LSU vs Alabama Rematch: 5 Most Important Players in BCS Title Showdown

The second tilt between the LSU Tigers and Alabama Crimson Tide is going to be a better game than the first one they played back on November 5.

I know this because there's not much to improve upon. If only one touchdown is scored, this title-game rematch will be a resounding success.

Kidding aside, it really should be a good game. These are two outstanding football teams, and there are elite players on both sides, particularly on defense.

The best of the best will be in the spotlight on Monday, January 9, but I'm thinking that the outcome of the game will hinge on the successes and failures of five players in particular.

Let's discuss them, shall we?

5. Jordan Jefferson, QB, LSU

As you no doubt recall, the so-called "Game of the Century" was kinda the last straw for LSU quarterback Jarrett Lee. After playing so well in LSU's first eight games, he completed just three passes and threw two picks against Alabama. 

Jordan Jefferson had to come in and relieve Lee of his duties, and he played well enough to keep the game from getting out of hand. He played well in LSU's final four games as well.

The Tigers aren't going to need Jefferson to do too much against the Tide. They just need him to avoid screwing up, an apparently Herculean task that Lee was not capable of accomplishing. In retrospect, the Tigers are lucky that his mistakes did not cost them the game.

If Jefferson doesn't make any mistakes, it stands to reason that the Tigers will have a slight edge. If he happens to actually contribute something, that would be nice too.

4. AJ McCarron, QB, Alabama

He didn't do anything particularly amazing, but AJ McCarron was actually halfway decent against LSU the first time around. He only threw one pick and ended up amassing 199 passing yards.

I would love to say that the Tide are going to need more of the same, but if McCarron wasn't good enough the first time around, then it's on him to step his game up and be even better.

The trouble is that McCarron is not exactly a star capable of taking over a game. He takes what he's given, and he tends to be given a lot thanks to the presence of Trent Richardson.

Unfortunately, he's not going to have that luxury against LSU. McCarron will have to be more assertive and hope for the best.

While he's at it, he also needs to avoid making mistakes. He'll be on a tightrope.

3. Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama

How good was Dre Kirkpatrick against LSU the first time around?

All you have to do is look at Rueben Randle's stat line. He's LSU's best receiver, and he managed just two catches for 19 yards against Alabama.

That was primarily because of Kirkpatrick. He's a pretty big dude for a cornerback, and his size definitely came in handy against the 6'4" Randle. If Kirkpatrick can bother him again, Jefferson's going to have a much harder time not making mistakes.

Kirkpatrick will also be on a tightrope. All it will take is one slip or one missed step, and Randle will have an edge that could lead to six points. In a game like this, that's six too many.

2. Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama

People think that Trent Richardson had a bad game against LSU back in November, but that's not true. He only had 89 yards on 23 carries, sure, but he also had 80 yards on five receptions.

Against a defense as fast and as fierce as LSU's, that's pretty good.

Richardson's sin was not finding the end zone, which is something that he did in every other game he played in this season. It's not a coincidence that Alabama lost the one game in which he didn't.

I mentioned earlier that McCarron is not going to have the luxury of relying on Richardson, but that's entirely up to Richardson himself. He set a bar with his first performance, and anything less than that simply won't cut it.

1. Tyrann Mathieu, CB, LSU

Tryann Mathieu was oddly quiet the first time LSU and Alabama hooked up, and that's not the norm for him.

Normally, Mathieu is in on virtually every play, and he has a knack for making game-changing plays on defense and in special teams. The Honey Badger truly is fearless.

LSU has proven once that they don't need a big play from Mathieu to beat Alabama. The Tigers defense is good enough to hold the line without anything spectacular, and the Tide should know as well as anyone that they can't let Mathieu beat them.

But Mathieu can beat them anyway. All he has to do is be himself, and all it will take is one play.