The final score was LSU 9, Alabama 6, and the polls show the Tigers as the No. 1 team in the nation.
But some of the members of the Scripps Legend Poll made it clear on Monday they aren't convinced the better team won Saturday night's No. 1 versus No. 2 showdown in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
"I think if they played the game 10 times, Alabama would win seven of them,'' said former Crimson Tide coach and Legends Poll voter Gene Stallings.
"The best team doesn't always win.''
Former Georgia coach Vince Dooley agrees with Stallings' sentiments.
"I still believe Alabama would win two out of three times,'' Dooley said. "I think Alabama is a little better. It was just a classic, between two of the best teams, just physical athletes, that I can remember at one time in a season.''
Former Ohio State coach John Cooper said much of the same.
"It was a great defensive game, two great teams, very conservative game plans,'' Cooper said. "I still think Alabama was the best team but didn't win that game. I think if they played five times, Alabama would win three of them.''
So for all of the talk of the Crimson Tide being better, why didn't Alabama win at home?
"It's the damn kicking game,'' former Auburn coach Pat Dye said. "The kicking game determines close games. Alabama missed four field goals, and they let them (punt) the ball 72 yards. The only mistake LSU had in the kicking game was the flagrant foul on the punt return.''
Cooper second-guessed the Tide's offensive playing calling leading up to long field goal attempts.
"I thought Alabama made a couple of mistakes, it was third-and-long, and they threw the ball; if they had run the ball and gained 5 yards or 8 yards...'' Cooper said, suggesting a more makable field goal attempt. "The first (field goal attempt) was a 50 yarder; it was third-and-20 the play before and they threw an incomplete pass.
"One mark of a good coaching job is you don't ask a kid to do something he can't do; if he can't kick a 50-yarder, why are you letting him try it?''
Dooley jumped in on the subject of forsaking the punt and field position strategy versus attempting the long field goal.
"If you're gonna play that way,'' Dooley said, "you gotta have a field goal kicker.''
Former Indiana coach Bill Mallory said much of the same.
"Where I had some question was on the field position when Alabama went for the field goals, not knocking on the young man, but that was a long distance for him,'' Mallory said. "I thought maybe they would punt and try to get better field position, at least not turn the ball over in that situation. Field position is so important in games like that. ''
Rematch?:Already, speculation is swirling that LSU and Alabama could meet again in the national championship game.
Dye, however, said he wouldn't agree with the Tide being moved ahead of a few of the remaining undefeated teams.
"I don't think Alabama deserves to play in the national championship game if Oklahoma State stays undefeated, or Stanford stays undefeated or Boise State stays undefeated. If that happens, (one of those teams) deserve a chance to play LSU."
Overrated? Former USC coach John Robinson had an interesting take on the LSU-Alabama game.
"Alabama came up short, they didn't play their best football game; I was disappointed,'' he said. "I kinda thought this was maybe one of the best teams of all time...they don't have a quarterback, they don't have many good wide receivers, and their kicking game was lousy.
"You measure teams on their great games,'' he said. "When you have a classic game, you have to play classic football, or else you have to step aside.''
"I'm sure Nick Saban isn't standing around saying, 'boys we played as hard as we could...,' Behind closed doors he's probably damned ape-(manure) about what's going on.''
Dye On Classic Vols: "The closest game I've ever seen was in 1956, when Tennessee beat Georgia Tech in Atlanta 6-0, and the next week they went to No. 1,'' Dye said. "Both teams quick-kicked five or six times apiece, neither one of them wanted the football. It was classic.''
UT entered that game ranked No. 3 and Georgia Tech was ranked No. 2.
Follow Mike Griffith on twitter at http://twitter.com/MikeGriffith32
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Comments » 83
espender#273698 writes:
I agree with John Robinson. As far as Stallings, he'd say Alabama could beat last year's Super Bowl Champions 10 out of 10. He's never realistic.
10ECDave writes:
Yea..and if, and, and buts were candy and nuts ...everyday would be Christmas. Alabubba lost, on that day LSU was the best team. They aren't going to play 5 or 10 times, they lost on their home field..get over it.
CoverOrange writes:
Last time I checked kicking is part of the game. You can't say Bama is a better team and exclude the special teams play.
MikeTheTiger writes:
Amen and so is coaching. Les kicked Saban's rear in that department last Saturday!
civilianvol_formerly_marinevol writes:
It's hard for me to imagine Les Miles out-coaching Nick Saban, but that appears to be what happened.
Volunatic writes:
True. I wonder if these coaches thought Tennessee was the better team in '09-- they just did poorly in the kicking game.
Volundergrad47 writes:
So this means when we play at bama when they won it all we were actually a better team? If lincoln could hit a field goal we would have i guess
VolBy3 writes:
The best team that day always wins. That's why they play the game. Who's better the next or any other day is a new debate. If UT wins Saturday, it won't mean we're better than Arky. It will only mean we were better that game. When we do that enough times, we will start being the better team overall.
Come on Vols, let's get that unexpected win!
