Alabama vs. LSU Predictions: 5 Areas of the Game That the Tide Have an Advantage

Tonight's BCS championship game, pitting No. 1 LSU and No. 2 Alabama against each other, will feature two of the strongest and most talented teams we've seen in college football in decades. 

The star power that will be on display down in New Orleans tonight will be truly remarkable. 

It's hard to find many flaws in either of these two powerhouse teams; however, both of them do hold slight advantages in certain facets of the game. 

Here's a look at the five areas of the game that Alabama has an advantage. 

Running Back

LSU’s Spencer Ware, Michael Ford and Kenny Hilliard make up the best running back trio in the country, as the three have combined to rush for 1,775 yards and score 24 touchdowns. In this case, though, three actually isn’t better than one, because Alabama just so happens to have the best running back in the country in Trent Richardson. 

Richardson, who finished third in this year’s Heisman voting, exploded in his first year as the starter in the Alabama backfield, rushing for 1,583 yards and scoring 23 total touchdowns.

The 5’11", 225-pound junior is a true powerhouse, and he’s the strongest and most powerful back in the country.

LSU managed to keep Richardson out of the end zone in the first matchup between these two teams, but the Tigers aren’t going to have an easy time keeping him out again when they try to slow him down tonight.

Tight End

Don’t be surprised if you see a tight end make one of the key plays in tonight’s game. 

Neither of these teams possesses a true standout tight end, but both squads have the benefit of having two reliable options who are versatile enough to contribute in both the running and the passing games as both blockers and receivers.

For LSU, it’s Deangelo Peterson and Chase Clement. For Alabama, it’s Brad Smelley and Michael Williams.

Peterson and Clement are both capable pass-catchers, but neither has been all that involved in the passing game this season.

Smelley and Williams, on the other hand, have consistently been involved in Alabama’s passing attack, as the two tight ends have combined to catch 41 passes for 498 yards and score six touchdowns.

Alabama knows how to properly utilize its two tight ends to perfection, and Smelley and Williams are both capable of putting plenty of pressure on LSU’s secondary down the seam.

Offensive Line

Alabama has two of the best offensive linemen in the country manning its tackle positions with Barrett Jones and D.J. Fluker. 

Jones, this year's Outland Trophy winner, and Fluker are two of the best run-blockers you’re going to find in college football, and they’ve opened up some huge holes for RB Trent Richardson this year.

They have also both proven that they have the athleticism to hold their own in the passing game, as they’ve shown that they can handle the elite edge speed that some of the top defenses in the SEC had to offer.

LSU has two high-quality tackles of its own with Chris Faulk and Alex Hurst. Hurst may actually have the most pro potential out of all of them, but the duo of Jones and Fluker is the best offensive tackle tandem in the country.

On the inside, LSU has All-American offensive guard Will Blackwell leading the way, but Alabama has one of the best centers in the country in seasoned veteran William Vlachos.

The bottom line is these are two of the top offensive lines in the country and they’ve both proven that this year, but when it comes down to it, the tackle combination of Jones and Fluker is hard to argue with.

Linebackers

This year, Alabama has one of the deepest and most talented linebacker corps in college football history.

Courtney Upshaw and Dont'a Hightower are two of the top linebackers in the country, and guys like Nico Johnson, Jerrell Harris, C.J. Mosley and Trey Depriest are all impact players in their own right.

Alabama has the benefit of having six linebackers that would start for basically any other team in the country, and that type of depth allows defensive coordinator Kirby Smart to get creative with his defensive schemes and substitutions.

The Tigers have a solid linebacker unit of their own, led by seasoned veteran Ryan Baker and budding star Kevin Minter, but there's not another linebacker group in the country that can compare to what the Tide put out on the field.

Safeties

LSU's Eric Reid might be the most talented and naturally gifted safety on the field in the national title game tonight, but the duo of Alabama's Mark Barron and Robert Lester just so happens to be the best safety tandem in America.

Both Barron and Lester are potential future first-round NFL draft picks and each of them possess game-changing ability.

Barron is one of the true leaders of Alabama's defense and he’s developed into a premier player under the tutelage of Nick Saban. The 6’2’’, 205-pound senior is the type of playmaker who makes a living making key stops and momentum-swinging plays when it counts.