Alabama vs. LSU 2: Tigers Must Win BCS Championship with Passing Game

The last time LSU and Alabama faced off, the Tigers threw the football for only 91 yards.

Their top receiver, junior Rueben Randle, had only two catches for 19 yards. In fact, no player had more than two catches on the night.

This cannot happen again if the Tigers want to beat the Tide for the second time this season.

Unlike Alabama, LSU doesn't have a dominant offensive force to hang their hat on. They run the ball well as a team, but there is nobody on their offense who even comes close to the skill level of Alabama's Trent Richardson.

The Crimson Tide cannot only run the ball with their junior back, but they'll also get him involved in their passing game.

LSU is good enough defensively to contain him, but he is good enough to break this game open on a single play.

The Tigers don't have in their backfield, but they do out wide if they can actually get the ball out there.

Rueben Randle is a big play threat who averaged 18 yards per catch on the season. Unless Alabama changes their defensive scheme, the Tigers should be able to isolate him one-on-one with somebody other than potential top-10 cornerback prospect Dre Kirkpatrick.

Because Alabama has so much talent across their defense, they don't have to make adjustments nearly as often as other teams. Moving Randle around should land them a matchup they want.

The key will be for the Tigers to take a few shots downfield either a) when the Tide blitz or b) on first down.

Nick Saban isn't going to let LSU run on him and have a more manageable second and/or third down opportunity. First down to Nick Saban means stop the run.

If LSU wants have success running on early downs, then they'll need to force Alabama to respect their passing attack early in this game.

It certainly won't be easy with Dre Kirkpatrick, Mark Barron and Robert Lester—three first and second-round potential players—but it is doable.

LSU can't expect Alabama to make the same mistakes they made in the Nov. 5 matchup.

As good as the Tigers played defensively in that matchup, Alabama lost that game more than the Tigers won it.

If LSU want to go out and win Les Miles his second National Championship, they're going to have to throw the football.