LSU vs. Alabama Rematch: 10 Reasons Why Alabama Blows out the Tigers This Time

Nov. 5 was a defensive battle for the No. 1 spot in BCS rankings. Jan. 9 will be the last battle. It will not be a battle for a No. 1 seed; it will be the battle for the crystal football.

There were offensive and special teams miscues in the November game, and I don't see them happening a second time.

Saban is "King of the Rematch," with a 13-2 record in rematches in his college football career thus far.

Saban lost the first rematch, but I don't see that happening this time around. Alabama has everything to gain, and nothing to lose in this match. (One reason pundits were crying foul at it in the first place.)

Here are 10 reasons why I think the Tide will blow the Tigers out of the water in New Orleans.

LSU 9, Alabama 6 (OT)

Individually, these teammates don't like to lose. Together, they hate it.

There is no worse loss than a competition you should have won.

Alabama lost a nail-biter where every single play mattered, and all they needed was for any one of three regulation field goals to split the uprights to come away with the 9-6 victory before this game even went into overtime.

It's one thing to find out you're out-matched on the field of battle. It's another to walk away knowing you're the better team, only you didn't prove it.

The score in November is a huge motivator for a team that "will not be denied."

295-239

Number of total yards of offense gained by the Tide in the first meeting: 295.

Number of total yards of offense gained by the Tigers in the first meeting: 239.

Alabama missed quite a few short-gain passes and, instead, opted to throw into the end zone into coverage.

This mostly occurred after crossing midfield. Look for a LOT of coaching over the month of December to ensure that there are no missed wide-open receivers.

That's not to say that there will be no mistakes. These men are human, and we should expect mistakes. There is no perfect football game.

Look for a performance from the offense that leaves no doubt as to who the national champions are when the final whistle blows in New Orleans.

Turnovers

LSU and Alabama tied at two turnovers apiece in the first game.

One turnover for 'Bama was an interception, the other was an "interception." (I'm only pointing out that it was more of a basketball-esque steal, I'm not here to comment on whether that call was wrong.)

The point is, there were two turnovers. Marquis Maze probably didn't need to be throwing a pass in that stage of the game, anyway.

Alabama will be playing lights-out with the football. Alabama is going to come out and show the nation that the fluke was the November game, not this one.

The game will be won in the trenches again, and the trenches will be loaded on the crimson side of the ball. These guys aren't going to lose the turnover battle again, not twice.

A.J. McCarron

Mistakes are some of the greatest teachers in the world. You can have 1,000 experts telling you exactly what you need to do, and it will have an impact.

You lose ONE competition because of a silly mistake (or mistakes), and those moments will flash across your mind repeatedly to remind you that you're not perfect.

Coming from a background in music, I can tell you that playing a piano piece with 2,000-plus notes in it is difficult. You can walk away from a competition in first place, and all you're thinking about it the three notes you missed.

A.J. McCarron is ready for this game. It took him a little longer than I expected to bounce back from the loss, but I saw him against Auburn playing like his usual self. He was hitting open receivers whether they were in the end zone.

He wasn't choosing his targets before the ball was snapped. He was playing smart. He's young, he didn't play perfectly, but he played well enough to handle LSU with the same caliber of play.

Look for McCarron to have his breakout game on the biggest stage of his career so far: New Orleans, January 2012.

Trent Richardson

Trent Richardson had a good showing against LSU in the first match with 169 total yards.

Look for Trent Richardson to have a great showing the second time around.

There will be no season to save him for. There will be no game for which he needs to stay rested. There will be no reason not to leave it all on the field.

Leave it all on the field he will, and Richardson playing at 100 percent is just plain scary for the LSU defense.

Look for him to break off his usual big third-quarter game-changing run (or pitch-and-catch).

Trent will be looking to make his mark in Alabama history, not that he already hasn't.

'Bama's biggest playmaker will be making plays for them, and it will be a long night for LSU's defense.

Dont'a Hightower

Dont'a Hightower will be playing the best game of his life. He will be all over this defense, keeping them focused and playing their A-game yet again.

He will most likely be the one in charge of making Randle pay for every catch (or potential catch) of the game.

Dont's will lead this defense in playing yet another zero-touchdowns-allowed game against the LSU Tigers, just like in November.

Hightower will leave his marks on LSU's offense, and they will take a few weeks to recover from his "impact" on them.

Defense

Alabama is the only team in the nation allowing less than 10 points per game. I don't see that changing in this game.

'Bama's defense has played it's A-game almost all year. (The only exception being the Georgia Southern game where Saban was allowing almost the entire 'Bama roster on the field to get much-needed experience for future option offenses.)

'Bama will be bringing the heat on Jefferson, and bringing it HARD. Saban will have an entire month (minus family time for the holidays, I'm sure) to prepare his team for the focus and skills necessary to smother the option run by LSU.

Don't look for much success out of LSU after the first quarter, maybe the first half.

If LSU can't score, then it's up to the Tide offense to make the win happen. (See "A.J. McCarron" slide for my assessment of the offense.)

Execution

Don't look for this snapshot of Saban on the New Orleans sideline much in January. These players are going to review tape of the first match and probably tape of the SEC Championship Game from yesterday.

Alabama will know the game plan for LSU ridiculously well. Don't look for many mistakes from a team that can complete the plays in their sleep.

They will pare down the plays to a variety of plays from different looks, but will not waste their time on the plays they will not need.

Look for the players to come out playing "Saban Ball." LSU doesn't stand a chance against well-executed "Saban Ball."

This entire team is going to lay it all out on the field. The entire roster will be prepared to play, should their number get called.

(I'm reminded of the 'Bama-Texas game where McCoy was injured. Even Sims will be prepared to throw the ball, if necessary.)

Play Calling

Nick Saban isn't just a great college football coach, he is an amazing developer of talent. Most "questionable" calls in the first match were made for one of two reasons:

1) The risks of missing a field goal were lower than putting the punting unit on the field.

2) To develop a player for a championship game, he must be tried under pressure.

Calls were made to give people a chance to step up and become the superstars they can eventually be.

Many of us would have preferred Saban to treat the first match as a championship game. You develop players for those games instead of in those games. Saban had a different opinion, and at $4-plus million per year in salary, we'll go with his decisions.

Saban has been developing his players for this very game, and will spend the next month preparing them to be champions on the field.

He is one of the greatest leaders of men to walk the sideline at 'Bama, and he's in great company. Don't look for him to be making nearly as many "questionable" decisions, even in the minds of us "armchair quarterbacks."

The playcalling will be excellent. (If, at some point, calling a punt is riskier than missing a field goal, look for the special teams leaders to be on the hot seat.)

Nick "The Warlord" Saban

Nick Saban lost the battle in November. Nick doesn't lose. Nick's a winner, any 'Bammer will tell you that.

After a drought of national championships dating back to 1993, Nick arrived in 2007 to lead the Tuscaloosa Tide to Championship No. 13.

'Bama Nation breathed a sigh of relief heard around the college football world, "We're baaa-aaack!"

Saban is a local hero, and is probably not the least bit interested in leaving the town where he's a hero. That's the kind of attention he loves.

Saban is not going to go down without a fight. He didn't in the first match. Now he has his work cut out for him. He knows, better than the rest of us, exactly what he has to do to LSU to finish this season atop both the BCS and AP polls.

Squeaking out a double-overtime win by less than a touchdown won't cut it. Not this year. Look for Saban to make a statement with this win.

When the dust settles, 'Bama Nation will be singing Queen.