College Football Old School Game of the Week: Ole Miss Defeats LSU Thanks to Tigers' Poor Clock Management

Ole Miss players hold the Magnolia Bowl trophy after their 2009 win over LSU.

 In 1972, the Ole Miss Rebels were defeated by the LSU Tigers 17-16 in a controversial finish where the Tigers got some home cooking as the potential last play which resulted in an incompletion seemed to take longer the four seconds that remained on the clock as LSU was given one last chance to win the game which they did when quarterback Bert Jones threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Jimmy LeDoux that with the extra point gave the Bayou Bengals the win.

Ole Miss fans were so incensed that someone decided to put a road sign at the Louisiana-Mississippi border that said "You are now entering Louisiana. Please set your clock back four seconds".'

Thirty seven years later, the Rebels would get a matter of revenge as the time would go against LSU as the two teams prepared to face off for the 98th time.

Ole Miss came into the game with a 7-3 record but unranked as the Rebels had been seen as a disappointment for the 2009 season as they began the season ranked #8 in the AP poll and #10 coaches poll.

A part of the reason for the disappointment was quarterback Jeven Snead, who had thrown 14 interceptions in the Rebels' first 10 games as the Rebels had seeked to improve from their 2008 season in which they went 9-4 and finished in the top 15 in both polls after their 47-34 upset win over the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the Cotton Bowl.

Perhaps the bigger highlight of the 2008 season is when the Rebels traveled to Baton Rouge and easily dispatched the Tigers 31-13 for Ole Miss' first victory over LSU since 2002 when Eli Manning was the quarterback.

Led by head coach Houston Nutt and running back Dexter McCluster, the Rebels to knock off the Tigers in Oxford for the first time since 1998.

Meanwhile, LSU came into the game ranked #10 in the AP poll with an 8-2 record under head coach Les Miles, who was almost two years removed from leading LSU to the national championship as a win over the Rebels would boost the Tigers' chances to play in one of the BCS bowls(Rose, Sugar, Cotton, Orange)

Ole Miss would get the ball to start the game as the first play of the game was a backwards pass that went off the hands of McCluster and out of bounds, costing the Rebels eight yards to set up 2nd & 18 when McCluster took a handoff from Snead and ran 67 yards before being tackled at the LSU 31-yard-line.

The drive would stall as the Rebels picked up four yards on the next three plays as they would settle for a 45-yard field goal by Joshua Shene to give Ole Miss an early 3-0 lead.

The Tigers' first possession of the game would end in disaster as quarterback Jordan Jefferson would be intercepted by Rebels cornerback Cassius Vaughn, who would return the pick to the LSU nine-yard-line only to have an illegal block and an unsportsmanlike penalty on Vaughn push Ole Miss back to the Tigers' 34-yard-line.

The Rebels would settle for another field goal attempt, but this one was blocked by LSU defensive tackle Al Woods leading to cornerback Patrick Peterson scooping up the ball and running it back for a 53-yard touchdown to give LSU a 7-3 lead.

Ole Miss would begin its ensuing possession at their 30-yard-line as three straight running plays gained a total of 13 yards before Snead connected with wide receiver Markeith Summers for a 42-yard completion to give the Rebels a 1st down at the LSU 15-yard-line.

But once again the Rebels would settle for another field goal attempt which this time was successful as Shene would kick it through the uprights for a 25-yard field goal to cut the LSU lead to 7-6 with 3:37 left in the first quarter.

 The Tigers would get great field position to start their next drive as Ron Brooks returned the ensuing kickoff 41 yards to his 47-yard-line as LSU would drive 53 yards in eight plays with the drive culminating with a 17-yard touchdown pass from Jefferson to Reuben Randle to increase LSU's lead to 14-6 with 11 seconds to go in the opening period.

The Rebels would lean on their running game for their next possession as McCluster and Brandon Bolden combined for eight carries for a total of 27 yards on a 12-play, 45-yard drive that ended with another Shene field goal, this one from 33 yards out to cut the Tigers' lead to 14-9 midway through the second quarter.

Ole Miss running back Dexter McCluster would run for 148 yards on 24 carries and throw a 27-yard touchdown pass.

LSU would get the ball back at its 21-yard-line as a 13-yard run by Keiland Willams and a 31-yard pass from Jefferson to Terrance Tolliver put the Tigers back in Ole Miss territory at the Rebels' 35-yard-line.

