"Finish!" Maybe All Nick Saban's Yelling Paid off For Alabama VS LSU

What started as an ugly beginning for Alabama turned into a game where the team that could finish the strongest would walk off the field as a winner.

It became a game of attrition for LSU with players either limping off or being helped off the grass.

For Alabama it became a game of overcoming mistakes and applying more late game heroics. 

Alabama had to overcome mistakes and there were plenty of them. Greg McElroy missed wide open receivers, Julio Jones continued his string of games with a 'right in your hands' drop and defensive backs slipped, fell and blew coverages. Then there were the costly stupid penalties, like breaking the huddle with 12 men on the field.

Alabama was winning the war of total offense but losing the battle of points.

Since Nick Saban's arrival there has been one word that Nick Saban has been invoking in every team meeting, one word he yells repeatedly at ever practice and one word that he hopes will epitomize his team at the end of the year.

That word is finish.

With 12 minutes and change left in the forth quarter it was up to the defense to finish the game and stop any further scoring. They did just that and turned the ball back over to the offense with just over 10 minutes to go.

Then two of the people who made some of the earlier mistakes atoned for them. Greg McElroy and Julio Jones instantly went 73 yards for a quick TD and a total momentum change.

In less that a minute LSU lost the lead and turned the emotional fever on to Alabama.

Now it was LSU's turn to make costly mistakes. A running into the kicker penalty moved it to fourth and inches.

Alabama went for it and made it. That allowed Alabama to run both more yardage and more time off the clock, and once again Lee Tiffin came through as he has seemed to do all season to add yet more points and build up a two score lead of nine points.

LSU was finished, just as Nick Saban had wanted. LSU came out and ran a few feeble plays until it was finally intercepted.

Alabama had finished the game in style and though Alabama may have to buy two new headphones for Nick Saban, I think he'll be happy overall with this 24-15 win