Alabama vs. LSU: Why Rematch is Huge Advantage for Tide

With the BCS Championship Game only three weeks away, both LSU and Alabama are preparing to face each other for the second time this season.

Although the Tigers were victorious in the first matchup on Nov. 5 and have been widely considered the best team in college football, a rematch will give a huge advantage to the Crimson Tide.

This isn't the first bowl game to feature a rematch of two teams that faced each other earlier in the season. According to teamrankings.com, there have been seven rematches in bowl games since 2003. And of those seven games, more than half of the rematches went in favor of the team that lost the initial game earlier in the season.

The most recent rematch was Nebraska and Washington last season. The Cornhuskers suffered a loss at Washington earlier in the season, 19-7, but overcame the Huskies in their bowl rematch, winning the Holiday Bowl 56-21.

Another prominent rematch that went in favor of the team that originally lost was in 1996 between the Florida Gators and Florida State Seminoles. The Gators faced the Seminoles in their regular season finale and lost by three points to FSU in Tallahassee. Two games later, the Gators got their rematch opportunity by facing FSU again in the Sugar Bowl, which was considered the National Championship. The Gators dominated the second matchup by defeating FSU 52-20.

When you compare both LSU and Alabama, it's tough to distinguish if any team has a distinct advantage in any aspect of the game.  Both teams rely on their strong defensive units and a power rushing attack to impose their will against their opponents, and their first contest came down to field goals in overtime, showing hardly any separation between these two teams.

Where I believe Alabama will have the biggest advantage is in the mental aspect of the football game. Yes, LSU beat the Tide last time and are the No. 1 team in the nation with an undefeated record. However, I think all of those things will give the Tigers the most to lose in the BCS National Championship game.

Alabama can come into this game with nothing too lose. If they lose to LSU again, then it will just reaffirm what everyone has been saying for the past few months: LSU is the best team in the nation. And with the home-field advantage, LSU will be the definite favorite to win. All of this allows Alabama to just come out and play football without all of the pressure that LSU will have.

If LSU plays uptight due to the pressure, Alabama could easily force Jordan Jefferson into some early turnovers. If Alabama can jump out to an early lead an put even more pressure on LSU, that could be all the separation they need to put away the Tigers.

This year's BCS National Championship Game will be another close matchup, but expect the Tide to have an advantage in the rematch.