It?s 2008, but for the Louisiana State Tigers, it feels a lot like 2004.
That?s when the Tigers traveled 80 miles southeastfrom Baton Rouge to New Orleans and turned the Superdome into their personal playground and overwhelmed top-ranked Oklahoma, 21-14, to win the Bowl Championship Series title.
Four years later, the second-ranked Bayou Bengals return to the site where they basked in the glory of one of the team?s greatest victories as purple and yellow confetti rained from the rafters.
But this time, it?s top-ranked Ohio State standing in their way from capping one of the wildest seasons in college football history by claiming the sport?s most coveted trophy.
This much is clear: Either Southeastern Conference champion LSU (11-2) or Big Ten champion Ohio State (11-1) will be crowned champion in a season in which very few excepted either team to play on the game?s biggest stage a little more than a month ago. After all, each team lost a game late in the season ? LSU to Arkansas and Ohio State to Illinois.
But after Missouri and West Virginia each lost on the last Saturday of the regular season, LSU and Ohio State were awarded spots in college football?s biggest game.
But this much isn?t clear: Will the game match its hype? A year after Ohio State was run off the field by a much more athletic and faster Florida team, 41-14, in the national championship game, the Buckeyes face another opponent that appears bigger, faster and stronger. And it certainly doesn?t bode well for Ohio State the game is in Louisiana, essentially a home game for the Tigers.
But Ohio State, which is winless in eight tries against a team from the SEC in bowl games, is confident it learned from last year?s debacle against the Gators.
“Last year, I think we were a little overconfident and didn?t play our best game. This year, we have to make sure we?re ready,” linebacker Marcus Freeman said. “We feel we?re not invincible. Last year, we thought no team in the nation could beat us. This year, we know if we don?t play our best game, we can get beat.”
Ohio State has coupled its relentless rushing attack, which led by Chris Wells (1,463 yards, 14 TDs) has amassed 2,408 yards, with its top-ranked defense that has allowed just one team to score more than 20 points this season. LSU hasn?t been held under 21 points and averages 38.6 points per game.
Louisiana State?s potent attack features a two-quarterback system of Matt Flynn and Ryan Perrilloux, who have combined to throw for 2,927 yards and 25 touchdowns, and a stable of prolific running backs. Jacob Hester leads the way with 1,017 yards and 11 TDs, but he?s complemented by Keiland Williams (458 yards, 6 TDs), Charles Scott (7.4 yards per carry) and Richard Murphy (6 yards per carry). And don?t forget about Trindon Holliday, as the 5-foot-5, 160-pound track star can run 100 meters in 10.02 seconds and has 351 yards on just 50 carries.
“You very seldom see a team that has five tailbacks,” Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Heacock said.
Combined with Flynn?s 207 rushing yards and Perrilloux?s 203 ? not to mention runs by receivers on reverses and end-arounds ? LSU has 2,846 rushing yards, an average of 218.9 yards per game.
“I kind of like the system we have, not really focused on one guy, because not only does it help us, but it makes other teams really prepare for so many different looks and so many aspects of the game,” Hester said. “If you throw five, six, seven guys out there at different positions, it just makes the defensive coordinator want to pull his hair out.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
