I respect the ultimate outcome of LSU's 9-6 overtime victory over Alabama on the first Saturday in November.
However, I predict the Crimson Tide will correct their costly mistakes of the first meeting and erase the losing memories from Tuscaloosa with a solid victory over LSU Monday night in New Orleans in the BCS Championship Game.
Alabama exits one of its best games of the season, a 42-14 thrashing of rival Auburn in which star running back Trent Richardson, slotted as a top ten overall NFL draft choice, rushed for a career-high 203 yards on 27 carries.
Sophomore quarterback A.J. McCarron, improving with every start, threw three first-half touchdown passes to overwhelm Auburn and prepare for a rematch against top-ranked LSU. Auburn's 14 points came when the Alabama defense was sitting on the sidelines (a fumble return for a touchdown and a kickoff return for a touchdown).
Richardson was responsible for 57% of Alabama's offense (89 rushing yards and 80 receiving yards) in the first go-round against LSU. Unfortunately, Alabama's vertical passing game never supported Richardson's outstanding effort and the well-documented woes of placekickers Cade Foster and Jeremy Shelley (four missed field goals, including three misses on the first three Tide possessions of the game) killed the early-game momentum and sabotaged Nick Saban's squad in overtime.
The play of the game came early in the fourth quarter with the score tied at six. Alabama all-purpose wide receiver Marquis Maze, a quarterback in high school, threw an interception at the goal line while passing out of the Wildcat formation. LSU safety Eric Reid wrestled the ball away from 'Bama tight end Michael Williams to save the game for the Tigers.
Alabama outgained LSU in total yards, 305-222, in regulation time.
Let's correct the scoreboard from November 5 and right the wrong here on January 9.
TEXANS 31 BENGALS 10.....Kudos to Houston's defense which held Cincy scoreless in the game's final 37 minutes. The turning point of the game occured when rookie defensive end J.J. Watt snatched an Andy Dalton pass from mid-air at close range and raced 29 yards for the go-ahead touchdown in the final minute of the first half. Houston's first playoff appearance in its 10-year history was witnessed by an enthusiastic crowd of 71,725, largest ever to see a game at Reliant Stadium.
SAINTS 45 LIONS 28.....New Orleans rolled up 626 total yards in covering yet another game at the Superdome (9-0 straight-up this season and more amazingly, 9-0 against the spread). Drew Brees and Company scored touchdowns on five consecutive drives to start the second half with the sixth and final drive ending in Detroit territory with three plays from Victory formation. Detroit's inability to sustain drives was the team's undoing as its five drives in the second half lasted less than three minutes apiece (2:28, 2:55, :10, 2:49 and :33).
GIANTS 24 FALCONS 2.....Each team ran 64 plays with New York holding the ball for 34:34, outgaining Atlanta by nearly 200 yards (442-247). Atlanta's coach-quarterback entry of Mike Smith and Matt Ryan fell to 0-3 in the postseason after a feeble offensive showing. Ryan, who normally takes care of the ball in the regular season, has more interceptions (4) than touchdowns (3) in the playoffs. The Falcons twice failed on fourth-and-one situations (not officially a turnover but having the same result) when Ryan could not gain the necessary yardage on quarterback sneaks.
BRONCOS 29 STEELERS 23 (OT).....Tim Tebow is my nemesis. He loses convincingly when I support him and wins in spectacular fashion when I fade him. Pittsburgh's overly aggressive blitzing defense, a curious strategy considering the NFL's new overtime rules for the postseason, failed on the first play in the extra session. CBS executives were delighted by Sunday's result as the first meeting between the Broncos and Patriots registered huge television ratings during the regular season and the rematch figures to draw more eyeballs to the television set. The Patriots beat the Broncos in mid-December, 41-23. With the Week 15 win, New England clinched the AFC East and ended Denver's six-game winning streak.
EOG'S GRAND CHALLENGE.....Check out Timely Hero's performance in our monthly event worth $1,000. "Timely" is 6-1-1 after eight selections in the "Challenge." If Timely finishes the month of January after making 30 plays in 30 days with a record of 18-12 or better (60%), the young handicapper based in the Midwest will be awarded $1,000 in cold, hard cash.
