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2011 LSU vs. Alabama football game

The 2011 LSU vs. Alabama football game was a regular-season college football game between the unbeaten LSU Tigers (ranked No. 1 in the nation), and the unbeaten Alabama Crimson Tide (ranked No. 2 in the nation) on November 5, 2011, at Bryant–Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Coined a "Game of the Century," this was the first time two Southeastern Conference (SEC) football teams came into a regular season matchup undefeated and ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the nation. In a game dominated by defense and special teams, LSU won in overtime 9–6. LSU kicker Drew Alleman made all 3 of his field goals, while Alabama kickers Jeremy Shelley and Cade Foster made only 2 out of their 6 attempts, proving to be decisive in the game.

LSU vs. Alabama, 2011
"Game of the Century"
(2011 version)
A moment of the game, with LSU
looking to score a field goal
1234OT Total
LSU 03033 9
Alabama 03300 6
DateNovember 5, 2011
Season2011
StadiumBryant–Denny Stadium
LocationTuscaloosa, Alabama
FavoriteAlabama by 4.5[1]
RefereeTom Ritter[2]
Halftime showMillion Dollar Band
Attendance101,821[2]
United States TV coverage
NetworkCBS[3]
AnnouncersVerne Lundquist (play-by-play)
Gary Danielson (color)
Tracy Wolfson (sideline)
Nielsen ratings11.5[4]

LSU and Alabama first met on the field in 1895, and have met annually since 1964. When former LSU head coach Nick Saban was hired in the same capacity at Alabama, their annual contest became, arguably, an even more heated rivalry than before. At the start of the 2011 season, Alabama was ranked No. 2 and LSU was ranked No. 4 in all of the major college polls, and prior to their annual meeting, each team defeated all eight of their opponents, and LSU moved into the No. 1 spot after a victory over West Virginia. Statistically, the game matched two of the top defenses in both the SEC and all of college football.

Alabama received the ball to begin the game. After a scoreless first quarter in which Alabama missed two field goals, both teams scored field goals in the second; Alabama also had another attempt blocked early in the second quarter, that left the score tied 3–3 at halftime. Alabama took a 6–3 lead in the third, but LSU tied the game at 6–6 in the fourth quarter to send the game into overtime. In the overtime period, Alabama missed a 52-yard field goal. LSU then connected on a 25-yard field goal to win the game 9–6.

In the weeks after the game, both teams defeated their remaining opponents, and LSU captured the SEC Championship, after they defeated Georgia 42–10. On December 4, 2011, the final Bowl Championship Series standings were released with LSU ranked No. 1 and Alabama ranked No. 2 to set up a rematch in the 2012 BCS National Championship Game. In the rematch, Alabama defeated LSU 21–0 and captured the 2011 national championship.

Pre-game buildup edit

LSU and Alabama first met on the field in 1895 and continuously since 1964.[5] Prior to their 2011 game, Alabama held an overall lead in the all-time series with 45 wins to only 24 for LSU and five ties.[5] Historically, LSU's main rival was Tulane and Alabama's were both Auburn and Tennessee. However, when former LSU head coach Nick Saban was hired in the same capacity at Alabama in 2007 season, the Alabama–LSU game became a major rivalry game for each school.[6][7]

At the beginning of the 2011 season, both teams were ranked in the top five.[8] After Alabama's victory over Arkansas and LSU's over West Virginia on September 24, their November 5 game was viewed by many in the national media as a playoff with the winner advancing to the 2012 BCS National Championship Game.[9][10] After the week ten polls were released, the game officially became the first college football, regular season No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup since the 2006 Michigan vs. Ohio State football game, and the first all-time regular season No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup between SEC conference foes.[11][12] Due to the No. 1 vs. No. 2 rankings against conference rivals and the hype that led up to the matchup, the game was referred to as the "Game of the Century."[13][14][15][16][17][18]

LSU edit

 
The LSU defense against the West Virginia offense in Week 4.

In the preseason polls, LSU opened the 2011 season as the No. 4 team in both the AP and Coaches' Polls.[8] In week one, the Tigers met the No. 3 Oregon Ducks in the Cowboys Classic.[19] Against the highly regarded Oregon running attack, the LSU defense held the Ducks to less than 100 yards rushing and won the game 40–27.[19] With their win, they moved up to No. 2 and No. 3 in the AP and Coaches' Polls.[19][20] After they held the Northwestern State Demons of the Football Championship Subdivision to minus 4 yards rushing at Baton Rouge, LSU faced ranked opponents on the road in consecutive weeks against the Mississippi State Bulldogs and the West Virginia Mountaineers.[21] Against the No. 25 Bulldogs, the Tigers only managed to score a single touchdown, but behind a third strong defensive performance won 19–6.[22]

In their third game of the season against a ranked opponent, LSU played their first-ever game against the No. 16 Mountaineers at Morgantown.[23] Although West Virginia was able to outgain the Tigers in total offense 533 to 366 yards, four Mountaineer turnovers resulted in a 47–21 LSU victory.[24] As a result of this win, combined with the other two over ranked opponents, LSU was selected the No. 1 team by the AP following week 5.[25] The Tigers returned home to defeat the Kentucky Wildcats 35–7 in Jordan Jefferson's return from suspension, and then defeated the No. 17 Florida Gators 41–11, also in Death Valley.[26][27] After their 38–7 victory over the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium, the Tigers were selected as the No. 1 team in both the AP and Coaches' Polls for the first time of the season after the Oklahoma Sooners were upset by Texas Tech Red Raiders.[28][29] The next week, LSU defeated the No. 19 Auburn Tigers 45–10 at home and entered their bye week undefeated and ranked No. 1 for their game against No. 2 Alabama in Tuscaloosa.[30]

Prior to the game against Alabama, LSU's defense was ranked near the top of all major defensive categories nationally. They ranked fourth in total defense (251.38 yards per game), third in scoring (11.5 points per game) and rushing defense (76.63 yards per game) and tenth in passing defense (174.75 yards per game).[31] In the SEC, the Tigers ranked second in total, scoring and rushing defense and fourth in passing defense.[31] Nationally on offense, LSU ranked twelfth in scoring offense (39.25 points per game), 31st in rushing offense (189 yards per game), 81st in total offense (372.13 yards per game) and 99th in passing offense (183.13 yards per game).[31] In the SEC, they ranked second in scoring offense, fourth in rushing offense, sixth in total offense and eighth in passing offense.[31]

Alabama edit

 
The Alabama defense against the Arkansas offense in Week 4.

