In honor of Alabama’s 14th national title, we’re taking a look back at the 2011 season in several parts. Be sure to catch parts one and two. This week, we examine Weeks Nine through Twelve of the 2011 campaign.
The Crimson Tide were undefeated and ranked No. 2 going into November. Week Nine provided much-needed rest for Tide players, and with No. 1 LSU coming to town in Week Ten it couldn’t have come at a better time. Billed as the “Game of the Century” and hyped to the max, the Tide’s November 5th meeting with the Bayou Bengals would prove to be one for the ages.
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The nation’s top two defenses would prove to be worth their weight as the game wore on, with neither yielding a touchdown through four quarters. The Tide controlled the tempo of the game and moved the ball almost at will until reaching the red zone, where the offense stalled. Alabama had the ball in scoring position several times, but uncharacteristic penalties sent the offense in the wrong direction, making the subsequent field goal attempts a nightmare for Tide kickers.
LSU starting quarterback Jarrett Lee was pulled in favor of Jordan Jefferson due to the pressure Alabama’s defense put on him, but Jefferson proved just as ineffective against the Tide. Trent Richardson had a monster game, with a record 169 yards of offense, but offensive mistakes made it all for naught. One overtime and four missed field goals later, LSU left Tuscaloosa riding high as the only undefeated SEC team remaining after the 9-6 victory over Alabama.
Alabama’s dream of title number fourteen was all but dead as they headed to Starkville to take on Mississippi State, and despite sporting a No. 3 ranking, the Tide was the longest of long shots to reach the title game. But Tide players remained confident in their identity and felt they outplayed LSU, regardless of the final score.
They came out determined to finish out the season in dominating, Crimson Tide fashion and refused to hang their heads in Week Eleven. Alabama started the game slow, but finished strong with a convincing 24-7 win over the Bulldogs. MSU Coach Dan Mullen had been successful using the two quarterback system, but fell short against the Tide’s stingy defense. Mississippi State’s offense averaged a mere 2.2 yards per play, and Alabama proved resilient after a heartbreaking loss to LSU.
With the season winding down and second-ranked Oklahoma State losing to an unranked Iowa State team the night before, Alabama found itself on the cusp of making their long shot title berth a reality. Alabama’s defense yielded a season-high 302 yards rushing to the Eagles option attack, but held on to win 45-21 and recorded its tenth win on the year. Trent Richardson’s Heisman campaign was resurrected with his three touchdown, 175-yard performance. Richardson went into the Alabama history books as well, breaking Shaun Alexander’s single-season rushing touchdown mark of 19.
The dominoes were falling into place for Alabama’s shot at playing for the championship and the entire Bama nation could sense it. Fittingly, the last game of the year was one Alabama needed to win in convincing fashion to prove to voters they deserved a shot at the title. Ironically, the game that stood between Alabama and their title shot was the one that sparked the 2011 season’s motto of “Never Again.”
The season that seemingly died in November had been reborn and Alabama needed a big win over its most bitter rival, in their own backyard, if they were to keep the hope alive. Auburn had already lost four games following a championship season the year before, but beating Alabama would have made all those losses go away. Alabama needed to leave no doubt about who they were in the final regular season game and that’s precisely what they did.
Trent Richardson owned the Tiger defense, rushing for 203 yards and catching a touchdown pass en route to a 42-14 thrashing of cross-state rival Auburn. Alabama’s season was now over, as the loss to LSU prevented them from playing for the SEC championship. All Alabama could do at this point was sit and wait for the conference championship games to be played.
The final BCS standings were released after much debate about who belonged in New Orleans. In the end, and amid cries of unfairness from Oklahoma State fans, the Crimson Tide came out on top. Alabama was the No. 2 team in the final poll, resulting in a postseason rematch of SEC West rivals Alabama and LSU.
On Sunday, we’ll wrap up this look at the Tide’s magical 2011 campaign by reliving the Rematch of the Century with LSU.