LSU vs. Alabama: Tigers' Quarterbacks Will Thrive on Experience

Saturday's showdown between LSU and Alabama is going to be more than just a simple contest between the top two teams in the country. It's going to be an old-school deathmatch, with a heavy dose of bone-crunching hits and no quarter given to wimps on either side.

These types of old-school games tend to come down to two things: who can win the battle of the trenches, and who can run the football better.

Given what we know about the Tigers and the Tide, it wouldn't surprise me if both of these battles resulted in stalemates. LSU has one of the best rushing attacks in the country, but it will be going up against the country's No. 1 rush defense. Alabama has arguably the best rushing attack in the country, but it will be going up against the country's third-best rush defense.

If there is an advantage here, it's virtually impossible to determine which team has it. While we could see Spencer Ware and Michael Ford break out for LSU or Trent Richardson break out for Alabama, the more likely scenario involves a whole lot of rushes for both teams and very few yards gained.

If this is how things actually come to pass, it's going to be up to the quarterbacks. Knowing these two teams, that will basically involve sending in the clowns.

I'm jesting, of course, but there's no point in ignoring the fact that neither LSU nor Alabama boast great passing attacks. They are serviceable, and are largely unneeded because of how well each team can play defense and run the football.

Between the two teams, you have to give the edge of LSU's quarterbacks. Jarrett Lee gets the bulk of the snaps, and he has been surprisingly efficient this season, throwing 13 touchdowns and just one interception. He's played sparingly, but Jordan Jefferson has played well since coming back from his suspension.

To his credit, AJ McCarron has probably surpassed expectations this season with 10 touchdown passes and just three picks. His job, more or less, is to not screw anything up, and he has done it well.

The one thing you have to worry about concerning McCarron is how he's going to hold up not just in the biggest game of his career, but in the biggest regular season game college football has seen in years. There's going to be a lot of pressure on him to do well for the home crowd, and the big unknown is how he will respond.

That same big unknown applies to Lee and Jefferson, but it's much, much easier to have faith in them given how many games they have under their respective belts. It's hard to beat having two senior quarterbacks to use as you see fit, and that makes Les Miles a lucky man.

Is all of this to say that Lee and Jefferson are going to be the reason LSU walks away from Bryant-Denny Stadium with a win? As strange as it may sound, the answer is no. Predicting the outcome of this game is more complicated than determining which team has a more stable situation at quarterback.

But because the Tigers do have a more stable situation at quarterback, I like their chances.