In the preseason polls, Alabama opened the 2011 season as the No. 2 ranked team in both the AP and Coaches' Polls.[8] After they defeated the Kent State Golden Flashes 48–7 in the season opener, Alabama dropped to No. 3 in the AP Poll as a result of LSU's victory over Oregon.[20][32] In Week 2, the Crimson Tide traveled to Beaver Stadium for the first time since 1989 to play the Penn State Nittany Lions.[33] They defeated the No. 23 Nittany Lions 27–11, and returned to Tuscaloosa for a pair of home games against the North Texas Mean Green and the Arkansas Razorbacks.[34] Against North Texas, the Alabama defense was dominant and secured the first shutout for the Crimson Tide defense since the 2009 season with their 41–0 victory.[35] The following week, Alabama opened conference play with a 38–14 victory over No. 14 Arkansas and then defeated the No. 12 Florida Gators 38–10 to extend their record to 5–0.[36] After their victory over Florida, the Crimson Tide regained their No. 2 ranking in the AP Poll.[37]

Alabama then returned home for their homecoming game against the Vanderbilt Commodores. For the second time of the season, the Alabama defense had a shutout in the 34–0 Crimson Tide victory.[38] After a 52–7 win over the Ole Miss Rebels at Vaught–Hemingway Stadium, Alabama returned for their annual Third Saturday in October contest against the Tennessee Volunteers.[39] The Crimson Tide defeated Tennessee for the fifth consecutive season with their 37–6 victory and entered their bye week undefeated and ranked No. 2 for their game against No. 1 LSU in Tuscaloosa.[40]

Prior to the game against LSU, Alabama's defense was ranked at or near the top of all major defensive categories nationally. Both nationally and in the SEC, they ranked first in total (180.5 yards per game), scoring (6.88 points per game) and rushing defense (44.88 yards per game).[41] The Crimson Tide also nationally ranked second, and first in the SEC, in pass defense (135.63 yards per game).[41] Nationally on offense, Alabama ranked eleventh in scoring offense (39.38 points per game), fourteenth in rushing offense (229.25 yards per game), 23rd in total offense (457.63 yards per game) and 63rd in passing offense (228.38 yards per game).[41] In the SEC, they ranked first in total, scoring and rushing offense and fourth in passing offense.[41]

Game summary edit

 
The Alabama offense lined up against the LSU defense.

Originally to air on CBS with a start time of 2:30 p.m. CST, CBS reassigned the game for primetime television at 7:00 p.m. CST as part of a trade announced October 23.[42] The deal with CBS involved swapping games to other networks and gave future scheduling considerations for the 2012 season to ESPN.[42] This was the case as CBS used their allotted SEC primetime slot for the Alabama–Florida game earlier in the season.[42]

The 2011 edition of the Alabama–LSU football rivalry kicked off at 7:14 p.m. CST on November 5, 2011, before a crowd of 101,821 people at Bryant–Denny Stadium, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.[2] The game was broadcast nationally in prime time on CBS and Verne Lundquist provided the play-by-play commentary, Gary Danielson provided the color commentary and Tracy Wolfson served as the sideline reporter.[3] An estimated 20 million people watched the game's television broadcast on CBS, and the broadcast earned a television rating of 11.5, the highest rating for a non-bowl, college football telecast on CBS since 1989.[4]

First quarter edit

After winning the coin toss, Alabama elected to receive the ball to open the first half. Marquis Maze fielded the James Hairston kickoff and returned it to the Alabama 30-yard line where the offense began its first series.[43] Alabama opened with a pair of gains by Trent Richardson on an 18-yard run and on a 22-yard pass reception from A. J. McCarron to reach the LSU 30-yard line. However, the drive stalled on the next three plays, and on fourth down Cade Foster missed a 44-yard field goal wide right and the game remained tied at zero.[43] The Tigers began their first offensive series with Jarrett Lee at quarterback from their own 27-yard line.[44] After LSU gained a pair of first downs on runs by Spencer Ware and short passes from Lee, the drive faltered, and Brad Wing punted the ball out-of-bounds at the Alabama five.[44]

Alabama started their second drive with a short gain and an incompletion, and then McCarron then threw a 19-yard pass to Maze for a first down.[43] The Crimson Tide gained another pair of first downs with a Maze reception and three runs each from Richardson and Eddie Lacy before the drive stalled at the LSU 33. Again Foster missed a field goal, this time from 50-yards, and the game remained tied at zero.[43] On the next LSU possession, Ware had a short gain and Lee completed a short pass to Russell Shepard before he threw an interception to Robert Lester at the Alabama 47-yard line.[44] The Crimson Tide then began their third offensive series with a 19-yard completion from McCarron to Darius Hanks before the end of the first quarter.[43]

Second quarter edit

 
Drew Alleman after he kicked his 19-yard field goal to tie the game at 3–3.

After a ten-yard gain by Richardson to start the quarter, Alabama lost a total of seven yards on consecutive plays and a McCarron incompletion on third down set up a third long field goal attempt.[43] This time the 49-yard attempt from Jeremy Shelley was blocked by Bennie Logan and recovered by Eric Reid who returned it to the Alabama 48.[43][44] On this LSU possession, Jordan Jefferson took over as the Tigers' quarterback, and LSU gained a first down on a six-yard Michael Ford run and a pair of short runs by Ware.[44] However, the drive stalled again and Wing was forced to punt for LSU.[44]

Alabama started from their own four, and Lacy had a short gain before Richardson had four consecutive runs to move the ball to the 39-yard line. The next play was Alabama's longest play from scrimmage in the game when McCarron threw a 39-yard pass to Richardson and brought the ball to the LSU 19-yard line.[43] However, for the fourth time in four offensive possessions, the LSU defense held Alabama to a field goal attempt. This time, the 34-yard Jeremy Shelley kick was good and the Crimson Tide took a 3–0 lead.[43] Once the received the kickoff, LSU began their fourth offensive possession from their own 24. The Tigers opened their drive with runs of 14 and nine yards from Ford, followed by short runs from Ware, Jefferson and Ford again to bring the ball to the Alabama 36.[44] After a five yard substitution penalty, Jefferson completed a 34-yard pass to Russell Shepard to give the Tigers a first and goal from the Alabama eight.[44] After a four-yard rush by Ford and a Jefferson incompletion, Dre Kirkpatrick was called for holding that resulted in a first and goal from the Alabama two-yard line.[44] Jefferson then threw another incompletion followed with a run for no gain by Ford.[44] LSU then called a time-out with two seconds left in the half to set up a field goal attempt, and Alabama followed with a second time-out in an attempt to ice the kicker.[44] Drew Alleman then kicked a 19-yard field goal as time expired to tie the game at 3–3 at halftime.[44]

Third quarter edit

LSU received the ball to start the second half and started their fifth offensive drive from their own 18.[44] After they gained a first down on a short pass on a pair of runs, the Alabama defense stopped the Tigers on their next series to force a punt.[44] Alabama then started from their own 48, but were only able to muster a three and out. This resulted in their first punt of the night from Cody Mandell.[43] With Lee back at quarterback for LSU, he threw his second interception, this time to Mark Barron, to give Alabama possession at the LSU 35.[44] Again the LSU defense held the Alabama offense in check to set up another long field goal attempt. This time Foster connected on a 46-yard field goal to give the Crimson Tide a 6–3 lead.[43] On the next drive, LSU was able to gain a pair of first downs primarily with only runs by Jefferson and Ford, but again were forced to punt.[44] Alabama started this drive from their own 11, and was able to gain a pair of first downs on McCarron passes before he threw an interception to Morris Claiborne that was returned to the Alabama 15.[43][44] The quarter ended two plays later after a pair of LSU runs resulted in no gain.[44]

Fourth quarter edit

 
Kenny Hilliard receiving the Jordan Jefferson handoff and rushing away from the LSU end zone.

