Alabama vs. LSU: Will Kickers Decide Fate of BCS Championship Game?

The 2011 college football season will go down as the year of the quarterback ... or the kicker.

The Alabama-LSU game in Tuscaloosa on Nov. 5 will always be remembered for the slobber-knocking, field goal-kicking contest that it was.

Alabama's duo of Cade Foster and Jeremy Shelley combined to go 2-of-6 in the game, including a miss in overtime, while LSU's Drew Alleman went 3-for-3 including the game-winner.

Little did we know at the time that this was merely foreshadowing the end to some of the season's biggest bowl games.

In the Allstate Sugar Bowl, Michigan knocked off Virginia Tech 23-20 in overtime after the Hokies kicker, Justin Myer, missed his opportunity on the opening possession. The Wolverines kicker, Brendan Gibbons, connected on his third of the night for the win.

Oklahoma State upended Stanford in overtime as well in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. The Cardinal kicker, Jordan Williamson, went 1-of-4 on the night including a miss on the first overtime possession. Needless to say, the Pokes' Quinn Sharp knocked home the winner a few plays later.

And that brings us back to the BCS National Championship Game, a rematch of defensive stalwarts and less-than-stellar offenses.

Will the fate of the crystal football really be decided by a kicker's foot? If recent history is any indication, that would be arguably the safest prop bet of the game.

And, for what it's worth, there are no two teams more evenly matched in the country than Alabama and LSU.

Ultimately the use of kickers will come down to decision-making in crunch time, and it is doubtful that Alabama coach Nick Saban will let either of his kickers try anything over 40 yards.

Since the LSU debacle, Saban has used long-legger Cade Foster twice from 40-plus and he missed both opportunities. Shelley was called upon five times in the remaining games and connected on four kicks—all 32 yards or less.

All the while, LSU's Drew Alleman he hasn't missed a kick since Sept. 24, connecting on 10 straight opportunities.

If this game comes down to kicking, the advantage certainly lies with the undefeated Tigers. 

It would be a complete surprise if Saban let it go down this way again. Remember, his defense held LSU to 239 total yards and only nine points. The Tide left at least 12 points on the field in missed kicks alone. Two of Foster's three misses were 4th-and-20's beyond the LSU 30-yard-line. The third miss was a 4th-and-7 from the LSU 27-yard-line.

All this comes down to Saban and his decision making. Don't be surprised if he tries to pooch punt from anywhere outside the 30-yard-line and don't surprised if he goes for a manageable 4th down attempt either.

The Alabama defense is too good and can create nearly as many opportunities as the offense if the Crimson Tide can pin the Tigers in their own territory.

The only reason LSU even tied the game at 6-6 was because Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron foolishly tested the nation's top cover cornerback, Morris Claiborne, on an out route from the far hash. Claiborne picked it off and returned the ball 33 yards to the Alabama 15 where the defense held and forced LSU to kick the tying field goal.

The Alabama defense should never have been in that position.

These two teams are as evenly matched as they come, but it would be foolish to expect the Crimson Tide to go down in similar fashion.

LSU could very well win this game outright, but don't expect Alabama to lose it like they did on Nov. 5.