Alabama Again Can't Match Opponents' Desperation Level as Title Hopes Dashed

LSU went for an all-or-nothing two-point conversion in overtime to pull out a dramatic 32-31 overtime victory at Death Valley.

Author:
Christopher Walsh
Publish date:
Nov 5, 2022 11:31 PM EDT

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Alabama Crimson Tide

Ugh.

That may not be the correct term as we want this to remain a family-friendly media outlet, but the Alabama Crimson Tide football team invoked a wide variety of colorful words Saturday night. The vernacular is often a major part of a trip to LSU and in that case this trip to Baton Rouge didn't disappoint.

Nearly everything else about it did, though.

After after falling behind in Death Valley, which is usually a recipe for disaster, especially after sunset, Alabama was for the second time in three games unable to keep a desperate home team from topping its efforts and pull out a dramatic, crowd-rushing victory.

Similar to what happened at Tennessee, the Crimson Tide got one-upped with the game on the line. Alabama scored at the end of regulation, and again in overtime, however, LSU coach Brian Kelly went for an all-or-nothing two point conversion and it paid off, 32-31.

With those two losses, the other being 52-49 to the Volunteers, Alabama was essentially eliminated from contention for both the Southeastern Conference Championship Game, and the College Football Playoff.

"Tough loss," Nick Saban during his postgame press conference, with fans screaming "L-S-U" in the background and occasionally drowning out their former head coach.

"I can't blame the players. I'm responsible for this stuff."

Regardless of what happens from here on out, the 2022 Crimson Tide will forever be remembered as team that couldn't match the intensity of its competition.

On the plus side, No. 6 Alabama (7-2, 5-2 SEC) showed heart and determination at key moments against the Tigers, but not enough and not consistently.

However for the fourth time this season the talent-rich Crimson Tide struggled in a big-game atmosphere, including at three brutal venues. Time and time again it struggled against opponents who wanted it more.

Specific to this one, Alabama looked like it spent the bye week healing and resting up, while LSU apparently used the extra time working on the Crimson Tide.

Give Kelly and his team credit. They put together a good game plan, played well, held a 14-9 lead after three quarters, and answered Alabama's late touchdown to retake the lead 24-21 in the final two minutes.

"To beat Alabama, you have to have a complete complete football game," Kelly said.

The Crimson Tide can't say that it did that, in part because Bryce Young didn't look like Bryce Young for most of the night.

Coming off his shoulder injury, it was obvious that the junior quarterback didn't throw much over the last two weeks. He was rusty, not decisive and didn't seem to have a lot of confidence with the wide receivers.

They had just four receptions in the first half, three by sophomore Ja'Corey Brooks. The other eight catches were all by running backs and tight ends, for all but 36 of the 170 passing yards over the first two quarters.

No. 10 LSU (7-2, 5-1) contributed to that. Different looks and zone blitzing took a toll and kept Young from getting into any sort of rhythm and he kept throwing off his back foot. The one exception to that was Alabama's opening drive, when it nearly went the length of the field when the quarterback made an uncharacteristic mistake.

While trying to dance to extend the play he dumped a no-look pass into the end zone where it was picked off. It turned out to be a precursor for much of the game.

The next three possessions all started within the Alabama 11 and went nowhere. Young finished the first quarter a pedestrian 6 of 15, and was 12 of 24 for the first half.

When the game was on the line, Young had a very Young-like play when he cooly, calmly, avoided being sacked and found Brooks open downfield for the 41-yard touchdown.

Down 24-21, he got the ball again at the Alabama 25 with 1:47 remaining, and Alabama's offense was just good enough. The possession ended with a 46-yard field goal by Will Reichard that cleared the crossbar.

The offense subsequently scored again in overtime, with running back Roydell Williams punching in the touchdown.

But then LSU needed just one play to score, and Kelly rolled the dice.

Ball game.

"Before the game started if you had asked me, 'Hey, I'm going to give you one play, and if you're successful on that one play you beat Alabama, I would have taken that 100 times out of 100," Kelly said.

"At that moment, it kind of hit me that way and I knew we had a really good play that they hadn't seen."

Yes, the legend of Young grew a little more, while going 25-for-51 for 328 yards and one touchdown pass.

Yet win and survive is always the key to November, when the true challengers for the national championships emerge.

Some pretenders were exposed elsewhere, in both the Southeastern Conference and college football. Don't get me wrong, Tennessee deserved its brief stay at the top of the polls, but reigning champion Georgia pushed the Volunteers around and probably locked up a spot in the College Football Playoff (regardless of what happens in the SEC Championship Game).

At Notre Dame, No. 4 Clemson's contender status was officially revoked and destroyed regardless of what the Tigers do from here on in. Neither No.2 Ohio State nor No. 5 Michigan impressed anyone while pulling out wins.

Things were setting up pretty nicely for Alabama, which had its chances.

Consequently, the 2022 Crimson Tide will be known for a lot of things, but not for being a championship team.

Christopher Walsh's column regularly appears on BamaCentral.