3 people who deserve the most blame for Alabama losing to LSU

The Alabama Crimson Tide lost a football game. So we have to blame people for them losing. Here are the three culprits that cost Alabama the ballgame.

It’s starting to become a trend here. The last two times that the Alabama Crimson Tide have played a really good Tigers, they’ve lost. Back in January, it was to the Clemson Tigers in the College Football Playoff National Championship. Tonight, it was against the LSU Tigers in a game that has decided the SEC West division title and could have clinched a playoff spot for Coach O’s team.

Alabama fought back furiously in the second half, down 20 points at halftime. However, the Crimson Tide had no answers for the LSU offense, as the Bayou Bengals won a barn-burner in Tuscaloosa, 46-41.

We have to give LSU a ton of credit for winning this one on the road to essentially clinch its division. However, Alabama was never in control of this ball game, so we have blame to dish out. It’s not fair, but we have to do it. Here are three culprits Alabama fans can blame for the rest of the year and yell at Paul Finebaum about on Monday and for the rest of the year after that.

3. Steve Sarkisian, Alabama offensive coordinator

Alabama offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian is a common scapegoat for misfortune. The Washington Huskies, the USC Trojans, Alabama in 2016, the Atlanta Falcons and now Alabama again can blame Sarkisian for this loss, albeit not entirely.

Alabama scored a grand total of 13 points in the first half. Six of those came on a Jaylen Waddle punt return for a touchdown. If Alabama would have had any semblance of an offensive identity in the first half, the Crimson Tide would have stayed undefeated, but it a second-half surge was not enough to get it done vs. LSU.

It took a while, but LSU didn’t have much of an answer against Alabama running back Najee Harris. He was great but mostly great in the second half. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa played well, but not at a Heisman level. He was dealing with injury and barely completed more than 50 percent of his throws. While he threw for over 400 yards and four touchdowns, a slow start proved costly.

2. Nick Saban, Alabama head coach

If anybody deserves blame on the Alabama side of things, it’s head coach Nick Saban. His defense was terrible. Saban specializes in coaching up his defensive backs. He usually puts them in great positions to succeed.

Well, the LSU passing game carved the Alabama defensive backfield up like Thanksgiving turkey. You can’t give up 46 points at home and expect to win, not unless you play in the Big 12 during the peak years of the Air Raid in that Power 5 conference.

Saban will take the blame for this loss. He’ll do it to protect his players. But this is the second time Alabama has played a great offense and has been picked apart relentlessly by the opposition. We knew this one had the potential to be a shootout, we just expected more out of the Alabama defense. That’s all.

1. Joe Burrow, LSU quarterback

And if anybody is going to deal with the ire of the entire Alabama fanbase, it might as be the guy that beat the snot out of its defense. We’re talking about Heisman Trophy frontrunner in LSU quarterback Joe Burrow. He could not have played better in this ball game. He became a legend tonight.

Burrow was under pressure the entire night, thanks to a great pass rush by the Crimson Tide. Yet, the onslaught of Alabama defensive linemen didn’t seem to faze him. Burrow threw for almost 400 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. He even carried the ball 14 times for 64 yards, often on plays that the LSU offense needed him the most.

It’s been an unbelievable first nine games for Burrow. His play has been better than what anybody could have reasonably expected. Because of his grit, toughness and determination, his team has to be the favorites to win the 2019 National Championship at season’s end. Burrow ended the Tide’s title dreams tonight.

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