Alabama Football: 'Bama's Road to the Championship

The Crimson Tide's road to the BCS National Championship Game had almost everything a 'Bama fan could possibly want.

It had Tide victories (fans' favorite kind of victory). It had drama, as they outperformed the LSU Tigers on November 5, 2011 in almost every aspect of the game (except the one that mattered).

Lastly, it had suspense, as we were forced to sit, wait and hope that certain teams, poised to jump over us if they remained undefeated, would not remain undefeated.

In the end, it didn't matter. Only one one-loss team was going to the title game to try to take down the mighty Tigers. Every other team in the nation that needed to stay undefeated didn't, and the Tide sat there simply winning.

This is a short summary of how they got where they are today, with a little help from some folks out west.

Step 1: The Battle Under Center

The battle for the starting QB position started as soon as Greg McElroy hit the pavement headed to the NFL.

It was hard-fought, and decidedly won, by A.J. McCarron. As a team leader, Sims just didn't have the players behind him like McCarron did, and I don't think anyone would argue with the results McCarron has produced.

Being an Alabama quarterback is different from most other quarterback positions in the nation. At Alabama, you have to know not only how to throw the ball, but when to throw it as well.

In other conferences, you throw the ball when you want to. That's not true of Saban's game. You throw the ball when it's time to throw it; not just when you can.

Saban does not search game film and high schools all over the nation in an attempt to find the ingredients for the next "Air Raid"-esque offense. He's looking for talent in every facet of the game.

In terms of quarterback rating, McCarron comes in at the No. 20 spot nationally with a 149.8 rating and at the No. 19 spot in passing efficiency with a 66.7 completion percentage.

That's more than enough for a team with Trent Richardson, Eddie Lacy and Jalston Fowler to run the ball.

We need a successful game manager. He has shown flashes of greatness this year. Don't look for flashes next year. Look for the best quarterback in the SEC to be wearing crimson and white.

Step 2: Win Your Schedule

Tiders weren't completely sure what to expect coming into the season, but were all hoping that the Capital One Bowl against Michigan State last year was a good indication of the team 'Bama was fielding in 2011.

As the season started, the Kent State game really didn't show fans much. I mean, it was Kent State, right?

Penn State showed fans that we had a team to be reckoned with. Dismantling the (pre-scandal) Nittany Lions to the tune of 27-11 is no easy task on the road. But still, it wasn't an SEC team, so fans were not completely sure that the SEC portion of the schedule would play along with 'Bama's success.

Enter: Arkansas, ranked No. 14 at the time. Even though it was a home game, 'Bama was facing one of the toughest offenses in the SEC (Which they proved by earning their way up to the No. 3 spot in the BCS at one point this season.).

'Bama would hold Arkansas to 14 points, a number that would become increasingly meaningful as the year progressed. With the SEC schedule underway, and the second-toughest opponent behind them, the fans breathed a sigh of relief.

Now 'Bama fans, content that their team was going to cruise on into the November 5 LSU game undefeated, began to look forward to that game as the only real potential speed bump on the way to the National Championship.

Step 3: Play a Dominating Game Against the No. 1 Team in the Country

LSU had 15 first downs to Alabama's 17.

LSU had 239 total yards of offense to Alabama's 295.

LSU's leading receivers (Shepard and Randle) combined for 58 yards in four catches.

Alabama's leading receivers put out 80 (Richardson) and 61 (Maze) yards alone.

Alabama played the most dominant game I've ever seen a losing team play.

LSU "dominated" the scoreboard in a game where defense was not only key, but took center ring in the circus.

In the end, LSU earned a hard-fought victory by minimizing their mistakes.

'Bama made more mistakes; LSU won by three in OT.

Now all fans could do was wait. There were plenty of opportunities over the next few weeks for other teams to lose, right?

Alabama's Condition at Time of Loss

Alabama lost in OT to the No. 1 team in the nation by three points. The computers clearly take into consideration yards gained, points allowed, first downs, etc., because Alabama only dropped to No. 3.

With Alabama taking a loss, any of these teams could have jumped 'Bama by winning the rest of their games.

1. Boise State (8-0 No. 5) (Unlikely, but possible)

2. Stanford (9-0 No. 4)

3. Oklahoma (8-1 No. 6)

4. Oregon (8-1 No. 7)

One team in the entire nation had a clear road to the BCS title game, and that was Oklahoma State (9-0 No. 2). They were the only team sitting at a spot where a fall could put 'Bama in the championship game.

