LSU vs. Alabama Rematch: Who Has the Edge, Position by Position?

Now that the drama surrounding the BCS standings has subsided, the focus has shifted to the rematch between SEC titans LSU and Alabama, who are set to do battle for the National Championship on Jan. 9. 

When the two teams met on Nov. 5, the overriding sentiment from LSU’s 9-6 overtime win was that these were two evenly matched teams and certainly the two best defenses in the nation.   

The first game gave fans an idea of how the Tide and Tigers match up with each other, but most fans certainly expect more points to be scored than in their defensive slug-fest from November. 

There are still plenty of questions about which team will come out on top in Round 2 on the bayou. 

Can Alabama shore up their special teams unit? 

Can LSU avoid their sluggish starts that saw them have to comeback from double-digit deficits in their last two games? 

Will Nick Saban and Les Miles adjust their schemes and tendencies for the rematch? 

While those answers will ultimately decide which SEC power ends up holding the crystal ball in the Superdome, it's time to see how they stack up with each other position-wise.

Who has the edge, position by position? 

Quarterback

Senior Jordan Jefferson has clearly taken over for Jarrett Lee as LSU’s starting quarterback, and since his heroic performance against Alabama, Jefferson has regained his status as the team’s unquestioned leader. 

Sophomore AJ McCarron bounced back from his rough second-half performance against LSU and finished with his best game of the year in the season finale victory over Auburn. 

Both quarterbacks have improved since the first meeting and finished the season playing at their best. 

In a game of this magnitude, Jefferson tilts the scale in LSU’s favor with his experience in big games and his ability to make plays with his arm and legs. 

Edge: LSU

Running Back

The Tide and the Tigers have differing approaches at running back, but both have been equally effective in possessing punishing ground attacks. 

Alabama has the nation’s best back in ironman Trent Richardson, and despite the Tide’s offensive woes in their first meeting with LSU, Richardson managed to have a solid game overall with 169 total yards (89 rushing, 80 receiving) of offense. 

On the other side, LSU has a quartet of talented backs in their stable, and the wild-card ability of using Jefferson’s legs to run the option. 

While Michael Ford and Spencer Ware carried the load in Round 1 in Tuscaloosa, keep an eye on Tigers freshman Kenny Hilliard, who was impressive (four total touchdowns) in the last two LSU victories.

Still, Richardson is the best offensive player in this game, and his enormous role in the success of the Tide offense gives the nod to Alabama.

Edge: Alabama

Tight Ends

The majority of Alabama’s big plays in the passing game this season has come from completions to their two-headed monster at tight end. 

Junior Michael Williams and senior Brad Smelley form a talented duo that combined for 41 receptions, 498 yards and six touchdowns. 

LSU counters with its own duo in senior Deangelo Peterson and junior Chase Clement, but they have not been as productive as the Tide’s tandem. 

Edge: Alabama

Offensive Line

The battle in the trenches will be key in this game, and like so many other duels between these two powerhouses, the margin separating these two units is very slim. 

Both teams had two starters each make the coaches’ All-SEC team, and Alabama placed a third on the second team. 

Sophomore left tackle Chris Faulk is an emerging star for the Tigers at left tackle. 

However, his counterpart is Barrett Jones—the newly crowned Outland Trophy winner)—which helps tilt the scales slightly in favor of Alabama.

Edge: Alabama

Wide Receiver

First-team All-SEC receiver Reuben Randle headlines a deep and talented pass-catching group for the Tigers. 

Fellow junior Russell Shepard and electric freshman Odell Beckham, Jr. give Jefferson a trio of playmakers to attack the Tide’s vaunted secondary. 

Alabama counters with senior Marquis Maze, a second-team All-SEC selection, and senior Darius Hanks is a sure-handed target with big-game experience. 

While Alabama has plenty of other options, its group on the whole does not possess the big-play ability of its counterparts. 

Edge: LSU

Defensive Line

The differing schemes both teams employ would give the Tigers the edge simply based on defensive coordinator John Chavis’ 4-3 front. 

However, make no mistake about it—this group is deep, young and powerful. 

A trio of sophomore studs—ends Sam Montgomery and Barkevious Mingo, and nose tackle Michael Brockers—spearhead a stout front four that stifled the Tide in their first meeting. 

