I don't want to appear like I'm piling on. LSU did have an outstanding season, one that fans will remember for many years to come. Making it the BCS Title Game is a major accomplishment unto itself, as is an undefeated regular season. The SEC Championship Trophy will make a handsome addition to the trophy case in Baton Rouge.
That being said, losing to Alabama, while not a sin unto itself, in the fashion that the Bayou Bengals did, is shameful. I don't refer to the score, 21-0, the lone shutout in BCS Title Game history. I mean, with the game hanging in the balance at halftime, still winnable by anyone's definition, Les Miles failed. He failed to make corrections at intermission. The one thing everyone involved with football knows is that the great coaches make halftime adjustments.
Jordan Jefferson was having the worst game of his career. Understandable against a Tide defense that had practiced for 45 days to stop him. With his option quarterback dead in the water, why would Miles not turn to Jarrett Lee, the quarterback who filled the void while Jefferson was suspended at the beginning of the season. Yes Alabama had his number in the first game, however Lee, a 5th year senior, had earned the right to try to salvage the game as well as his career at LSU.
Could the Tigers have won? It seems unlikely, but we'll never know. One things for sure, whether Miles had a brain freeze or a blind spot, he was out-coached by his predecessor, Nick Saban. Saban did not hesitate to pull A.J. McCarron in the first game after struggling against the Tiger Defense. While it ultimately didn't pan out, Saban at least gave the impression that he was trying. Miles simply seemed hopelessly out-coached. By the 4th quarter, the Mad Hatter appeared resigned to defeat.
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