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

Newsflash: Monday night's BCS National Championship Game between Alabama and LSU will more than likely be a low-scoring affair.

I know, a shocker, right? I mean, that "Game of the Century" these two SEC juggernauts played back in November was such a barnburner.

Sorry, I can't help but be cheeky about a game that nobody outside of Tuscaloosa or Baton Rouge really cares about, a game that's already been played and that yielded all of 15 total points, including the three LSU scored in overtime to sneak out of Bryant-Denny Stadium.

That game was "dominated" by the kicking game, as should GOC Part II, and not simply because of all the field goals that are bound to fly, though that's certainly an important part of it.

In a game where defenses are destined to dominate, controlling field position will be key. LSU comes in with a significant advantage in that department, thanks in large part to punter Brad Wing and one of the best special teams coverage units in all of college football. All told, the Tigers averaged just over 43 yards per punt this season and allowed just 0.35 yards per return on those punts. Meanwhile, the Tide managed slightly fewer than 39 yards per punt and surrendered five yards per punt return.

That's a difference of almost 10 yards between the two teams, which might not seem like much at first glance, but when you consider how difficult it will be to move the ball, how many punts there will be and how accurate the field goal kickers are (or aren't), that disparity could prove vital to the outcome.

Speaking of field goals, those figure to make up at least the simple majority of points scored between these two teams.

Not that 'Bama and LSU aren't capable of putting up points with the best of 'em. In fact, the Tide averaged 36 points per game this season, good enough to rank 17th in the NCAA, while the Tigers tallied 38.5 points per game, which came in 12th.

Rather, they were simply unable keep up that pace against each other's defense. That shouldn't shock anyone given that 'Bama was first in scoring defense and LSU was second this season.

Now, if kicking field goals were as automatic as it should be, Alabama would've won GOC Part I going away, relatively speaking. Nick Saban's squad doubled up the Bayou Bengals in attempts, six to three, but only managed to put through two, while LSU's Drew Alleman (pronounced with a heavy Cajun accent per Verne Lundquist) nailed all three of his.

So while Les Miles has little, if anything, to worry about on special teams, Saban is probably sweating in his sleep thinking about Jeremy Shelley (16-of-20 on the season) and Cade Foster (two-of-nine) stepping up to the hash mark and shanking the pigskin well wide of the bright yellow goalposts at the Superdome.

As close as the BCS title game is bound to be, and as abundant as is the supply of top-notch NFL talent on both sides of the ball for both teams, the difference will more than likely come down not to which team ran faster, threw farther or hit harder, but rather which coach actually "wasted" scholarships on a few scrawny kids with golden legs and which one thought picking kickers from open tryouts and soccer team practices would be more than sufficient.

In other words, the upper hand (or leg, rather) in the battle for the crystal football belongs to LSU.

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