Alabama counters with senior nose tackle Josh Chapman, a second-team All-SEC pick, and solid run-stuffers Jesse Williams and Nick Gentry flanking him. 

However, the Tigers—with quality and quantity—get the nod here. 

Edge: LSU

Linebackers

The 3-4 scheme employed by Nick Saban and defensive coordinator Kirby Smart is predicated on having versatile and explosive linebackers who can stuff the run and excel in pass coverage. 

Clearly, this unit has been an integral part of Alabama’s defensive dominance this season, headlined by All-Americans Dont’a Hightower (first team) and Courtney Upshaw (second team). 

LSU starts three seniors, led by second-team All-SEC selection Ryan Baker. 

While the Tigers’ trio forms a solid unit, this group is one of the easiest to to call, with the Tide gaining a decided advantage. 

Edge: Alabama

Secondary

With these two teams combining to place three of the four members in the defensive backfield of the Associated Press' All-American first team, this battle may be the closest of all in determining an advantage. 

Alabama boasts the best safety duo in the nation with senior Mark Barron and junior Robert Lester (both recorded interceptions in the first meeting with LSU), and second-team AP All-American Dre Kirkpatrick at corner. 

LSU counters with Thorpe Award winner Morris Claiborne and the man simply known as the “Honey Badger,” corner Tyrann Mathieu, who took home the Bednarik Award as the nation’s top defensive player. 

While the players mentioned above are all over NFL scouts’ radars, it was LSU safety Eric Reid who made the decisive play in Tuscaloosa last month. 

In the slightest of nods, LSU gets the call here. 

Edge: LSU

Kicker

Alabama fans will undoubtedly cringe when reading about their kickers coming up short again versus LSU. 

Jeremy Shelley, who is called upon for short attempts (less than 40 yards), has made four of his last five attempts since the LSU game; he and long kicker Cade Foster combined to make two out of six tries back in November.

LSU’s Drew Alleman calmly nailed all three of his attempts against the Tide in November and converted 16-of-18 attempts this season. 

Given what transpired in the first meeting, this is the easiest call to make when separating the top two teams in the country.

Edge: LSU

Punter

As crucial as kicking was in the first meeting, LSU punter Brad Wing’s 73-yard fourth-quarter punt flipped the field after Reid’s interception at the 1-yard line and eliminated any chance for the Tide’s offense to take advantage of the defense, forcing a three-and-out.

Add in the fact that Wing’s punts are virtually impossible to return (just six return yards allowed this season), and his potential impact on a game where field position figures to be invaluable is a huge advantage for the Tigers. 

Alabama’s Cody Mandell, a Louisiana native, averaged almost 39 yards per punt this season. While he is a solid punter, he clearly is a notch below the gifted Wing. 

Edge: LSU

Return Men

Maze was named second-team All-SEC as a wide receiver and as a return specialist after averaging more than 26 yards per return on kickoffs.

This gem of a punt return for a touchdown against Arkansas did not hurt his case either. 

LSU counters with perhaps the biggest playmaker in the nation on either side of the ball in Mathieu. 

The “Honey Badger” jump-started the Tigers in their last two games with electrifying punt returns for touchdowns that helped erase double-digit leads against Arkansas and Georgia. 

While Maze is capable of a big play in the return game, Wing’s punting prowess negates his ability.

Mathieu should get more chances against an Alabama coverage unit that has struggled all season long. 

Edge: LSU

Overall

LSU gets to play this game in the Superdome, which is their home away from home. 

However, being the road team may prove advantageous for the Tide. 

The pressure in this matchup falls squarely on Les Miles’ squad. LSU is the nation’s best team, playing a virtual home game for the National Championship and faced with the task of losing their perfect season against a team they already beat on its home field. 

Meanwhile, Nick Saban and his players have to be feeling like they have been given a reprieve for all of the costly errors made in their loss against the Tigers. 

They can play with a “nothing to lose” attitude, gain revenge for their season’s only blemish to date and relish the role of being the underdog with the sport’s ultimate prize being their reward should they emerge victorious. 

While LSU has the same advantages that helped them conquer the Tide in the regular season, beating a team as skilled and talented as Alabama twice is a daunting task for any opponent. 

Edge: Alabama