We streamed our thoughts once again for this weekend's game against Alabama. Check out what rolled around my head as the game unfolded.
First Quarter
ESPN came out of its first commercial by showing old highlights of old Alabama-LSU games. I still get sick when I see Quincy Jackson catching the two batted passes in the 1998 loss ... Holly Rowe is the best sideline reporter in the game right now ... Holliday is back to receive the opening kick off, about time ... He didn't break anything, but I'll take getting to the 26 ... Hester starts at tailback tonight although ESPN listed Keiland Williams as the starter ... Williams in at tailback and Hester at fullback, that's LSU's best look ... The offensive line gave Russell all day to throw on that play. If that keeps up, the Russell will have a field day ... Russell started 3-for-3 so far, looking good early which is a good sign ... The line gives Williams a hole and he's gone for 38 yards ... LSU 7, Alabama 0 ... Alley Broussard and Justin Vincent's future playing time goes down every time Williams touches the ball, he's gonna be special ... That was about as good a drive as you can put together. LSU swung passes wide to each side, went deep over the middle and got two great runs between the tackles by Williams ... LaRon Landry is such a stud. He makes more plays near the line of the scrimmage than any safety in a long time ... Offside. The number penalties by LSU before the snap are mind-boggling ... Darby gets the corner and gains 10, something rare against LSU's speed ... Alabama's only chance tonight is for Darby to go off ... Why would you get cute and try a reverse pass after a momentum-gaining run. I hate it when coaches overcoach ... Another penalty, this one pass interference. LSU had six penalties in the first quarter last week, apparently they want to better that mark tonight ... Looking at LSU's defensive starters, nine are from Louisiana ... Darry Beckwith is down, that's not good ... It appears to be his left knee and he's helped off the field ... Alabama's done well on its opening drive, getting into LSU territory mostly by running right at the Tigers ... Is there any doubt Glen Dorsey is the best tackle in the country ... Maybe Tommie Harris from the Chicago Bears ... John Parker Wilson isn't afraid to stand in and get hit, and he's going to be plenty today ... LSU continues to be the best defensive field goal team in the nation as Christensen is off the mark for just the third time this year ... Dwayne Bowe is open on every play of the game ... It's amazing to look at the SEC standings and see Arkansas with a two-game lead ... Russell is so good. He just threw a strike on the run off his back foot for a 20-yard gain ... Hester doesn't need to be running plays outside the tackles ... What a brilliantly designed play to spring Doucet for a 27-yard touchdown ... LSU 14, Alabama 0 ... Doucet went in motion and got basically into a fullback spot before crossing back behind the line of scrimmage and was wide open on the screen ... Peter Dyakowski got a great block 20-yards down field to get Doucet the final 10 yards ... Wilson gets a big scramble for another first down ... LSU is looking vulnerable against the run right now ... A first, on the bottom line, ESPNDeportes broke a story (new National's manager). Wow ... LSU isn't getting much early pressure on Wilson and he's made a couple good throws ... Todd Blackledge just noticed that as well ... They're calling Beckwith's injury a sprained knee ... Alabama is moving the ball well, not something we're used to seeing ... Wow, what a throw by Parker to Darby ... LSU 14, Alabama 7 ... I hate Alabama's fight song ... How on earth does a running back beat Chevis Jackson on a route. Jackson wasn't even close ... LSU's university spot is nice because they don't don't need words, but it's way too busy ... Alabama's spot just put me to sleep ... Alabama has 110 total yards and we're still in the first quarter ... Holliday just got stuck on a return ... Williams is turning into a good back right in front of our eyes ... Russell complete again, 7-for-7 to start ... We run Hester between the tackles, where he's best and of course he picks up eight ... Vincent in for LSU, thank goodness they don't let him run it, but Russell finally is off target ... Either LSU's offensive line is playing their best game of the year or Keiland Williams is that good ... It's probably a little of both ... 4th-and-1 from the 45 ... It appears LSU will go for it, finally a non-conservative play call ... You're quarterback is 6-6, 270, might want to sneak it.