After a two-yard Jefferson run to open the fourth quarter, Alleman kicked a 30-yard field goal to tie the game at 6–6.[44] Alabama began the next series with a two-yard Richardson reception followed by a two-yard run before McCarron connected with Maze for a first down on an 18-yard reception.[43] Richardson then had a three-yard run and a 24-yard run to give the Crimson Tide a first down at the LSU 28.[43] On the next play, Maze threw an interception on a trick play to Reid at the LSU one-yard line to give the Tigers possession.[43] After Alabama held LSU to a three-and-out, Wing had a 73-yard punt to give Alabama possession at their own 18.[44] Alabama and LSU then traded punts on the next three offensive possessions to send the game into overtime tied 6–6.[43][44]

Overtime edit

In the overtime period, Alabama was on offense first. McCarron opened their drive with a pair of incompletions to Richardson.[43] After a five-yard substitution penalty and a five-yard quarterback sack by Sam Montgomery, Foster missed a 52-yard field goal.[43] On LSU's possession, Ware had a three-yard rush and then Ford had a 15-yard run to give the Tigers a first down from the Alabama seven.[44] After a pair of runs that netted a loss of one yard, on third down, Alleman kicked a 25-yard field goal to give LSU the 9–6 victory.[44]

Scoring summary edit

Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score
Plays Yards TOP LSU ALA
2 3:53 10 79 5:00 ALA 34-yard field goal by Jeremy Shelley 0 3
2 0:00 11 74 3:53 LSU 19-yard field goal by Drew Alleman 3 3
3 7:56 4 6 1:51 ALA 46-yard field goal by Cade Foster 3 6
4 14:13 4 2 1:53 LSU 30-yard field goal by Drew Alleman 6 6
OT 5 17 0:00 LSU 25-yard field goal by Drew Alleman 9 6
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 9 6

Statistical summary edit

Statistical Comparison[45]
LSU Alabama
1st Downs 15 17
Total Yards 239 295
Passing Yards 91 199
Rushing Yards 148 96
Penalties 7–56 6–73
3rd Down Conversions 3–11 5–13
Turnovers 2 2
Time of Possession 29:54 30:06

In a game noted for dominant defense performances for both teams, offensively, both Alabama and LSU had similar statistics. The Crimson Tide compiled 295 yards of total offense as compared to LSU's 239 yards. Alabama quarterback A. J. McCarron completed 16 of 28 passes for 199 passing yards.[45] His top receiver in the game was Trent Richardson who had 80 yards on 5 receptions, followed by Marquis Maze with 61 yards on 6 receptions.[45]

Jarrett Lee entered the game as the Tigers' starting quarterback.[46] However after he threw a pair of interceptions, Lee was replaced by Jordan Jefferson for the remainder of the game.[46] In the game, Lee completed 3 of 7 passes for 24 yards and Jefferson completed 6 of 10 passes for 67 yards.[45] The Tigers top receiver in the game was Russell Shepard who had 39 yards on 2 receptions.[45]

In terms of rushing offense, LSU outgained Alabama 148 to 96 yards, led by Michael Ford who ran for 72 rushing yards. The Crimson Tide was led on the ground by Richardson, who carried the ball 23 times for 89 yards. LSU, was led by Ford's 72 rushing yards, and also saw Jefferson rush for 43 yards on 11 carries and Spencer Ware pick up 29 yards on 16 carries.[45]

Defensively, Nico Johnson led Alabama with eleven total tackles in the game, followed by DeQuan Menzie with eight.[47] Mark Barron and Robert Lester each had one interception and Courtney Upshaw accounted for the Crimson Tide's only quarterback sack of the game.[47] For LSU, Ryan Baker led the Tigers with eight total tackles in the game, followed by both Eric Reid and Sam Montgomery who each had six.[47] Reid and Morris Claiborne each had one interception and Montgomery accounted for both of LSU's quarterback sacks.[47]

Aftermath edit

LSU edit

With the victory, LSU remained atop all three polls at No. 1.[48] They also took a one game lead in the SEC Western Division standings over Alabama, and ultimately secured a place in the 2011 SEC Championship Game. The Tigers went on to finish the regular season 12–0 with victories over Western Kentucky, Ole Miss and Arkansas.[49] In the SEC Championship, LSU rallied from an early double-digit deficit to defeat Georgia and won the conference championship, retained their unanimous No. 1 ranking and secured a place in the BCS National Championship Game.[50]

Statistically, LSU's defense was still ranked near the top of all major defensive categories nationally after the game against Alabama. They moved up to second in both scoring (10.89 points per game) and rushing defense (78.78 yards per game), third in total defense (256.22 yards per game) and ninth in passing defense (177.44 yards per game).[51] The Tigers remained ranked second in total, scoring and rushing defense and fourth in passing defense within the conference.[51] On offense, the Tigers dropped to 20th in scoring offense (35.89 points per game), 38th in rushing offense (184.44 yards per game), 87th in total offense (357.33 yards per game) and 102nd in passing offense (172.89 yards per game).[51] In conference, they remained second in scoring offense, sixth in total offense, eighth in passing offense, but dropped to fifth in rushing offense.[51]

Alabama edit

With the loss, Alabama dropped to No. 4 in both the AP and Coaches' Polls and to No. 3 in the BCS standings.[52] The Crimson Tide went on to finish the regular season 11–1 with victories over Mississippi State, Georgia Southern and Auburn.[53] During these final weeks, a series of upsets occurred that allowed Alabama to remain in contention for the final No. 2 ranking, and thus to qualify for the BCS National Championship Game.[54] Alabama secured a place in the BCS National Championship Game after they completed the regular season ranked No. 2 with a BCS score of .942, slightly ahead of Oklahoma State with a BCS score of .933.[54] The .09 difference between the teams was the closest final BCS ranking between No. 2 and No. 3 ranked teams since the current BCS formula was instituted in 2004.[54]

Statistically, Alabama's defense was ranked at the top of all major defensive categories nationally after the game against LSU. They still ranked first in total (187.00 yards per game), scoring (7.11 points per game) and rushing defense (56.33 yards per game), and moved up to first in pass defense (130.67 yards per game).[55] Alabama remained the conference leader in all four major categories as well.[55] On offense, the Crimson Tide dropped to 23rd in scoring offense (35.67 points per game), 21st in rushing offense (214.44 yards per game), 30th in total offense (439.56 yards per game) and 68th in passing offense (225.11 yards per game).[55] In conference, Alabama remained first in rushing and fourth in passing offense, but dropped to second in total and third in scoring offense.[55]

Rematch edit

On December 4, 2011, the final Bowl Championship Series standings were unveiled with LSU ranked first, followed by Alabama, to set up a rematch between the two teams in the 2012 BCS National Championship Game.[56][57] In the weeks that led up to the game, the notion of a split national championship became a major storyline.[58][59][60] This was the case as the AP Poll is not tied to the Bowl Championship Series and some AP voters expressed they might vote LSU national champions even if they lost as they defeated Alabama in their regular season game.[58][59][60] However, after Alabama shut out LSU 21–0 in the BCS National Championship Game, the AP voted them national champions to give the Crimson Tide the consensus national championship and thus avoid a split title with LSU.[61]

Players drafted in the NFL edit

Within the next four years, 45 players that participated in this game were taken into the NFL Draft. This represents the highest number of players taken in a regular season game and represents the second highest number of players taken into the NFL Draft from both of the teams that participated, second only to the 2003 Fiesta Bowl which produced 52 future draft picks. The final pick came with the 253rd selection on the 2015 NFL Draft, which saw the New England Patriots take Xzavier Dickson, three selections before the final "Mr. Irrelevant" pick. The following table lists all of the participants from the 2011 LSU vs. Alabama game that were later drafted by an NFL team:[62]

