Wednesday Wayback: Chaos Is A Ladder

We all know what happened after the SEC Championship. West Virginia lost to a hapless Pitt team and Mizzou was upended by Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship. All of a sudden LSU had not only had life again after it was taken away in triple overtime, but was in the National Championship game. After everything imploded and the dust settled, only two teams were left standing: Ohio State and LSU. It was quite literally now or never for the Tigers. There were no more breaks to go their way. They had fallen victim to chaos twice and yet it was there to put them in the position that they needed to be in, all they had to do was do what they did best: win.

The Game

• [1:15] First play from scrimmage LSU looks like they have the Ohio State headsets tapped. They blitz the gaps that aren’t picked up, and the checkdown receiver is covered to the T.
• [3:20] LSU bites on the power look from the line and that gives Beanie Wells a perfect cutback lane and it gashes the Tigers for 65 yards and puts the Buckeyes on top immediately. 7-0 Ohio State.
• [7:40] I know how this game ends but still, this start is inauspicious as all get out.
• [9:05] And on the next play, a bust in coverage makes it even more inauspicious. All of a sudden LSU is trying to prevent Ohio State from going up 14-0 before five minutes are gone.
• [12:25] But a false start helps bog down Ohio State, and they have to settle for the dreaded Red Zone field goal. 10-0 Buckeyes.
• [14:15] lmaooooooooo Jumper
• [18:05] You may commence swooning over Jacob Hester.
• Also, LSU crossed midfield.
• [18:45] What a grab by Doucet as he highpoints the ball. Go up and get it, Early.
• [21:30] Matt Flynn, dual th...nevermind.
• [24:25] LSU also can’t get out of the Red Zone and has to settle for a field goal. 10-3 Ohio St.
• [26:55] Wells is just quick to get back to the line I don’t think LSU’s defenders are in position to wrap up yet.
• [29:00] For the first time in the game, Ohio State has to punt. After this, they are going to have considerable difficulty getting the ball rolling again. LSU survived the onslaught, now they need to catch up.
• [33:10] Given how often LSU ran that play with Perrilloux in, I’m shocked it’s still gashing opponents, especially in the national championship game. A tacky late hit gives LSU extra yardage.
• [34:45] Not sure what #1 is thinking, but he completely abandons Byrd on the post route and leaves him wide open. Doucet was running to the flats, but the safety on the outside should have came up and played him. To make matters worse, there was a facemask call to put LSU within striking distance...
• [35:35] Oh man, this play. Just pause it here and look at the formation. There is a lineman out wide with two receivers and Richard Murphy bunched around him, but he is legally on the line. Byrd is to the near side all by himself. Because LSU rushed to the line Ohio State’s bearings are totally out of whack and they either don’t realize that Dickson is eligible on the end of the near side line or can’t get a man on him soon enough. Easy pitch and catch ties the game. 10 all.
• [37:10] Jesus H, Perry Riley.
• [38:00] Jesus H, Beanie Wells.
• [40:35] Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good, what can you say?
• [42:30] Just an insane individual effort by Ricky-Jean Francois to bowl over his man and get a paw on the ball.
• [45:30] Man, Ohio State just did not feel like covering tight ends in this game. James Laurinaitis is the lone backer patrolling the box and he vacates it to go to the flat.
• [50:00] Flynn commits a cardinal sin by passing on a rollout to his weak side but still delivers a perfect strike to LaFell. Jojo is the only one who can get it, and he high points it anyway just to be sure. LSU takes the lead after 17 unanswered to make it 17-10.
• [54:45] Lose-lose for Todd Boeckman here. Coleman sends him to the upside down, but he gets the ball away. Unfortunately for him it’s a toss-up and Chevis Jackson catches the bobble and returns it deep into Ohio State territory.
• [55:35] Perfect call on the throwback to a wide-open Travis Dickson to take it to the one yard line. Everything LSU does on offense is working and Ohio State’s defense is wearing skates.
• [57:45] Jacob Hester cannot be denied three straight plays at the goal line. 24-10 LSU. 24 without reply.
• [59:10] RIP Neck.
• [1:00:25] Zenon probably should have made this pick, and if he did then it might have become a disaster for Ohio State.
• [1:03:25] I think we have our answer to that question.
• [1:17:55] After LSU’s opening drive goes forwards and then backwards, LSU is bailed out with a roughing the kicker call. That’s not great, Bob.
• [1:20:45] Man, knowing how his career plays out, this middle screen to Charles Scott is amazing. We won’t be really seeing him with that kind of open field running the rest of his career.
• [1:21:35] This should not have been a touchdown, but Early Doucet breaks some tackles after catching a pass to the flat. Ohio State had a chance to make up some ground and instead gave the ball back to LSU. When LSU got that chance, they made it hurt and deliver what is pretty much the death blow. 31-10 LSU with 31 straight points in LSU’s favor.
• [1:27:00] We nearly get a surrender cobra after this sack, and it would have been justified. There’s still 20 minutes to play but LSU is bossing this game.
• [1:31:00] Tolliver and Flynn aren’t on the same page. Tolliver runs the curl when Fltnn is expecting a comeback and that’s an easy pick for Malcom Jenkins to give the Buckeyes life.
• [1:34:15] On 4th and 5, Ohio State goes for it and Boeckman finds Robiskie on a spacing route, just trying to spread LSU’s secondary and poke a hole and it works. LSU’s unanswered streak is over. 31-17 LSU.
• [1:41:35] A slant to Hartline and a run by Wells followed by a in route from Robiskie have Ohio State moving downfield for the first time since the first quarter.
• [1:45:40] RKO OUTTA NOWHERE!
• [1:54:30] Boeckman is sacked by Dorsey, the first big play he’s made all night. The hourglass is getting bottom-heavy.
• [1:56:25] Boeckman overthrows his receiver and that will be an easy catch for Jackson. It’s on the lips of everybody’s mouths...
• [1:59:35] LSU runs a sneak on 4th and 1, and it’s good enough to move the chains and effectively decide the game.
• [2:02:05] With three minutes left in the game, LSU is still putting in on Ohio State. Would you expect anything different from a Michigan Man?
• [2:03:30] No, you would not. 38-17 LSU.
• [2:10:30] Garbage time touchdown makes it 38-24 LSU. Final.
• [2:15:49] The LSU Tigers are your 2007 National Champions. It’s only fitting that in the most chaotic year of college football, the coach that lived in a state of chaos the most won the crystal football.