Alabama Football: LSU can accomplish one thing Saturday night

Alabama Football: LSU needs to concentrate on ending one streak against the Crimson Tide.

Falls from grace can be like body blows from a heavyweight. Alabama football fans know, from Crimson Tide history, some body blows take years to overcome. LSU is in that predicament now. The Bengal Tigers’ football program forgot to heed an important admonition. It is never wise to ignore ‘Pride cometh before the fall.’

That falling victim to pride comes easily, is no excuse. Ignorance can be a weak defense and one that could well apply in this case. The pride phrase in the preceding paragraph comes from Christian scripture. In the biblical proverb, it is “Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”

Avoiding prideful folly does not require biblical knowledge. A heathen can understand grandiose presumptions and that claims associated with them are foolish. As a football coach, Ed Orgeron should have known better. Take away the 2019 season and Coach O’s head coaching career is just average.

Instead, Orgeron chose pugnacious bravado. Last season, inside Bryant-Denny, during a post-game celebration of the LSU victory, Coach O spoke boldly, and by some standards, coarsely. In fairness to Orgeron, shouted, expletive-filled epitaphs are common in locker rooms. His bigger mistake was not later tamping down the impact of statements by LSU players claiming the Bengal Tigers would dominate the Crimson Tide going forward, on the field and in recruiting.

Orgeron should have known the lessons learned by other Championship coaches. Climbing to the top of the mountain is easier than staying on the mountaintop afterward. Now, LSU is a one-hit-wonder, a flash in the pan, a testament to the fleeting nature of accomplishment.

The 2020 season has been humbling for some LSU fans. The mood in Baton Rouge is reported to be tense and often ugly. Players have hit the exit lane too many times for a program, self-described as ‘dominant.’

LSU has a gigantic task on Saturday night. The Bengal Tigers need to avoid embarrassment. If ever, Nick Saban will let his staff and players, run up a score it will be in this game. LSU needs small goals for the game. One of them should be to score. The Bengal Tigers are on a Baton Rouge, scoreless streak against the Crimson Tide, that goes back to the 2014 season.

In 2014, Alabama beat LSU 20-13 in Baton Rouge. LSU was shutout in 2016 and 2018, the Crimson Tide winning by a combined score of 39-0. So much for opponent’s dreams dying in Death Valley. Going back to the 2012 National Championship Game, the Crimson Tide has shutout LSU three of the six games played in the state of Louisiana. The total LSU points in the other three games are 30. The six games have a combined score of Alabama Crimson Tide 80 – LSU Bengal Tigers 30.

The recently improved Alabama football defense may not match earlier Crimson Tide teams. That doesn’t mean the unit will not be gunning for another Baton Rouge shutout. Forget about winning, LSU needs to worry about scoring.

Earlier in the week, we discussed LSU has one chance to win. Now that it is game day, let’s make that – no chance.