Year Round Overall Player name College Position Drafted by
2012 1 3 Trent Richardson Alabama Running back Cleveland Browns
1 6 Morris Claiborne LSU Cornerback Dallas Cowboys
1 7 Mark Barron Alabama Safety Tampa Bay Buccaneers
1 14 Michael Brockers LSU Defensive tackle St. Louis Rams
1 17 Dre Kirkpatrick Alabama Cornerback Cincinnati Bengals
1 25 Dont'a Hightower Alabama Linebacker New England Patriots
2 35 Courtney Upshaw Alabama Linebacker Baltimore Ravens
2 63 Rueben Randle LSU Wide receiver New York Giants
3 73 Brandon Taylor LSU Safety San Diego Chargers
4 124 Ron Brooks LSU Cornerback Buffalo Bills
5 136 Josh Chapman Alabama Defensive tackle Indianapolis Colts
5 146 DeQuan Menzie Alabama Cornerback Kansas City Chiefs
7 247 Brad Smelley Alabama Tight end Cleveland Browns
2013 1 6 Barkevious Mingo LSU Defensive end Cleveland Browns
1 9 Dee Milliner Alabama Cornerback New York Jets
1 10 Chance Warmack Alabama Guard Tennessee Titans
1 11 D. J. Fluker Alabama Offensive tackle San Diego Chargers
1 18 Eric Reid LSU Safety San Francisco 49ers
2 45 Kevin Minter LSU Linebacker Arizona Cardinals
2 61 Eddie Lacy Alabama Running back Green Bay Packers
3 67 Bennie Logan LSU Defensive tackle Philadelphia Eagles
3 69 Tyrann Mathieu LSU Cornerback Arizona Cardinals
3 95 Sam Montgomery LSU Defensive end Houston Texans
4 99 Nico Johnson Alabama Linebacker Kansas City Chiefs
4 113 Barrett Jones Alabama Center St. Louis Rams
5 137 Jesse Williams Alabama Defensive tackle Seattle Seahawks
5 138 Tharold Simon LSU Cornerback Seattle Seahawks
5 142 Lavar Edwards LSU Defensive end Tennessee Titans
5 157 Quinton Dial Alabama Defensive end San Francisco 49ers
6 194 Spencer Ware LSU Running back Seattle Seahawks
7 211 Michael Williams Alabama Tight end Detroit Lions
2014 1 12 Odell Beckham Jr. LSU Wide receiver New York Giants
1 17 C. J. Mosley Alabama Linebacker Baltimore Ravens
1 21 Ha Ha Clinton-Dix Alabama Safety Green Bay Packers
2 51 Ego Ferguson LSU Defensive tackle Chicago Bears
2 63 Jarvis Landry LSU Wide receiver Miami Dolphins
4 123 Kevin Norwood Alabama Wide receiver Seattle Seahawks
5 156 Lamin Barrow LSU Linebacker Denver Broncos
5 160 Ed Stinson Alabama Defensive end Arizona Cardinals
5 164 A. J. McCarron Alabama Quarterback Cincinnati Bengals
5 167 Vinnie Sunseri Alabama Safety New Orleans Saints
6 181 Alfred Blue LSU Running back Houston Texans
2015 4 108 Jalston Fowler Alabama Running back Tennessee Titans
7 235 Kenny Hilliard LSU Running back Houston Texans
7 253 Xzavier Dickson Alabama Linebacker New England Patriots

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External links edit

  • "#1 LSU vs. #2 Alabama 2011" Replay of the 2011 LSU vs. Alabama football game on YouTube
  • 2019 LSU vs. Alabama football game - A game that happened with the teams being the same ranks in the AP poll 8 years after