All4VOLS!!
jcherrie#219531 (Inactive) writes:
There is nothing I saw in that game that indicated that Alabama is a better football team. They looked pretty equal to me. Alabama moved the ball a bit better but they were also at home.
heyitsme writes:
May be part of the reason that they are "former" coaches.
espender#273698 writes:
Exactly who had Alabama played that was all that good? Arkansas? Alabama's had a cream puff schedule up until they played LSU. I don't care for either team, but I don't think Bama's strength of schedule is very good.
civilianvol_formerly_marinevol writes:
Interesting thought: Our offense scored more points against LSU than Alabama did. In the first half, our weak offense scored more points against both these teams (7 & 6) than they were able to score in the first half against each other. It's possible that a really good offense (like Stanford and Oklahoma State) could be a stiff test for either of these teams, if they had a fairly good defense to go with it (which Stanford and OSU don't). When they discuss Alabama or LSU being among the best teams of all time, the discussion should be limited to their defenses being among the best of all time. Both have very average offenses, at best.
Witch_Doctors writes:
Witch Doctor say go burn a mattress!
Bones never lie.
murrayvol writes:
That's the great thing about opinions. Even former coaches can have one.
LSU like Miles was loose and focused. Miles believed in his guys before and after the game.
Bama like Saban was tight as a banjo string. Saban probably believed in his guys before the game but not so much now.
kcbigorngX writes:
Even a good college offense gets handled by a Pro Bowl defense, and I think we saw this in both bama and lsu. I hope they are still #1 & #2 next year when we whip their tails.
Happy Birthday and Semper Fi to all of the FMF, past and present.
orangecountyvols writes:
10se,
Why? Because that is what trolls do. This Merlot troll uses this site to vent his weakness, which is inability to accept reality. He cradles his
wine, thumbs through photos of Fulmer, and in general has nothing in life better to do than show his rear end here.
It's their passion to turn everything unrelated back to their insecurity concerning Derek Dooley.
Inability to deal with their pitiful existence is their problem.
GardenGnome writes:
LSU has a better defense.
LSU has better special teams.
LSU, with Jefferson at QB, has a better offense.
Alabama with Julio Jones and Terrance Cody would possibly make a difference, but those guys are in the NFL now.
LSU is the better team and would beat Bama 9 out of 10 times this season. I'd love to see them play again for the Nat'l Championship game because every other team is out of their league.
It probably won't happen because the BS, er, I mean the BCS won't let it. Enjoy another year of bowl game blow outs guys because of the money and greed generated by the current system.... It makes for good water cooler talk though.
Orange_Pants_Buy_One_Get_One_Free writes:
A 5 point favorite at home with the best coach in the country with possibly the best defense to ever play college football lost.
Miles > Saban
LSU > Alabama
And no. We do not want to see a rematch. We want to see the SEC's best beat the snot out of another conference's best.
VolzsFan writes:
Not that they are all past retirement age and about all of them are in the Hall of Fame. They do not know anything. That being said, it appears there is some jealousy about Les. But he owns Saban and they are the best thing going today. To be the man you have to beat the man on his own dirt. Hey Bama, wait until next year I guess.
brod writes:
a boring game, not a classic.
UTKin1992 writes:
Shoulda.
Woulda.
Coulda.
Who cares?
USMC_1959 writes:
I remember listening to that 1956 UT/GA tech game..Wasn't Bobby Gordon our tailback that year? I thought it was a great game..and yes..lots'a quick kicks.
USMC_1959 writes:
Yes..kicking the darned thing thru the endzone is what we also need. However you'll notice the kid in the youtube video is kicking from the 40 yd line..makes a big difference
GardenGnome writes:
Go find a Western Athletic Conference message board to comment on dude.
RaineyVol writes:
Bama had more scoring opportunities but they didnt score which makes LSU the better team. makes no sense to say Bama is the better team until they play again in the NC game. stanford loses to oregon and Oklahoma st. loses to Oklahoma.
GreeneCountyVol writes:
I thought that the tailback in 1956 was Johnny Majors. Before the game Georgia Tech was No. 2 and the Vols No. 3. After the win, Tennessee went to No. 2 but never went to first because Oklahoma, under Bud Wilkinson, was in the middle of its incredible run. I was at the game in Neyland the previous year when Tenn and Ga Tech tied.
West10VolNHouston writes:
LSU did block one field goal and Eric Reid returned it to put LSU in good field position at or around mid field. It didn't result in any points though.
Tau_of_Tennessee writes:
No comment on that game. I was watching my Vols! GBO!
TommyJack writes:
Many of the corches in this article have state of alabama ties.
RoadTrip writes:
This.
People rationalize why there pick doesn't win instead of accepting the results and understanding why it happens. LSU played better overall. They won. Get over it Bama lovers. Beat The Hat the next time you play him.
Down_The_Field writes:
what does LSU have to do to win this game? i guess they have to beat the biased opinions of "has been" coaches. two of which are ex-coaches from alabama and one is an ohio state coach that hates michigan. ummmm....didn't miles play at michigan?
