Alabama football fans conflicted over rooting for LSU or Clemson

Alabama football fans must decide between one of three things Monday night. Root for LSU or Clemson or not even watch the National Championship game.

What is an Alabama football fan to do Monday night? Tune in the National Championship extravaganza in New Orleans and root for LSU or Clemson. There is a third option. With the Alabama Crimson Tide having missed the Playoff for the first time ever, there could be other, better things to do than watching a rival win a Championship.

Option three seems sort of like refusing to accept reality. Maybe there is another, third option, watching the game without rooting for or against either team. Speaking from the experience of always wanting Tennessee AND Auburn to lose whenever the two battle, I can say not pulling for either team is always a failure. The best outcome in those games at least used to be a 0-0 tie.

So which group of Tigers do we root for, Alabama football fans? Let’s consider the pros and cons of each outcome.

LSU Wins Pros

• Celebrate another proof of SEC dominance over the rest of college football
• Getting to beat the defending National Champions in Baton Rouge next November
• Guaranteeing Ed Orgeron a lifetime contract. LSU will never fire another National Championship winning coach. It only happened with Les Miles because it was obvious Les only won because of what Nick had built.
• Blocks back-to-back perfect seasons for Clemson
• Slams a door on Clemson Dynasty talk

LSU Wins Cons

• Growing recruiting success by Orgeron builds even more
• Guarantees LSU boosters will throw crazy, mega-money at Joe Brady and Dave Aranda to hold on to them. Coach O with Aranda and Brady equals a great coach. Without them, Orgeron is, at best, average.
• Cowherd, Brando and other blowhards will crow about LSU owning the SEC for months

Clemson Wins Pros

• Being glad a former Alabama football player and assistant coach won another National Championship.
• Maybe Brent Venables would not only get the credit he deserves but some program will make him their head coach.
• Dabo wins another Championship and he will never leave Clemson until he retires (also see below)

Clemson Wins Cons

• Dabo wins another Championship and he will never be the Alabama Crimson Tide Head Coach (take your pick on this being good or bad)
•  Clemson legitimately can claim to be the current college football Dynasty. Even if Alabama football wins it all next season, national pundits would paint it as step one of a possible new Dynasty.

Of course, as gracious fans, we should just be proud for the winner.

If you have made it to the bottom of this foolishness, here’s one final suggestion. When in doubt, always pick sides with who will win the party. That’s a slam dunk for LSU, even if its football team loses the game.