2011, alabama, football, game, this, article, about, regular, season, game, national, championship, game, 2012, national, championship, game, regular, season, college, football, game, between, unbeaten, tigers, ranked, nation, unbeaten, alabama, crimson, tide,. This article is about the regular season game For the national championship game see 2012 BCS National Championship Game The 2011 LSU vs Alabama football game was a regular season college football game between the unbeaten LSU Tigers ranked No 1 in the nation and the unbeaten Alabama Crimson Tide ranked No 2 in the nation on November 5 2011 at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa Alabama Coined a Game of the Century this was the first time two Southeastern Conference SEC football teams came into a regular season matchup undefeated and ranked No 1 and No 2 in the nation In a game dominated by defense and special teams LSU won in overtime 9 6 LSU kicker Drew Alleman made all 3 of his field goals while Alabama kickers Jeremy Shelley and Cade Foster made only 2 out of their 6 attempts proving to be decisive in the game LSU vs Alabama 2011 Game of the Century 2011 version A moment of the game with LSUlooking to score a field goalLSU Tigers Alabama Crimson Tide 8 0 8 0 9 6Head coach Les Miles Head coach Nick SabanAPCoachesBCS111 APCoachesBCS2221234OT TotalLSU 03033 9Alabama 03300 6DateNovember 5 2011Season2011StadiumBryant Denny StadiumLocationTuscaloosa AlabamaFavoriteAlabama by 4 5 1 RefereeTom Ritter 2 Halftime showMillion Dollar BandAttendance101 821 2 United States TV coverageNetworkCBS 3 AnnouncersVerne Lundquist play by play Gary Danielson color Tracy Wolfson sideline Nielsen ratings11 5 4 LSU and Alabama first met on the field in 1895 and have met annually since 1964 When former LSU head coach Nick Saban was hired in the same capacity at Alabama their annual contest became arguably an even more heated rivalry than before At the start of the 2011 season Alabama was ranked No 2 and LSU was ranked No 4 in all of the major college polls and prior to their annual meeting each team defeated all eight of their opponents and LSU moved into the No 1 spot after a victory over West Virginia Statistically the game matched two of the top defenses in both the SEC and all of college football Alabama received the ball to begin the game After a scoreless first quarter in which Alabama missed two field goals both teams scored field goals in the second Alabama also had another attempt blocked early in the second quarter that left the score tied 3 3 at halftime Alabama took a 6 3 lead in the third but LSU tied the game at 6 6 in the fourth quarter to send the game into overtime In the overtime period Alabama missed a 52 yard field goal LSU then connected on a 25 yard field goal to win the game 9 6 In the weeks after the game both teams defeated their remaining opponents and LSU captured the SEC Championship after they defeated Georgia 42 10 On December 4 2011 the final Bowl Championship Series standings were released with LSU ranked No 1 and Alabama ranked No 2 to set up a rematch in the 2012 BCS National Championship Game In the rematch Alabama defeated LSU 21 0 and captured the 2011 national championship Contents 1 Pre game buildup 1 1 LSU 1 2 Alabama 2 Game summary 2 1 First quarter 2 2 Second quarter 2 3 Third quarter 2 4 Fourth quarter 2 5 Overtime 2 6 Scoring summary 3 Statistical summary 4 Aftermath 4 1 LSU 4 2 Alabama 4 3 Rematch 4 4 Players drafted in the NFL 5 References 6 External linksPre game buildup editSee also Alabama LSU football rivalry LSU and Alabama first met on the field in 1895 and continuously since 1964 5 Prior to their 2011 game Alabama held an overall lead in the all time series with 45 wins to only 24 for LSU and five ties 5 Historically LSU s main rival was Tulane and Alabama s were both Auburn and Tennessee However when former LSU head coach Nick Saban was hired in the same capacity at Alabama in 2007 season the Alabama LSU game became a major rivalry game for each school 6 7 At the beginning of the 2011 season both teams were ranked in the top five 8 After Alabama s victory over Arkansas and LSU s over West Virginia on September 24 their November 5 game was viewed by many in the national media as a playoff with the winner advancing to the 2012 BCS National Championship Game 9 10 After the week ten polls were released the game officially became the first college football regular season No 1 vs No 2 matchup since the 2006 Michigan vs Ohio State football game and the first all time regular season No 1 vs No 2 matchup between SEC conference foes 11 12 Due to the No 1 vs No 2 rankings against conference rivals and the hype that led up to the matchup the game was referred to as the Game of the Century 13 14 15 16 17 18 LSU edit Further information 2011 LSU Tigers football team nbsp The LSU defense against the West Virginia offense in Week 4 In the preseason polls LSU opened the 2011 season as the No 4 team in both the AP and Coaches Polls 8 In week one the Tigers met the No 3 Oregon Ducks in the Cowboys Classic 19 Against the highly regarded Oregon running attack the LSU defense held the Ducks to less than 100 yards rushing and won the game 40 27 19 With their win they moved up to No 2 and No 3 in the AP and Coaches Polls 19 20 After they held the Northwestern State Demons of the Football Championship Subdivision to minus 4 yards rushing at Baton Rouge LSU faced ranked opponents on the road in consecutive weeks against the Mississippi State Bulldogs and the West Virginia Mountaineers 21 Against the No 25 Bulldogs the Tigers only managed to score a single touchdown but behind a third strong defensive performance won 19 6 22 In their third game of the season against a ranked opponent LSU played their first ever game against the No 16 Mountaineers at Morgantown 23 Although West Virginia was able to outgain the Tigers in total offense 533 to 366 yards four Mountaineer turnovers resulted in a 47 21 LSU victory 24 As a result of this win combined with the other two over ranked opponents LSU was selected the No 1 team by the AP following week 5 25 The Tigers returned home to defeat the Kentucky Wildcats 35 7 in Jordan Jefferson s return from suspension and then defeated the No 17 Florida Gators 41 11 also in Death Valley 26 27 After their 38 7 victory over the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium the Tigers were selected as the No 1 team in both the AP and Coaches Polls for the first time of the season after the Oklahoma Sooners were upset by Texas Tech Red Raiders 28 29 The next week LSU defeated the No 19 Auburn Tigers 45 10 at home and entered their bye week undefeated and ranked No 1 for their game against No 2 Alabama in Tuscaloosa 30 Prior to the game against Alabama LSU s defense was ranked near the top of all major defensive categories nationally They ranked fourth in total defense 251 38 yards per game third in scoring 11 5 points per game and rushing defense 76 63 yards per game and tenth in passing defense 174 75 yards per game 31 In the SEC the Tigers ranked second in total scoring and rushing defense and fourth in passing defense 31 Nationally on offense LSU ranked twelfth in scoring offense 39 25 points per game 31st in rushing offense 189 yards per game 81st in total offense 372 13 yards per game and 99th in passing offense 183 13 yards per game 31 In the SEC they ranked second in scoring offense fourth in rushing offense sixth in total offense and eighth in passing offense 31 Alabama edit Further information 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide football team nbsp The Alabama defense against the Arkansas offense in Week 4 In the preseason polls Alabama opened the 2011 season as the No 2 ranked team in both the AP and Coaches Polls 8 After they defeated the Kent State Golden Flashes 48 7 in the season opener Alabama dropped to No 3 in the AP Poll as a result of LSU s victory over Oregon 20 32 In Week 2 the Crimson Tide traveled to Beaver Stadium for the first time since 1989 to play the Penn State Nittany Lions 33 They defeated the No 23 Nittany Lions 27 11 and returned to Tuscaloosa for a pair of home games against the North Texas Mean Green and the Arkansas Razorbacks 34 Against North Texas the Alabama defense was dominant and secured the first shutout for the Crimson Tide defense since the 2009 season with their 41 0 victory 35 The following week Alabama opened conference play with a 38 14 victory over No 14 Arkansas and then defeated the No 12 Florida Gators 38 10 to extend their record to 5 0 36 After their victory over Florida the Crimson Tide regained their No 2 ranking in the AP Poll 37 Alabama then returned home for their homecoming game against the Vanderbilt Commodores For the second time of