BCS Championship 2012: LSU vs. Alabama Destined for Overtime Again

LSU and Alabama are so similar it's scary. Both teams are loaded on defense with future NFL talent. While both squads have talent on the offensive side of the ball, they're not what you would call strong offenses.

At least, not compared to their defenses.

In other words, we're not going to see a repeat of last Monday's BCS action, when Oregon and Wisconsin gave us a 45-38 Rose Bowl, only to be followed by a 41-38 Fiesta Bowl at the hands of Stanford and Oklahoma State. 

And that's precisely why we're going to see another overtime game between LSU and Alabama. 

Even though the Fiesta Bowl did get to overtime, high-scoring games are significantly less likely to see an extra period.

The reason is simple. 

When you get teams that are moving the ball and scoring at a consistent rate, something is going to happen. One team is going to have to settle for one too many field goals, will be forced into a critical punt or turn the ball over at the exact wrong moment.

When more is happening in the way of points, there's an increased chance that one team is going to do something slightly off the pace, and it doesn't have to be much. 

LSU and Alabama aren't going to give us a lot of points. Their defenses will not allow for it. So, there won't be many opportunities for one team to kick a field goal, while the other scores a touchdown.

Heck, there won't even be many chances to kick a field goal while the other team punts. Remember that in their first game, we had five combined field goals, and that includes overtime. 

When they met on Nov. 5, both teams did some threatening, but neither found the end zone a single time. We're not going to see that again (at least I hope not), but we're going to see a game played very close to the vest. 

These aren't the defenses to take chances on, or to try anything bold against. Doing that could easily result in a big play going the other way. It's not going to take much more than that to win this game.

I know it, and Nick Saban and Les Miles and their players certainly know it.

The low-scoring nature of this game will keep it close throughout. The similarities between these two teams makes this one destined for extra periods. 

Don't come into this game thinking you're going to see a lot of scoring. It's not going to happen. But you will get your money's worth. You pay for a four-quarter, 60-minute game.

You'll get that, and then some.

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