LSU could have lost, but given their strength of schedule, they likely would have pushed 'Bama down with them (depending on how badly they lost and to what team).

Step 4: 'Bama Couldn't Take Another Loss

'Bama needed to do everything in their power not to drop in the rankings again. The only thing in 'Bama's control was winning.

'Bama couldn't force anyone else to lose, but they couldn't lose focus on winning.

Even the "cake" Georgia Southern game was against the No. 3 team in the FCS at the time.

One wrong step, and 'Bama would have been on the outside looking in, regardless of the other teams' performances.

So 'Bama, with only three games left, set out to do the impossible: Get to the big game with three games and four weeks left in the season while somehow managing to look better than two one-loss and three undefeated teams.

They accomplished their part of that equation by beating the next three teams they played by a combined score of 111 to 42.

The rest was up to fate (Ironically, fate rhymes with state.).

Step 5: November 12, 2011

November 12 seemed like it was too good to be true. After Oregon thrashed Stanford, 53-30, the Oregon Ducks' rise to No. 4 in the BCS seemed more threatening than helpful to 'Bama.

Boise State's loss to TCU wasn't as helpful as Stanford's fall, but it was another load of Tiders' minds.

Stanford had given us the edge over them by taking their second loss. The problem was that Oregon had just steeped up big-time in the minds of voters.

A 53-30 win over the Stanford "Lucks" was commanding the attention of the nation, and it started to look like there was nothing 'Bama could do (with the weakness of the rest of their schedule) to maintain their case for the game in January.

At the end of this weekend, Oklahoma State remained undefeated, and Oregon and Oklahoma still only had one loss. The top five of the BCS looked like this:

1. LSU

2. Oklahoma State

3. Alabama

4. Oregon

5. Oklahoma

Step 6: Nov. 18 and 19, 2011

November 18 was a Friday, a day most SEC fans don't find themselves watching football as a general rule.

Even that Friday, 'Bama fans weren't exactly sitting on the edge of their seats waiting for OSU to tank, especially since OSU took a 24-7 lead with the first possession of the second half.

Then the unthinkable happened: OSU lost in two overtimes to an unranked Iowa State squad who would eventually finish the season 6-6.

'Bama fans now had good reason to believe that the Tide would be sitting in the No. 2 spot on Sunday, barring huge wins from Oregon over USC or Oklahoma over Baylor.

Then, the next day, all Hades broke loose on the BCS.

Oregon fell to USC, giving the Ducks their second loss of 2011.

Oklahoma used a timeout to force Baylor to play as Baylor was letting the clock run down to send their game into OT. Baylor obliged with a quick touchdown drive to seal the game. (Bet Stoops wants that timeout back, don't you?)

Now 'Bama, the only one-loss team in the nation to have their only loss come to the No. 1 team in the nation, sat "comfortably" at the No. 2 spot in the BCS.

Incidentally, the "overrrated" SEC held all three of the top spots in the BCS, which looked like this:

1. LSU

2. Alabama

3. Arkansas

4. Oklahoma State

5. Virginia Tech

Step 7: Wait (and Defend the Belief That Alabama Is Better Than OSU)

Alabama had an exhausting remainder of the season, even though it was only two weeks.

OSU fans had no game to watch during the weekend of Thanksgiving. What better way to disguise a second bye week than to stick it slap in the middle of rivalry weekend?

Most people didn't notice that OSU was idle while 'Bama was playing Auburn to the tune of a 42-14 beating at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

OSU fans were quick to play the "Conference Championship" card, as their Bedlam game was played on championship weekend.

What many didn't call them out on was the fact that they had simply moved their RIVALRY GAME out of rivalry weekend.

I know that OK and OK State happened to be the best in their conference, but seriously, an already-scheduled game can't be a championship unless your conference is so predictably sorry that these two teams are ALWAYS the best.

Step 8: Fly to New Orleans and Whip LSU

Alabama now has one thing left to do, beat LSU in such a manner as to remove all doubt as to who should be crowned champion for the 2011 season.

Alabama is going to roll into New Orleans with a three-point chip on their shoulder.

If we learned nothing else from the Iron Bowl this year, we learned that 'Bama is at least three points better than they were in November.

The Iron Bowl made the decision in the minds of the voters.

The 'Bama offense was back and balanced.

I've been wrong plenty of times in my life, but I don't see the Tide losing this one. Not again.

Their whole stinkin' mantra was "Never Again" all year because of the 2010 Iron Bowl.

Do you think that the "Never-Again Tide" are going to let LSU make a mockery of them again?

I don't. RTR!