the season the Alabama defense had a shutout in the 34 0 Crimson Tide victory 38 After a 52 7 win over the Ole Miss Rebels at Vaught Hemingway Stadium Alabama returned for their annual Third Saturday in October contest against the Tennessee Volunteers 39 The Crimson Tide defeated Tennessee for the fifth consecutive season with their 37 6 victory and entered their bye week undefeated and ranked No 2 for their game against No 1 LSU in Tuscaloosa 40 Prior to the game against LSU Alabama s defense was ranked at or near the top of all major defensive categories nationally Both nationally and in the SEC they ranked first in total 180 5 yards per game scoring 6 88 points per game and rushing defense 44 88 yards per game 41 The Crimson Tide also nationally ranked second and first in the SEC in pass defense 135 63 yards per game 41 Nationally on offense Alabama ranked eleventh in scoring offense 39 38 points per game fourteenth in rushing offense 229 25 yards per game 23rd in total offense 457 63 yards per game and 63rd in passing offense 228 38 yards per game 41 In the SEC they ranked first in total scoring and rushing offense and fourth in passing offense 41 Game summary edit nbsp The Alabama offense lined up against the LSU defense Originally to air on CBS with a start time of 2 30 p m CST CBS reassigned the game for primetime television at 7 00 p m CST as part of a trade announced October 23 42 The deal with CBS involved swapping games to other networks and gave future scheduling considerations for the 2012 season to ESPN 42 This was the case as CBS used their allotted SEC primetime slot for the Alabama Florida game earlier in the season 42 The 2011 edition of the Alabama LSU football rivalry kicked off at 7 14 p m CST on November 5 2011 before a crowd of 101 821 people at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa Alabama 2 The game was broadcast nationally in prime time on CBS and Verne Lundquist provided the play by play commentary Gary Danielson provided the color commentary and Tracy Wolfson served as the sideline reporter 3 An estimated 20 million people watched the game s television broadcast on CBS and the broadcast earned a television rating of 11 5 the highest rating for a non bowl college football telecast on CBS since 1989 4 First quarter edit After winning the coin toss Alabama elected to receive the ball to open the first half Marquis Maze fielded the James Hairston kickoff and returned it to the Alabama 30 yard line where the offense began its first series 43 Alabama opened with a pair of gains by Trent Richardson on an 18 yard run and on a 22 yard pass reception from A J McCarron to reach the LSU 30 yard line However the drive stalled on the next three plays and on fourth down Cade Foster missed a 44 yard field goal wide right and the game remained tied at zero 43 The Tigers began their first offensive series with Jarrett Lee at quarterback from their own 27 yard line 44 After LSU gained a pair of first downs on runs by Spencer Ware and short passes from Lee the drive faltered and Brad Wing punted the ball out of bounds at the Alabama five 44 Alabama started their second drive with a short gain and an incompletion and then McCarron then threw a 19 yard pass to Maze for a first down 43 The Crimson Tide gained another pair of first downs with a Maze reception and three runs each from Richardson and Eddie Lacy before the drive stalled at the LSU 33 Again Foster missed a field goal this time from 50 yards and the game remained tied at zero 43 On the next LSU possession Ware had a short gain and Lee completed a short pass to Russell Shepard before he threw an interception to Robert Lester at the Alabama 47 yard line 44 The Crimson Tide then began their third offensive series with a 19 yard completion from McCarron to Darius Hanks before the end of the first quarter 43 Second quarter edit nbsp Drew Alleman after he kicked his 19 yard field goal to tie the game at 3 3 After a ten yard gain by Richardson to start the quarter Alabama lost a total of seven yards on consecutive plays and a McCarron incompletion on third down set up a third long field goal attempt 43 This time the 49 yard attempt from Jeremy Shelley was blocked by Bennie Logan and recovered by Eric Reid who returned it to the Alabama 48 43 44 On this LSU possession Jordan Jefferson took over as the Tigers quarterback and LSU gained a first down on a six yard Michael Ford run and a pair of short runs by Ware 44 However the drive stalled again and Wing was forced to punt for LSU 44 Alabama started from their own four and Lacy had a short gain before Richardson had four consecutive runs to move the ball to the 39 yard line The next play was Alabama s longest play from scrimmage in the game when McCarron threw a 39 yard pass to Richardson and brought the ball to the LSU 19 yard line 43 However for the fourth time in four offensive possessions the LSU defense held Alabama to a field goal attempt This time the 34 yard Jeremy Shelley kick was good and the Crimson Tide took a 3 0 lead 43 Once the received the kickoff LSU began their fourth offensive possession from their own 24 The Tigers opened their drive with runs of 14 and nine yards from Ford followed by short runs from Ware Jefferson and Ford again to bring the ball to the Alabama 36 44 After a five yard substitution penalty Jefferson completed a 34 yard pass to Russell Shepard to give the Tigers a first and goal from the Alabama eight 44 After a four yard rush by Ford and a Jefferson incompletion Dre Kirkpatrick was called for holding that resulted in a first and goal from the Alabama two yard line 44 Jefferson then threw another incompletion followed with a run for no gain by Ford 44 LSU then called a time out with two seconds left in the half to set up a field goal attempt and Alabama followed with a second time out in an attempt to ice the kicker 44 Drew Alleman then kicked a 19 yard field goal as time expired to tie the game at 3 3 at halftime 44 Third quarter edit LSU received the ball to start the second half and started their fifth offensive drive from their own 18 44 After they gained a first down on a short pass on a pair of runs the Alabama defense stopped the Tigers on their next series to force a punt 44 Alabama then started from their own 48 but were only able to muster a three and out This resulted in their first punt of the night from Cody Mandell 43 With Lee back at quarterback for LSU he threw his second interception this time to Mark Barron to give Alabama possession at the LSU 35 44 Again the LSU defense held the Alabama offense in check to set up another long field goal attempt This time Foster connected on a 46 yard field goal to give the Crimson Tide a 6 3 lead 43 On the next drive LSU was able to gain a pair of first downs primarily with only runs by Jefferson and Ford but again were forced to punt 44 Alabama started this drive from their own 11 and was able to gain a pair of first downs on McCarron passes before he threw an interception to Morris Claiborne that was returned to the Alabama 15 43 44 The quarter ended two plays later after a pair of LSU runs resulted in no gain 44 Fourth quarter edit nbsp Kenny Hilliard receiving the Jordan Jefferson handoff and rushing away from the LSU end zone After a two yard Jefferson run to open the fourth quarter Alleman kicked a 30 yard field goal to tie the game at 6 6 44 Alabama began the next series with a two yard Richardson reception followed by a two yard run before McCarron connected with Maze for a first down on an 18 yard reception 43 Richardson then had a three yard run and a 24 yard run to give the Crimson Tide a first down at the LSU 28 43 On the next play Maze threw an interception on a trick play to Reid at the LSU one yard line to give the Tigers possession 43 After Alabama held LSU to a three and out Wing had a 73 yard punt to give Alabama possession at their own 18 44 Alabama and LSU then traded punts on the next three offensive possessions to send the game into overtime tied 6 6 43 44 Overtime edit In the overtime period Alabama was on offense first McCarron opened their drive with a pair of incompletions to Richardson 43 After a five yard substitution penalty and a five yard quarterback sack by Sam Montgomery Foster missed a 52 yard field goal 43 On LSU s possession Ware had a three yard rush and then Ford had a 15 yard run to give the Tigers a first down from the Alabama seven 44 After a pair of runs that netted a loss of one yard on third down Alleman kicked a 25 yard field goal to give LSU the 9 6 victory 44 Scoring summary edit Scoring summary Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP LSU ALA 2 3 53 10 79 5 00 ALA 34 yard field goal by Jeremy Shelley 0 3 2 0 00 11 74 3 53 LSU 19 yard field goal by Drew