LSU went on the road as a slight underdog; out coached, out rushed, out kicked, and out defended their opponent. therefore, LSU is the better team. why is this a hard concept to understand?
there is NO reason to have a rematch. a rematch in college football always favors the popular school (i.e. 1996 flar-duh/fsu) and it's evident bammer is the popular team.
put bammer behind all the undefeated teams and if you want, put them at the head of the 1 loss pack.
Down_The_Field writes:
dam good post.
CrankE writes:
Alabama still better than LSU.
really?
The winning team doesn't win the game, the losing team loses it - Neyland.
volposter writes:
Majors was the tailback but he was playing with a sore shoulder, as I recall, so Gordon played a lot in that game. He (Gorden) got off some great punts that day and Majors had one go out of bounds near the one yard line. It was a great classic game between two great defenses - SI voted it the best game played over some 25 year span. It is not all about running up and down the field when great defenses and coaches (Wyatt and Dodd) are involved. Also then players had to play both ways. Real players as Neyland called them.
It was not two fields goals. All American Majors hit All American Buddy Cruise (KEHS) on a pass and Cruise took it down near the goal at the start of the second half, and fullback Tommy Bronson then scored. After that, the defenses and the kicking game took back over. Very exciting (before the MTV generation). Shame no telecast back then. Had to listen to the radio and watch the replay later. I also thought of this game watching LSU-Ala
I also agree Majors was cheated out of the Heisman by the northern and mid western press that year for a Notre Dame quarterback, similar to Hank Lauricella (lost to a tailback from Princeton) five years earlier. Common bias back then. Of course, same overall fate for Shular and Manning in the 90s.
CrankE writes:
Totally off topic here, I find it odd that GVX has Zero posted on the PSU meltdown unfolding.
RollTideJoe writes:
Sorry, but I don't agree. Alabama has to play everyone in the SEC West, said to be the best conference and the best in that conference. We play Tennessee from the East, a rivalry game that can't be scheduled based upon teams having a down year such as UT experiences right now. Penn State has lost only to Alabama and is a top ranked team. So, how can you say that Bama's schedule isn't strong? Alabama's kicking game is down this year and it cost dearly in the LSU game. If one watched the game, however, it is easy to see that Alabama outperformed LSU, but lost on some crucial plays. Granted that made the difference and LSU won......and so one can say LSU is the better team. But, I think several of the coaches quoted are correct, Alabama won the battles but lost the war. It would be some rematch if it happens.
USMC_1959 writes:
volposter you've got a good memory! JM was the tailback but I just remebered the great kicks by BG. Now that we know you as a longtime Vol follower..who did the play-by-play? I can't recall if it was Lindsay Nelson or George Mooney. I could probably Google it to find out but that'd be cheating!
Jovol642 writes:
OK Roll Cried Roll, Bammers always are a bunch of cry babies. They got their butt handed to them at home and that is that. Now get over it. You can always sat if this had not happened or if that had not happened that things would be different, but if wishes were horses beggars could ride. Get over it finally.
richvol writes:
It looked to me that LSU had more,and better athletes on the field than Bama. The entire game came down to the LSU DB that took the ball away from the Bama receiver on the goaline...a spectacular play.
SIMSVOL writes:
What do these guys know. Cooper lost all credibility in a recent interview when he said Tennessee made a mistake getting rid of Fulmer. The only mistake Tennessee made was not getting rid of Fulmer soon enough. We're still reeling from keeping him in the coach's post for too long. LSU a better all around team and they will win it all. So will the VOLS in a few years! Go VOLS!
linebam writes:
If I'm not mistaken, none of the missed FGs resulted in points for LSU... just missed scoring opportunities for Bama. I think that puts the game back on an even scale. LSU did a better job of getting into scoring position and WON... that's about it.
TommyJack writes:
He's just doing his job.
TommyJack writes:
NO REMATCH. Bama had their chance. At home.
bigerb30 writes:
I't dosen't matter what people think, the game was played out on the feild.It only matters who the best team is for those for quarters, that night it was LSU. Hopefully we want see a remach just because everyone wants it to happen.I'm sure that Arkansas would like a do over against Alabama.
MikeTheTiger writes:
no, we'll find that out in three weeks. We play the always dangerous Western KY team this week, Ole Miss next and then the pigs - in Baton Rouge.
Vol1983 writes:
Bottom line; their opinion doesn't matter.
Witch_Doctors writes:
Witch Doctor not dissing nobody..Witch Doctor says its cold! Brrr
Bones never lie.
GreeneVol writes:
Damnit Dye, we know you're a tough guy and all, but they didn't call a flagrant foul on that play, I believe it was a holding penalty or illegal contact. Refs shoulda thrown that dirty player right out of the game. Get your damn facts straight!
volfan2002 writes:
LSU beat Alabama on the road so why would anybody think Bama was better. Talent wise these two teams are about a draw, but looks like LSU had the better field goal kicker.
jigsha (staff) writes:
CrankE,
We've been posting all our Penn State coverage on www.knoxnews.com. That's the sister site of GoVolsXtra where nation/world and Knoxville news is posted.
Jigsha Desai
gvx and knoxnews.com
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