What Alabama Fans Will Remember About the 2008 LSU Game

The bonfire burning of Nick Saban may have been meant to be an emotional flashpoint for the LSU fans and even for the team. So were Georgia’s black jerseys.  Both had the same effect on the Crimson Tide however. 

LSU may have burned Nick Saban’s effigy, but the Crimson Tide burned the entire LSU coaching staff, fan base and players with a 27-21 win.

“We don’t use or don’t need gimmicks,” said Rashad Johnson earlier this week when he was told about plans to burn an imaginary Saban. “We would rather do our talking on the field.”

Indeed, that is just what the Tide did in not only securing the win, but an appointment to play in the SEC Championship game.

They did not seem to be bothered by the crowd, the noise, the return of Saban to his old stomping grounds, but they were severely tested by the LSU players.

The test was so severe, in fact, that it had to go to overtime to be decided. 

Both teams played like titans exchanging blows, but in the end, the Tide won in overtime emblematic of the way it has all year, with a stifling defense that created a turnover and an offense that closed the deal, led by a quarterback who always seems to come up with just enough in a tight situation.

In the end though, the battle, the score, and all the character shown by both teams will not be the thing that will be remembered.

We will forget that Alabama could have salted the game away early except for Earl Alexander’s fumble near the goal line that resulted in a touchback.

We will forget that a silly and self indulgent penalty by John Parker Wilson that gave LSU the ball super field position and a quick score.

We will forget the passes that Julio dropped.

We will forget that the Bama defense let several receivers get open and that if they had not dropped passes, the game could have been different.

We will forget that Tiffin didn’t have a good night and could have put the game out of reach.

We will not forget that in his second year, Nick Saban brought us back to a No. 1 ranking, ended the “November nightmare,” and wrestled the baton of leadership away from LSU in his first return against his old team in his former home stadium.

More importantly, though, we will remember that this game preserved, at least for now Alabama’s unbeaten season, secured them at least a spot in the SEC Championship Game, a Western Division Championship and a shot at a National Championship Game.