Alleman 3 3 3 7 56 4 6 1 51 ALA 46 yard field goal by Cade Foster 3 6 4 14 13 4 2 1 53 LSU 30 yard field goal by Drew Alleman 6 6 OT 5 17 0 00 LSU 25 yard field goal by Drew Alleman 9 6 TOP time of possession For other American football terms see Glossary of American football 9 6Statistical summary editStatistical Comparison 45 LSU Alabama 1st Downs 15 17 Total Yards 239 295 Passing Yards 91 199 Rushing Yards 148 96 Penalties 7 56 6 73 3rd Down Conversions 3 11 5 13 Turnovers 2 2 Time of Possession 29 54 30 06 In a game noted for dominant defense performances for both teams offensively both Alabama and LSU had similar statistics The Crimson Tide compiled 295 yards of total offense as compared to LSU s 239 yards Alabama quarterback A J McCarron completed 16 of 28 passes for 199 passing yards 45 His top receiver in the game was Trent Richardson who had 80 yards on 5 receptions followed by Marquis Maze with 61 yards on 6 receptions 45 Jarrett Lee entered the game as the Tigers starting quarterback 46 However after he threw a pair of interceptions Lee was replaced by Jordan Jefferson for the remainder of the game 46 In the game Lee completed 3 of 7 passes for 24 yards and Jefferson completed 6 of 10 passes for 67 yards 45 The Tigers top receiver in the game was Russell Shepard who had 39 yards on 2 receptions 45 In terms of rushing offense LSU outgained Alabama 148 to 96 yards led by Michael Ford who ran for 72 rushing yards The Crimson Tide was led on the ground by Richardson who carried the ball 23 times for 89 yards LSU was led by Ford s 72 rushing yards and also saw Jefferson rush for 43 yards on 11 carries and Spencer Ware pick up 29 yards on 16 carries 45 Defensively Nico Johnson led Alabama with eleven total tackles in the game followed by DeQuan Menzie with eight 47 Mark Barron and Robert Lester each had one interception and Courtney Upshaw accounted for the Crimson Tide s only quarterback sack of the game 47 For LSU Ryan Baker led the Tigers with eight total tackles in the game followed by both Eric Reid and Sam Montgomery who each had six 47 Reid and Morris Claiborne each had one interception and Montgomery accounted for both of LSU s quarterback sacks 47 Aftermath editLSU edit With the victory LSU remained atop all three polls at No 1 48 They also took a one game lead in the SEC Western Division standings over Alabama and ultimately secured a place in the 2011 SEC Championship Game The Tigers went on to finish the regular season 12 0 with victories over Western Kentucky Ole Miss and Arkansas 49 In the SEC Championship LSU rallied from an early double digit deficit to defeat Georgia and won the conference championship retained their unanimous No 1 ranking and secured a place in the BCS National Championship Game 50 Statistically LSU s defense was still ranked near the top of all major defensive categories nationally after the game against Alabama They moved up to second in both scoring 10 89 points per game and rushing defense 78 78 yards per game third in total defense 256 22 yards per game and ninth in passing defense 177 44 yards per game 51 The Tigers remained ranked second in total scoring and rushing defense and fourth in passing defense within the conference 51 On offense the Tigers dropped to 20th in scoring offense 35 89 points per game 38th in rushing offense 184 44 yards per game 87th in total offense 357 33 yards per game and 102nd in passing offense 172 89 yards per game 51 In conference they remained second in scoring offense sixth in total offense eighth in passing offense but dropped to fifth in rushing offense 51 Alabama edit With the loss Alabama dropped to No 4 in both the AP and Coaches Polls and to No 3 in the BCS standings 52 The Crimson Tide went on to finish the regular season 11 1 with victories over Mississippi State Georgia Southern and Auburn 53 During these final weeks a series of upsets occurred that allowed Alabama to remain in contention for the final No 2 ranking and thus to qualify for the BCS National Championship Game 54 Alabama secured a place in the BCS National Championship Game after they completed the regular season ranked No 2 with a BCS score of 942 slightly ahead of Oklahoma State with a BCS score of 933 54 The 09 difference between the teams was the closest final BCS ranking between No 2 and No 3 ranked teams since the current BCS formula was instituted in 2004 54 Statistically Alabama s defense was ranked at the top of all major defensive categories nationally after the game against LSU They still ranked first in total 187 00 yards per game scoring 7 11 points per game and rushing defense 56 33 yards per game and moved up to first in pass defense 130 67 yards per game 55 Alabama remained the conference leader in all four major categories as well 55 On offense the Crimson Tide dropped to 23rd in scoring offense 35 67 points per game 21st in rushing offense 214 44 yards per game 30th in total offense 439 56 yards per game and 68th in passing offense 225 11 yards per game 55 In conference Alabama remained first in rushing and fourth in passing offense but dropped to second in total and third in scoring offense 55 Rematch edit Further information 2012 BCS National Championship Game On December 4 2011 the final Bowl Championship Series standings were unveiled with LSU ranked first followed by Alabama to set up a rematch between the two teams in the 2012 BCS National Championship Game 56 57 In the weeks that led up to the game the notion of a split national championship became a major storyline 58 59 60 This was the case as the AP Poll is not tied to the Bowl Championship Series and some AP voters expressed they might vote LSU national champions even if they lost as they defeated Alabama in their regular season game 58 59 60 However after Alabama shut out LSU 21 0 in the BCS National Championship Game the AP voted them national champions to give the Crimson Tide the consensus national championship and thus avoid a split title with LSU 61 Players drafted in the NFL edit Within the next four years 45 players that participated in this game were taken into the NFL Draft This represents the highest number of players taken in a regular season game and represents the second highest number of players taken into the NFL Draft from both of the teams that participated second only to the 2003 Fiesta Bowl which produced 52 future draft picks The final pick came with the 253rd selection on the 2015 NFL Draft which saw the New England Patriots take Xzavier Dickson three selections before the final Mr Irrelevant pick The following table lists all of the participants from the 2011 LSU vs Alabama game that were later drafted by an NFL team 62 Year Round Overall Player name College Position Drafted by 2012 1 3 Trent Richardson Alabama Running back Cleveland Browns 1 6 Morris Claiborne LSU Cornerback Dallas Cowboys 1 7 Mark Barron Alabama Safety Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1 14 Michael Brockers LSU Defensive tackle St Louis Rams 1 17 Dre Kirkpatrick Alabama Cornerback Cincinnati Bengals 1 25 Dont a Hightower Alabama Linebacker New England Patriots 2 35 Courtney Upshaw Alabama Linebacker Baltimore Ravens 2 63 Rueben Randle LSU Wide receiver New York Giants 3 73 Brandon Taylor LSU Safety San Diego Chargers 4 124 Ron Brooks LSU Cornerback Buffalo Bills 5 136 Josh Chapman Alabama Defensive tackle Indianapolis Colts 5 146 DeQuan Menzie Alabama Cornerback Kansas City Chiefs 7 247 Brad Smelley Alabama Tight end Cleveland Browns 2013 1 6 Barkevious Mingo LSU Defensive end Cleveland Browns 1 9 Dee Milliner Alabama Cornerback New York Jets 1 10 Chance Warmack Alabama Guard Tennessee Titans 1 11 D J Fluker Alabama Offensive tackle San Diego Chargers 1 18 Eric Reid LSU Safety San Francisco 49ers 2 45 Kevin Minter LSU Linebacker Arizona Cardinals 2 61 Eddie Lacy Alabama Running back Green Bay Packers 3 67 Bennie Logan LSU Defensive tackle Philadelphia Eagles 3 69 Tyrann Mathieu LSU Cornerback Arizona Cardinals 3 95 Sam Montgomery LSU Defensive end Houston Texans 4 99 Nico Johnson Alabama Linebacker Kansas City Chiefs 4 113 Barrett Jones Alabama Center St Louis Rams 5 137 Jesse Williams Alabama Defensive tackle Seattle Seahawks 5 138 Tharold Simon LSU Cornerback Seattle Seahawks 5 142 Lavar Edwards LSU Defensive end Tennessee Titans 5 157 Quinton Dial Alabama Defensive end San Francisco 49ers 6 194 Spencer Ware LSU Running back Seattle Seahawks 7 211 Michael Williams Alabama Tight end Detroit Lions 2014 1 12 Odell Beckham Jr LSU Wide receiver New York Giants 1 17 C J Mosley Alabama Linebacker Baltimore Ravens 1 21 Ha Ha Clinton Dix Alabama Safety Green Bay Packers 2 51 Ego Ferguson LSU Defensive tackle Chicago Bears 2 63 Jarvis Landry LSU Wide receiver Miami Dolphins 4 123 Kevin Norwood Alabama