Second Quarter
Cracking the first adult beverage of the day. I know that's a disappointment to many of people (me included), but I've spent the better part of the day paying for last night ... Wow, that hurts a little going down, but we have to press on ... The worst thing about cold football games is cheerleaders in warmup suits ... Risky move on 4th-and-short to run Williams off tackle but pays off ... He nearly broke it, only Simeon Castille's tackle saved a TD ... Russell just stiff-armed a defensive tackle, Holy Wow ... NFL scouts have to be drooling over him ... Where has that Alley Broussard been all year ... LSU's offense is ridiculous, touchdown Bowe ... LSU 21, Alabama 7 .... He's always open, always ... Russell has to be a Heisman contender next year ... I wish we could get another shot at Florida or Auburn, I don't think it would be close ... LSU has three touchdowns on three possessions and 221 total yards. Russell is 9-for-10 with 125 already ... Alabama lined Jimmie Johns up at quarterback right there and ran a spread option play, think Tebow ... If you're going to run a screen against LSU, it better be quick because the D-line will be on you in a hurry ... LSU can't get to Wilson again and he has time to find D.J. Hall for a big gain as he beat Daniel Francis by a step ... I don't know what is going on with LSU's defense, but Jonathan Zenon just missed a tackle and Alabama's in the red zone again ... An Alabama player was talking smack and Marlon Favorite told him "Scoreboard Bitch!", then he made another play ... Third-and-long for Alabama, I'd like to see LSU bring some pressure ... The Under Armor commercials, "Click. Clack." are awful ... Chevis Jackson with LSU's third penalty of the night, not quite last week's pace, but still not good 20 minutes into the game ... Charles Alexander makes a play at tackle, it's amazing someone as good as him is the third best tackle on the team ... Jonathan Zenon wasn't even close to Nikita Stover in the end zone ... LSU 21, Alabama 14 ... As good as LSU's offense looks, the defense is playing equally as bad ... There's no way this group that couldn't score an offensive touchdown against Mississippi State should have 14 points against LSU ... ESPN just showed Josh Reed's unbelievable performance against the Tide in 2001 ... Reed was unbelievable after moving from running back out to receiver ... Wow, LSU gets caught snoozing and Alabama recovers an onside kick ... It's time for the defense to ball up ... Luke Sanders should have had an interception right there, but can't hold on ... Bo Pelini desperately needs to bring some pressure ... I'm not sure where Johns found room right there cause LSU had the play strung out ... There's no fire, no emotion on the LSU defense right now ... Somebody needs to get them jacked up ... Keith Brown flat dropped a 20-yard gain ... Actually, the replay shows Chevis Jackson getting his hand in to break it up, nice play ... LSU isn't getting any pressure against one of the most sacked quarterbacks in the SEC ... That penalty helps LSU big time, there's no way Alabama should be able to convert from 2nd-and-25 ... Finally some pressure and Wilson can't throw ... LSU still didn't bring any linebackers, I'm not sure why Pelini is calling so conservatively ... You should never catch a punt and run immediately sideways ... Apparently Early Doucet is getting his tryout at punt returner ... How many people have to try before the guy who runs a 4.27 40-yard dash (Holliday) gets his chance ... What a great shot of the national championship flags waving with Memorial Tower in the background ... AFLAC Trivia Question: Who had more wins? Don Shula in the NFL or Bear Bryant in college ... I'm pretty sure Bryant had 323 and Shula had 315, so I'm going to say Bear ... Wow, Alabama's road schedule is as bad as LSU's, at Arkansas, Florida, Tennessee and LSU ... It's easy to forget Alabama had the Razorbacks beaten in Fayetteville ... Hester makes a bonehead move by running backwards after the catch ... What happens with the Heisman if Ohio State loses and Troy Smith has a bad game against Michigan ... Finally, finally, finally, pressure by LSU and Wilson intentionally grounds the ball ... LSU still didn't blitz though, Favorite burned a lineman bad ... It's almost like the