Yes, I spent many sleepless nights coming up with this immaculate title.
Alabama fans are feeling pretty good right now after smashing Tennessee, and why shouldn’t we? We haven’t been able to beat one of our big rivals like that in a long, long time. But, I’m here to tell you that on their best day, Tennessee is maybe the 5th best team in the SEC. Their defense is porous, their QB is average, and their coaching staff seems to have lost that fire they had in 1998. Though this is a sign of major improvement, we’ve still got a good amount of ground to gain if we are to play in Atlanta in the SECCG anytime soon.
The LSU Tigers come to town next weekend, bringing their All-American talent, a rabid fanbase, and a coach who thinks calling a timeout with 6 seconds to go is for sissies that coddle their kickers.
Make no mistake about it, Alabama will have to play 10 times better in order to beat LSU. Yes, we did look great against Tennessee, even without 2 of our starting O-linemen. But, there is a reason why UT has given up over 140 points in their 3 losses; that defense stinks. LSU has one of the top 3 defenses in the country this year, even if they gave up 40+ to UK and 17 to AU in the 1st half (that can be attributed to LSU more than the other teams in my opinion).
So what am I trying to get across with this post? Don’t expect Alabama to look like we did against the Vols. Sure, I think we’ll give LSU a run for their money, but I’d be cautious about buying tickets to Atlanta too soon (unless it’s for the Peach Bowl). We’re still pretty thin in certain areas, and haven’t faced a defense of LSU’s caliber all season long.
If you think Alabama has a chance at winning, please don’t think I’m telling you that you’re dead wrong. We need plenty of confidence in order to play with the bengal tigers. I’m just warning those of us who seem to think it is automatic that we’ll beat LSU and MSU on our way to play the SEC East champ. Keep your chin up, but remember to plant your feet firmly on the ground.
Remember, we won’t be catching them off guard like Kentucky did. In fact, I think we have a greater chance of being caught off guard in Starkville than LSU in Tuscaloosa. But I digress….
The best way I can sum up my point is this way: Believe we can do it, just don’t assume we will do it.