Wide receiver Seattle Seahawks 5 156 Lamin Barrow LSU Linebacker Denver Broncos 5 160 Ed Stinson Alabama Defensive end Arizona Cardinals 5 164 A J McCarron Alabama Quarterback Cincinnati Bengals 5 167 Vinnie Sunseri Alabama Safety New Orleans Saints 6 181 Alfred Blue LSU Running back Houston Texans 2015 4 108 Jalston Fowler Alabama Running back Tennessee Titans 7 235 Kenny Hilliard LSU Running back Houston Texans 7 253 Xzavier Dickson Alabama Linebacker New England PatriotsReferences edit Sharp Andrew November 5 2011 LSU vs Alabama Odds Will the winner be a national title favorite SBNation com Retrieved November 5 2011 a b c LSU vs Alabama Scoring Summary RollTide com University of Alabama Department of Intercollegiate Athletics November 5 2011 Retrieved November 6 2011 a b Top ranked matchup set for Tuscaloosa on Saturday RollTide com University of Alabama Department of Intercollegiate Athletics October 31 2011 Retrieved November 6 2011 a b LSU Alabama marks CBS best college football audience in 22 years SportsBusinessDaily com Street amp Smith s Sports Group November 7 2011 Retrieved January 22 2012 a b Alabama vs Louisiana State College Football Data Warehouse Archived from the original on October 14 2013 Retrieved November 4 2011 Guilbeau Glenn November 3 2010 For LSU Alabama only real rival USA Today Gannett Louisiana Retrieved November 4 2011 McCarter Mark November 4 2011 Alabama LSU rivalry has gone from loathing to national impact behind Saban Miles The Huntsville Times AL com Retrieved November 4 2011 a b c 2011 NCAA Football Rankings Preseason ESPN com Retrieved November 4 2011 Mandel Stewart September 26 2011 LSU and Alabama set for de facto national championship matchup Sports Illustrated SI com Retrieved November 4 2011 Solomon Jon September 26 2011 Alabama LSU on Nov 5 looms over season The Birmingham News AL com Retrieved November 4 2011 2011 NCAA Football Rankings Week 10 October 30 ESPN com Retrieved November 5 2011 Kern Mike November 3 2011 LSU Alabama is SEC s first 1 2 game The Philadelphia Inquirer Philly com Retrieved November 5 2011 Van Riper Tom October 24 2011 Alabama and LSU Mean Business Forbes Retrieved November 4 2011 Bachman Rachel October 31 2011 Another Game of the Century The Wall Street Journal Retrieved November 4 2011 permanent dead link Staples Andy November 4 2011 LSU vs Alabama really does mean everything to some and that s OK Sports Illustrated SI com Retrieved November 4 2011 Low Chris November 4 2011 LSU Bama has championship feel ESPN com Retrieved November 4 2011 Gould Izzy November 5 2011 It s finally here No 1 LSU visits No 2 Alabama tonight in football s latest Game of the Century AL com Retrieved November 5 2011 Barron David November 5 2011 LSU Alabama showdown next Game of the Century Houston Chronicle chron com Retrieved November 5 2011 a b c Goe Ken September 3 2011 No 4 LSU lays a whipping on No 3 Oregon in the Cowboys Classic 40 27 The Oregonian oregonlive com Retrieved November 4 2011 a b 2011 NCAA Football Rankings Week 2 September 4 ESPN com Retrieved November 4 2011 Spencer Ware Michael Ford combine for 4 TDs as LSU romps ESPN com Associated Press September 10 2011 Retrieved November 4 2011 No 3 LSU s solid defense shuts down No 25 Mississippi State ESPN com Associated Press September 15 2011 Retrieved November 4 2011 LSU West Virginia preview cbssports com Associated Press September 2011 Retrieved November 4 2011 Jarrett Lee tosses 3 TDs as LSU makes case for No 1 with drubbing of WVU ESPN com Associated Press September 24 2011 Retrieved November 4 2011 2011 NCAA Football Rankings Week 5 September 25 ESPN com Retrieved November 4 2011 Jordan Jefferson scores in return helps No 1 LSU rip Kentucky ESPN com Associated Press October 1 2011 Retrieved November 4 2011 Spencer Ware top ranked LSU easily put away Florida ESPN com Associated Press October 8 2011 Retrieved November 4 2011 LSU continues to roll through season by trouncing Tennessee ESPN com Associated Press October 15 2011 Retrieved November 4 2011 2011 NCAA Football Rankings Week 8 October 16 ESPN com Retrieved November 4 2011 Jordan Jefferson Jarrett Lee share duties to help No 1 LSU whip Auburn ESPN com Associated Press October 15 2011 Retrieved November 4 2011 a b c d 2011 LSU Football Ranking Summary Through Week 9 NCAA org October 29 2011 Retrieved November 4 2011 AJ McCarron leads No 2 Alabama over Kent State ESPN com Associated Press September 3 2011 Retrieved November 4 2011 Gould Izzy September 5 2011 No 2 Alabama travels to Penn State as both programs audition quarterbacks AL com Retrieved November 4 2011 AJ McCarron calmly leads No 3 Alabama past No 23 Penn State ESPN com Associated Press September 10 2011 Retrieved November 4 2011 Trent Richardson No 2 Alabama roll over North Texas ESPN com Associated Press September 17 2011 Retrieved November 4 2011 Gators lose QB John Brantley game to No 3 Crimson Tide ESPN com Associated Press October 1 2011 Retrieved November 4 2011 2011 NCAA Football Rankings Week 6 October 2 ESPN com Retrieved November 4 2011 AJ McCarron has career day as Alabama shuts out Vanderbilt ESPN com Associated Press October 8 2011 Retrieved November 4 2011 Alabama ousts Mississippi as Trent Richardson rumbles for four TDs ESPN com Associated Press October 15 2011 Retrieved November 4 2011 Alabama breaks halftime tie goes on to pound Tennessee ESPN com Associated Press October 22 2011 Retrieved November 4 2011 a b c d 2011 Alabama Football Ranking Summary Through Week 9 NCAA org October 29 2011 Retrieved November 4 2011 a b c CBS works trade with ESPN to move heavily anticipated LSU Alabama matchup to primetime SportsBusinessDaily com Street amp Smith s Sports Group October 24 2011 Retrieved January 22 2012 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r LSU vs Alabama Play by Play Summary RollTide com University of Alabama Department of Intercollegiate Athletics November 5 2011 Retrieved November 6 2011 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w LSU vs Alabama Play by Play Summary PDF LSUSports net LSU Athletics Department November 5 2011 Retrieved November 6 2011 a b c d e f LSU Tigers vs Alabama Crimson Tide Box Score ESPN com November 5 2011 Retrieved January 22 2012 a b Miles says title of starting QB not significant ESPN com Associated Press November 7 2011 Retrieved January 22 2012 a b c d LSU vs Alabama Defensive Statistics RollTide com University of Alabama Department of Intercollegiate Athletics November 5 2011 Retrieved January 22 2012 Kleinpeter Jim November 6 2011 LSU No 1 across the board in AP Coaches Harris polls The Times Picayune New Orleans Louisiana NOLA com Retrieved November 6 2011 LSU Tigers schedule 2011 ESPN com Retrieved January 22 2012 LSU overwhelms Georgia in second half to claim SEC title ESPN com Associated Press December 3 2011 Retrieved January 22 2012 a b c d 2011 LSU Football Ranking Summary Through Week 10 NCAA org November 5 2011 Retrieved January 22 2012 Kausler Don Jr November 6 2011 Alabama only falls one spot to No 3 in BCS standings stays ahead of Stanford AL com Retrieved November 6 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide schedule 2011 ESPN com Retrieved January 22 2012 a b c Matuszewski Erik December 5 2011 LSU Alabama to Meet Again for College Football s Championship Bloomberg Businessweek Businessweek com Archived from the original on January 13 2012 Retrieved January 22 2012 a b c d 2011 Alabama Football Ranking Summary Through Week 10 NCAA org November 5 2011 Retrieved January 22 2012 Gould Izzy December 4 2011 It s official Alabama vs LSU in BCS Championship Game on Jan 9 in New Orleans AL com Retrieved December 4 2011 LSU Alabama to play for title ESPN com ESPN com news services December 4 2011 Retrieved December 4 2011 a b Alabama victory Monday could lead to split decision USA Today USAToday com January 4 2012 Retrieved January 22 2012 a b Lin Dennis January 3 2012 AP voters discuss possibility of split national title The Birmingham News AL com Retrieved January 22 2012 a b Dufresne Chris January 5 2012 Don t rule out a split for national title Los Angeles Times Retrieved January 22 2012 Alabama No 1 in AP poll Okla St No 3 ESPN com ESPN com news services January 10 2012 Retrieved January 22 2012 Back to the future Alabama vs LSU ESPN May 16 2014 Retrieved May 17 2014 External links edit 1 LSU vs 2 Alabama 2011 Replay of the 2011 LSU vs Alabama football game on YouTube 2019 LSU vs Alabama football game A game that happened with the teams being the same ranks in the AP poll 8 years after Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title 2011 LSU vs Alabama football game amp oldid 1171446606, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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