Tigers want to prove they don't have to blitz, it's not working ... Another punt, and its awful ... AFLAC trivia answer: I was way off. Actually I had Bear's 323 wins right, but Shula had 347, not sure why I thought 315 ... Hester with a nice run, but LSU doesn't seem worried about trying to score in the final two minutes ... Keiland Williams sprained his ankle, just what we need ... Absolutely awful. You get the ball with three minutes left at the 20, throw a screen and two runs up the middle ... Did the LSU staff not watch the first three drives where JaMarcus Russell absolutely destroyed Alabama's defense ... A seven-point halftime lead is not great, if that's what we end up with ... Amazing. Conservative Mike Shula doesn't fold the offense at the end of the half. It's painful sometimes to watch Les Miles get outcoached ... Keith Brown just re-injured his left knee when he got rolled over, it doesn't look good ... ESPN shouldn't have the sound on an injured player down on the field ... This isn't LSU's defense playing tonight ... Watching Alabama move down field makes me wonder what was going through Les Miles head when he sat on the ball with three minutes left ... LSU isn't getting pressure, isn't covering and isn't tackling well. Not a good combination ... This replay is taking forever. How hard is it to see his knee was down and what yardline the ball goes on ... The announcers figured it out with one replay, so did I. It's not rocket science ... The announcers think the crowd is running out of etouffee, um, no. Alcohol maybe ... LSU gets a huge stop, but there's another flag, another LSU penalty ... Pass interference and an automatic first down ... Danny McCray as the defensive back. I have to say I wasn't worried when Jessie Daniel went out because we have Craig Steltz, but I didn't think about the nickel or dime packages ... FUMBLE! Pelini finally blitzes someone and Daniel Frances forced a fumble off the corner ... Do that more ... It's the half and how popular are the man laws? I've seen more D-"fense" and "OFF"-fense signs today than I ever have before, of course I never saw "OFF"-fense signs before at all ... LSU got away with one at the end of the half and keep the lead heading into the locker room ... But this team needs to get chewed for the next 15 minutes and come out ready to freaking play.
Third Quarter We?re back after the half and Alabama gets the ball first ? LSU better think about doing something to get more pressure on John Parker Wilson, opposing quarterbacks aren?t supposed to go 15-for-21 for 194 yards in a half ? Alabama?s offensive line is getting great push on running plays ? LSU allows 215 yards per game but gave up 264 in the first half ? No pressure on Wilson in the pocket, first down Bama ? It looked to me like LSU?s end got held ? and he did, Hall?s reverse comes back ? Why wasn?t Les Miles interviewed live at the half, he?s the coach of the leading team ? Any chance ESPN didn?t want to do it after last week?s fiasco ? Another scramble for big yards by Wilson ? LSU refuses to bring more than four and Chevis Jackson makes a nice play to prevent a first down ? Third down, PLEASE bring pressure ? LSU has really hot cheerleaders ? No pressure again and Stover dropped it ? I?d love to see LSU come after a punt at least once this season ? Lets see how the offense comes out ? Holliday in at running back for the first time and gains five yards while I blinked ? The inside handoff to Hester out of the gun has been good to LSU today and he just gained 26 yards on it ? Teams are so conditioned to Russell passing from the gun, it?s a great play call ? This is the best LSU has run the ball all year ? Unbelievable, after a big play, Miles/Fisher try to overcoach with a double reverse flip back to Russell and he?s sacked ? Hester was WIDE open, but the play took forever to develop and lost 17 yards ? For the first time, LSU ran the slip screen to Doucet, but the timing was off ? I liked it better last week when they ran it with Bowe a number of times ? Justin Vincent seems to have fallen into a role of third-down back only ? Wow, Russell gains 25 yards on third-and-long, how clutch is he ? LSU needed that conversion bad ? Broussard with another nice run, maybe having his job taken by a freshman (Keiland Williams) woke him