For the fifth consecutive time, the Alabama football team beat LSU.
And this time, there were no conspiracies. Alabama is simply the better team, and it’s the best team in the country right now.
LSU is a good football team, but that didn’t stop Alabama from dominating every phase of the game. From the opening kickoff, the Crimson Tide asked all the questions, and LSU had no answers.
I’d be more disappointed in LSU’s performance if I wasn’t so impressed with Alabama’s.
Leading up to the game, junior defensive end Lewis Neal said the game would come down to LSU’s line versus Alabama’s line. He ended up being right.
I’m not sure the Tigers’ offensive line managed to gain any leverage on a Tide lineman all night, considering Alabama was in LSU’s backfield every play.
As a result, the Tide didn’t just keep sophomore running back Leonard Fournette in check, it rendered him completely ineffective. Fournette managed just 31 yards rushing on 19 carries, and 18 of those yards came on one attempt.
If you’ve been living under a rock, Fournette is quite good at football and was leading the Heisman Trophy race. Alabama not only shut him down, they made it look easy. However, it’s hard to blame Fournette when LSU was so outplayed in the trenches.
The Tide’s front seven was highly touted coming into the game, and it exceeded the hype. Alabama’s defensive front was so dominant it looked like LSU’s offensive line wasn’t even on the field.
I already knew Alabama’s front seven wasn’t fair when I saw how uncomfortable it made sophomore quarterback Brandon Harris look in the pocket and how effectively it bottled up Fournette. Then I saw Alabama junior defensive lineman A’Shawn Robinson cleanly hurdle LSU’s line to block an extra point attempt.
Alabama’s defense was great, but the offense was even better. And once again, it was the result of winning the battle up front.
The Tide had the edge in time of possession by nearly 19 minutes. Seriously, Alabama’s offense was on the field for almost 40 minutes.
Alabama outgained LSU by 252 yards, 434-182, and had more than twice as many first downs.
Junior running back Derrick Henry served as the battering ram that broke down LSU’s defense. He rushed 38 times for 210 yards and three touchdowns behind an offensive line that was getting a great push all night.
If Henry’s performance doesn’t raise some eyebrows among Heisman voters, I’ll be very disappointed.
Senior quarterback Jake Coker completed 75 percent of his passes for 184 yards. He didn’t throw any touchdowns, but he managed the game like a veteran.
Alabama had a great game plan and executed it perfectly. The Tigers only lost by two scores, but it didn’t feel that close.
It might be painful for LSU fans to hear, but the Tigers lost to a better team. If they end up meeting again down the road, LSU’s only chance of winning is if it can come up with a better game plan and execute better that night.
Jack Woods is a 22-year-old mass communication senior from Ruston, Louisiana. You can reach him on Twitter @Jack_TDR.