Alabama Football: 7 Keys to Alabama Defeating LSU This Saturday

Larry Burton (Syndicated Writer)

Either team could walk away victorious from this Saturday's version of the "Game of the Century" when Alabama hosts LSU in a game of one versus two.

This game could very well not only determine the SEC Champion, but many, in fact most in the media are calling this the De Facto national championship game.

They are both worthy opponents for such a meeting and certainly deserving of the mighty press stories being reeled off about both the teams, coaches, players and even the fan bases.

Alabama has the better team on paper, but the margin is razor thin.

For Alabama to win this game they will have to complete the majority of the seven keys to a Crimson Tide victory that are going to be discussed in detail in the next few pages.

They are no particular order as each is important to the victory to be achieved.

Enjoy the story and don't hesitate to comment on the key you feel is most important, the one that is over rated, or the one that was left out.

The Crimson Tide Must Play for 60 Minutes

The closest the Crimson Tide has coming to playing for a full 60 minutes was the win over Ole Miss. Unfortunately, the first three minutes was something that Nick Saban couldn't get out of his mind for a long time.

In the opening minutes, Ole Miss burned the secondary and Ole Miss went down the field in a seemingly easy fashion to go up seven to nothing.

However the rest of the game was a clinic in butt kicking for the Alabama team.

In the Tennessee game, it was a tale of two halves.

At the end of the first half, the score was tied and Tennessee had six first downs, the same as Alabama. They had 114 total yards to Alabama's157.

The 6-6 score was really emblematic of just how close the game was and how Alabama was playing down to the level of their opponent.

However, when the game was over, Tennessee was still with just six first downs and only gained about 40 total yards on offense for the last two quarters.

Once again, they put on a clinic on how to totally kick another team's butt on offense and defense as the final score showed Tennessee absolutely blanked in all areas of offense and the Tide ripped the Vol defense for close to 300 yards in just one half, the second.

There is no team in American who can beat Alabama when they play for 60 minutes including LSU. If LSU plays their best game and Alabama plays their best game, Alabama wins.

If LSU plays their A game for 60 minutes and Alabama plays their A game for 50 minutes they can lose.

A.J. McCarron Has To Force LSU to Respect the Passing Game

In the recent Tennessee game, Derek Dooley figured he could shake up A.J. McCarron by putting eight men in the box, rushing six men and playing to stop the run and rush the passer.

For two quarters it worked.

McCarron threw a very uncharacteristic interception and ended the first half with just eight out of 15 passing for just 122 yards with a sack to boot.

At halftime Saban told McCarron he had to show them what he could do and settle down and just burn them. They didn't respect McCarron's ability and it showed.

Tennessee was stuffing the run to the tune of 14 rushing attempts for just 35 yards, less than half of their per yard average.

Unless McCarron could make them pay with the passing game, this game was in doubt.

All he did was come out in the second half and make Tennessee wish they'd never made him mad.

His first pass in the second half went for 22 yards, the next for 14. He followed that up the next two plays with a 20 crossing route to Maze then a 17 yard pass to Smelley.

Tennessee called a time out hoping to calm down the now red hot McCarron, but when play resumed he ran the ball in himself for a touchdown.

After holding Tennessee on 4th and 1 on their own 39, McCarron walked back on the field and promptly threw a 39 yard strike to Kenny Bell in the end zone.

McCarron didn't miss a pass in the third quarter and only two in the whole second half. He simply killed them.

This is what McCarron has to do against LSU as well. If he can show LSU that they have to respect his arm, the running lanes will be wide open for the running back corp.

The Running Game Has To Live Up to the Hype

In one half of play against Tennessee, Alabama only rushed for 35 net yards. Tennessee proved that by stacking the box, they could shut down the running game.

Or could they?

Once McCarron passed them for two quick scores and they saw the folly of continuing to dare McCarron to beat them and went back to a regular defense to play both the run and pass.

Then the running game ripped them for almost 260 yards in just one half.

Once the running game got in gear, it was totally unstoppable as it has been all year.

Against LSU, it has to live up to the hype be a threat for all 60 minutes and pile up yardage equally in all four quarters, not 5% in one half and 95% in the other like Tennessee or even 60% one half and 40% the other.

Alabama has to be consistent with the running game and wear the LSU defense down and keep the Bengal offense on the bench.

Don't Give LSU Good Starting Field Position on Kickoffs and Punts

In past games, Alabama has gotten away with letting clearly inferior teams start drives with outstanding field position following kickoffs and punts.

They can't do that with LSU.

Alabama will have to do as they finally figured out how to do it against Tennessee and keep the ball carriers hemmed inside the 25.

Also, Cody Mandell can't afford a shank or a muffed snap.

Alabama can't afford to help LSU with a big play on special teams.

In close games with two good teams field position has always been one of the main deciding factors.

Watch for Surprises and Don't Give Up Big Plays to LSU

Alabama has to limit the number of big plays that LSU has in the game. The secondary can't afford to give up "the big one" like they have done so many times this season.

They can't afford to give up big kickoffs or punt returns either.

They can't be fooled with reverses and trick plays like they were last season by LSU.

If they can do this, they have a better than average chance of winning.

Clock Management, Hurry Up Offense and Forcing LSU to Use Its Timeouts

In a close game, time outs can be a lifesaving item. If Alabama goes into a hurry up package it could cause Les Miles, who has never been known as a clock manager, to use up his timeouts early and not have them when he may need them.

Alabama has tinkered with a hurry up version of their offense and it could get LSU on their heels and catch them trying to substitute players.

They could get some cheap penalties here and again, may get them to force LSU to burn timeouts to adjust to personnel needs.

It could also get them out of position, in a personnel mismatch or other problems that could lead to a big play for Alabama.

Use the Home Field Advantage to the Max

They don't call it a home field "nice thing".

They don't call it a home field "familiarity".

They call it a home field advantage.

But not all home fields really give a big advantage, Alabama's does.

Expect noise at levels you've never heard before. You can attribute that to closing in the final end zone, a larger student section, more fans in the stands, but mostly to what this game means to the program.

It is going to be absolutely deafening. LSU will not be able to call an audible on offense for most of the night.

The Tigers' dressing room is aptly named and adorned with the name, "The Fail Room".

The fans will energize the Crimson Tide players and will be the 12th man on the field for much of the contest.

On a personal note, I'm glad I'll be in the press box so I can sit down, most of the fans will be standing for most of the game. But I'm sorry I have to maintain quiet and proper decorum in the press box, I'm sure if not for that, I'd be yelling as loud as anyone.

(Larry Burton is a syndicated writer whose work appears online and in print. If you'd like to keep up with all his articles, follow him on Twitter and sign up as a fan on his Bio Page.)