over the shoulder passes to the outside are impossible to defend at his size. This was how Alabama marched down the field the majority of the game. Because of LSU's inability to stay on the field on offense, their defensive unit wore out much quicker than Alabama's.
The overlying point here is that the game we all watched (some of you begrudgingly) featured defense like we hadn't seen in any other Bowl game. This wasn't supposed to be a game full of slants-turned-touchdowns or missed assignments leading to a 63-56 final. This was a game that featured NFL caliber defenses against mismatched offenses. You know, the same story with any team that played either of those defenses during the year. Instead of complaining the entire night about the low score, it would have been pertinent to enjoy the rarity of such discipline at the collegiate scale. That either coach could take a group of extremely athletic young men and turn them into a impenetrable unit is something that should be celebrated. Not every game can be sexy, so we should enjoy the ones that are played right.
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