Goodbye Glendale, Hello Orlando: LSU Washes Away Alabama's Title Hopes

It's insane to think so many LSU fans wanted Les Miles fired not too long ago. Who knows, there still may be some who feel that way as fan lunacy really follows no logic, but after beating Alabama, Les Miles should have put those grumbling to rest.

The other thing he and the Bayou Bengals put to rest was any real shot of Alabama adding more championships to it's bloated trophy case. Rather than holding onto a ticket to Glendale with a layover in Atlanta, the Tide is now probably looking at a bowl trip to Orlando or Tampa.

Big play after big play it was LSU. Gutsy call after gutsy call it was Les Miles. Alabama was both outplayed and out-coached in Baton Rouge, which is about a rare a combination you will find in college football since Nick Saban came to town.

The game seemed to follow the usual Tide/Tiger script. A tough, grind-it-out game where the separation occurs via big plays and turnovers.

The biggest question I had following the game Saturday is what happened to Mark Ingram?

It's not a shot at Ingram, he looked like his 2009-self through most of the game—especially on the touchdown drive that gave Alabama a 14-10 lead on what was arguably the Tide's best offensive sequence of this season to date.

Alabama came back with Trent Richardson who had spent a lot of time on the bench. Now, I love Trent Richardson, but as far as I'm concerned you ride the hot hand and Ingram was really finding yards on LSU.

It's really just another moment where I think we've seen Alabama not utilizing their talented backfield to it's full potential. With arguably the two of the most talented backs in the country, Alabama should be averaging at least 30 to 35 carriers a game.

No matter how you look, at the end of the day you must tip your hat to LSU and their coaching staff. The fake punt and fourth-down reverse were really the two plays that stuck it to the Tide. They were game changers and the types of calls you need sometimes to push your team to the next level.

So where does Alabama go?

All the big prizes that the Tide had set out are really no longer on the table unless we see a collapse of momentous proportions by teams now with Alabama in their rear view.

Are they the spoiler? I suppose, but after starting the season at No. 1 with lofty expectations, do you really think that can be a motivating factor? It will be interesting to see where Alabama finds its fire in these last three games with two of them being very tough matchups.

For the first time since 2007, Alabama is out of the SEC and national title races prior to December. What is still on the line is pride and Alabama has two games left to salvage that (sorry, Georgia State).

If there are any fragments left from that championship mindset of 2009 then you have to feel there is still plenty of fight left and there better be because you can bet that both Mississippi State and Auburn are eager to add two more losses to Alabama's tally.