up ? Jimbo Fisher is really opening up the playbook, calling a quarterback draw with Russell for the second straight week. Teams aren?t prepared for that right now ? Hester is so valuable in the backfield, he?ll make a tremendous pro fullback ? LSU 28, Alabama 14 ? The way LSU?s offense is rolling right now, I can?t fathom why Fisher called the trick play ? It goes back to coaches overcoaching, if they can?t stop something, keep doing it ? Right now, Alabama can?t stop Russell, he should be throwing it all day ? The sad thing is it could be 35-14 right now, or at least 31-14, but Miles went conservative again late at the end of the first half ? If I was a coach, I would tell my kickoff return men to stand on the goal line, if the ball goes over your head, let it, it?s a touchback ? Alabama starts inside the 10 and immediately gains 23 yards ? LSU rushed four, got no pressure and Wilson easily made a big throw ? Why isn?t LSU blitzing at all .. Wow, what a stat, Alabama is 10-2 when Ken Darby gains 100 yards ? both losses, to LSU ? Apparently LSU is playing the swiss cheese defense today ? Rushed four, left a man wide open ? Finally sent an extra rusher and Wilson can?t complete the pass ? LaRon Landry has been virtually non-existant tonight ? Finally a blitz and guess what, an interception ? Wilson was hit as he threw by Landry and Chevis Jackson picked it off ? After this commercial, ESPN is going to tell us about one of the great streaks in the history of college football, I?m not looking forward to it ? LSU ran the inside handoff to Hester and this time Bama was ready ? Why Hester tries to speed around players is beyond me, he?s not fast enough ? Keiland Williams is back in ? Bowe makes his first catch since the touchdown, he?s always open ? Russell took a lesson from Hester and tried to run around a defender, if he?d taken on the tackler he might have gotten the first down ? Hester?s play killed the drive ? Another penalty, unsportsmanlike. Like Alabama needs any help moving the ball tonight ? Alabama starts in LSU territory, they?ve been there all night ? Big third down here and the front four comes up big by stuffing the run ? I can?t understand why they wouldn?t pass right here, LSU hasn?t stopped Wilson all night.
Fourth Quarter 4th-and-1 and Tim Castille converts ? He hasn?t been in much tonight, a little surprising ? LSU needed to make that stop ? I don?t know how Wilson got that pass off with Dorsey all over him, but nice pass ? The Tigers still aren?t rushing more than four very much ? As soon as I say it, blitz and Wilson has to get rid of it well before he can find anyone ? Alabama tried to run wide, not a smart decision ? Another blitz and a sack this time, LSU should be bringing extra players every play ? Another opponent field goal try missed by an opponent ? I?d love to see stats about this for the last four years ? Another 15-yard penalty, amazing, that?s seven for 66 yards tonight ? Delay of game, eight penalties for 71 ? This has to get fixed ? LSU?s punt coverage has been good tonight, of course they?ve only had to cover two ? Another third down conversion despite great pressure from Favorite ? The front four is starting to pin their ears back and Tyson Jackson got to Wilson ? Not sure what Shula was thinking with a draw right there ? LSU?s defensive momentum is picking up ? LaRon Landry just destroyed Wilson ? He?s the best blitzing safety in college, why he hasn?t been doing it more tonight I don?t know ? LSU got lucky because a facemask would have given Alabama first down, another flag ? Doucet with another bad return going sideways, who?s next ? Holly Rowe is the best, can she do two games every Saturday? ? I can?t wait to see what kind of numbers Doucet puts up next year when he?s the No. 1 guy ? What a throw. LSU rolls Russell to the left and he throws back across the field off-balance with his momentum going the other way ? Are you kidding, 18-for-21 for 201 yards and 3 TDs ? Broussard just doesn?t seem to have any shiftiness left in him ? Ballsy move by LSU to go for it on 4th-and-2 and Broussard gets it ? Update from LA, a Booty throws an interception, shocking ? LSU went on a great drive to run the clock out and get a 28-14 win ? The defense was downright bad giving up 398 yards, but stepped up when it needed to.