COMING FRIDAY.....My favorite college basketball revenge angle in theory and in practice.
However, I predict the Crimson Tide will correct their costly mistakes of the first meeting and erase the losing memories from Tuscaloosa with a solid victory over LSU Monday night in New Orleans in the BCS Championship Game.
Alabama exits one of its best games of the season, a 42-14 thrashing of rival Auburn in which star running back Trent Richardson, slotted as a top ten overall NFL draft choice, rushed for a career-high 203 yards on 27 carries.
Sophomore quarterback A.J. McCarron, improving with every start, threw three first-half touchdown passes to overwhelm Auburn and prepare for a rematch against top-ranked LSU. Auburn's 14 points came when the Alabama defense was sitting on the sidelines (a fumble return for a touchdown and a kickoff return for a touchdown).
Richardson was responsible for 57% of Alabama's offense (89 rushing yards and 80 receiving yards) in the first go-round against LSU. Unfortunately, Alabama's vertical passing game never supported Richardson's outstanding effort and the well-documented woes of placekickers Cade Foster and Jeremy Shelley (four missed field goals, including three misses on the first three Tide possessions of the game) killed the early-game momentum and sabotaged Nick Saban's squad in overtime.
The play of the game came early in the fourth quarter with the score tied at six. Alabama all-purpose wide receiver Marquis Maze, a quarterback in high school, threw an interception at the goal line while passing out of the Wildcat formation. LSU safety Eric Reid wrestled the ball away from 'Bama tight end Michael Williams to save the game for the Tigers.
Alabama outgained LSU in total yards, 305-222, in regulation time.
Let's correct the scoreboard from November 5 and right the wrong here on January 9.
TEXANS 31 BENGALS 10.....Kudos to Houston's defense which held Cincy scoreless in the game's final 37 minutes. The turning point of the game occured when rookie defensive end J.J. Watt snatched an Andy Dalton pass from mid-air at close range and raced 29 yards for the go-ahead touchdown in the final minute of the first half. Houston's first playoff appearance in its 10-year history was witnessed by an enthusiastic crowd of 71,725, largest ever to see a game at Reliant Stadium.
SAINTS 45 LIONS 28.....New Orleans rolled up 626 total yards in covering yet another game at the Superdome (9-0 straight-up this season and more amazingly, 9-0 against the spread). Drew Brees and Company scored touchdowns on five consecutive drives to start the second half with the sixth and final drive ending in Detroit territory with three plays from Victory formation. Detroit's inability to sustain drives was the team's undoing as its five drives in the second half lasted less than three minutes apiece (2:28, 2:55, :10, 2:49 and :33).
GIANTS 24 FALCONS 2.....Each team ran 64 plays with New York holding the ball for 34:34, outgaining Atlanta by nearly 200 yards (442-247). Atlanta's coach-quarterback entry of Mike Smith and Matt Ryan fell to 0-3 in the postseason after a feeble offensive showing. Ryan, who normally takes care of the ball in the regular season, has more interceptions (4) than touchdowns (3) in the playoffs. The Falcons twice failed on fourth-and-one situations (not officially a turnover but having the same result) when Ryan could not gain the necessary yardage on quarterback sneaks.
BRONCOS 29 STEELERS 23 (OT).....Tim Tebow is my nemesis. He loses convincingly when I support him and wins in spectacular fashion when I fade him. Pittsburgh's overly aggressive blitzing defense, a curious strategy considering the NFL's new overtime rules for the postseason, failed on the first play in the extra session. CBS executives were delighted by Sunday's result as the first meeting between the Broncos and Patriots registered huge television ratings during the regular season and the rematch figures to draw more eyeballs to the television set. The Patriots beat the Broncos in mid-December, 41-23. With the Week 15 win, New England clinched the AFC East and ended Denver's six-game winning streak.
EOG'S GRAND CHALLENGE.....Check out Timely Hero's performance in our monthly event worth $1,000. "Timely" is 6-1-1 after eight selections in the "Challenge." If Timely finishes the month of January after making 30 plays in 30 days with a record of 18-12 or better (60%), the young handicapper based in the Midwest will be awarded $1,000 in cold, hard cash.
COMING FRIDAY.....My favorite college basketball revenge angle in theory and in practice.