Top 10 college football teams of the decade
By Ethan Lee
No. 4: 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide
If you’re enjoying the playoff era of college football, you should thank the 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide and the LSU Tigers.
In 2011, Alabama and LSU quickly separated themselves from the rest of the country and proved that they were the best teams in the nation. Both led by defenses loaded with eventual NFL talent and absurdly powerful rushing attacks, Alabama and LSU were set on a collision course just about as soon as the season began.
The two collided in Nov., but many felt like the “Game of the Century” of the season was more of a thud.
Because both teams had such good defenses and both teams had offenses that were very straightforward and conservative, the game wound up becoming a field goal fest. LSU came out on top in overtime by a score of 9-6 and Alabama tumbled in the rankings.
The Crimson Tide kept crushing its foes, and thanks to a little bit of luck and some other teams losing, Alabama had a shot at redemption as Bama and LSU were scheduled to face off in the BCS Championship Game in New Orleans.
The rematch of the century was also a field goal fest, but this one was slightly different. LSU was unable to cross midfield until late in the game as Alabama’s defense halted the Tigers on drive after drive while Trent Richardson and the offense slowly gained yards and momentum and made field goal attempts possible for Alabama’s kickers.
The Crimson Tide hit five field goals before finally getting a touchdown late. LSU struggled to even move the ball.
Had Alabama had more firepower on offense, there’s a chance that this team would have been undefeated. Its defense was unreal and could have slowed many NFL offenses, but Saban had yet to adapt his offense at the time.