However, the Tigers would pick up just three yards on the next three plays as they would settle for a 50-yard field goal by Josh Jasper which increased LSU's lead to 17-9 with 6:23 remaining in the second quarter.

Miles would try to catch the Rebels off-guard on the ensuing kickoff with a surprise onside kick but ended up backfiring on the Tigers as Peterson would recover the kick out of bounds resulting in a penalty and giving Ole Miss the ball at the LSU 47-yard-line.

Snead would then complete passes of 13 and 26 yards to Shay Hodge to put Ole Miss at the LSU eight-yard-line with a 1st & goal as a one-yard run by Bolden followed by a four-yard run by Snead set up 3rd & goal when Snead handed the ball to wide receiver Jesse Grandy for the three-yard touchdown.

The Rebels would go for two to try and tie the game but Snead's pass would fall incomplete to keep the score at 17-15 in favor of LSU with 4:40 left before halftime.

The Tigers seemed poised to increase their lead as they were able to drive to the Ole Miss 39-yard-line until Rebels defensive end Emmanuel Stephens sacked Jefferson on a 3rd & 6 to stall the drive and force LSU to punt the ball back to Ole Miss, who would run out the clock in the first half as the Rebels trailed 17-15.

The third quarter would be a defensive battle as both teams traded punts until early in the fourth quarter when the Rebels would take over at the LSU 44-yard-line as a 11-yard pass from Snead to Hodge and a six-yard run by McCluster would put Ole Miss at the Tigers' 27-yard-line.

That is when Snead handed the ball off to McCluster, who ran to his right side and fired a pass for Hodge who would make the catch for the 27-yard touchdown that with the extra point gave the Rebels a 22-17 lead with 13:33 to go in the fourth quarter.

After another LSU three-and-out, the Rebels got the ball back at their 35-yard-line as Ole Miss would hold the ball for eight and a half minutes as they drove 60 yards in 14 plays until Shene would kick a 23-yard field goal to increase the Rebels' lead to 25-17 with 3:42 left in the fourth quarter.

Following a 33-yard return by Trenton Holliday on the ensuing kickoff, the Tigers took over at their 34-yard-line needing a touchdown and a two-point conversion to tie the game and send in into overtime.

Jefferson would complete four of eight passes for 56 yards on the 10-play, 66-yard drive which was capped off with a 25-yard touchdown pass from the sophomore quarterback to Randle to bring LSU to within a two-point conversion of tying the game.

Jefferson would loft a pass for Tolliver in the left corner of the end zone which fell incomplete but drew a pass interference penalty on Vaughn to give LSU an extra chance at the two-point conversion where the Tigers tried the exact same play where Tolliver was unable to make the catch to keep the score at 25-23 in favor of Ole Miss with 1:17 to go in the game.

With two timeouts in their pocket and such little time, LSU lined up for an onside kick, where unlike earlier in the game, was successful as LaFell recovered the ball to give the Tigers a chance to drive and set up a potential game-winning field goal.

Taking over at his 42-yard-line, Jefferson would throw an incomplete pass on 1st down before connecting with LaFell for 26 yards to give LSU a 1st down at the Ole Miss 32-yard-line.

The Tigers were at the spot where Jasper had made a 50-yard field goal earlier in the game so it seemed logical that LSU would run the ball to get a few yards closer and make the kick easier.

However, on 1st down, Jefferson would throw an incomplete pass which was followed by a disastrous play on 2nd down as Stephens would drop the quarterback for a nine-yard-loss, knocking LSU out of field goal range and forcing them to call timeout with 32 seconds left.

Facing a 3rd & 19 at the Rebels' 41-yard-line, the Tigers tried to get back into field goal range but while Ridley would catch a screen pass from Jefferson, he would be tackled for a seven-yard-loss to push LSU back to the Ole Miss 48-yard-line where they would face a do-or-die 4th & 26.

Inexplicably, Miles would let 17 seconds run off the clock before calling his last timeout with nine seconds to go as the Tigers would have no choice but have Jefferson throw a Hail Mary pass.

Amazingly, the play worked as Jefferson's pass would be caught by Tolliver for a 43-yard completion to put the Tigers at the Ole Miss five-yard-line easily in field goal range with one second left.

But instead of sending in the field goal unit, Miles had Jefferson line up behind center to spike the ball at hopes of stopping the clock before it hit zero even though it takes two seconds for such a play to be excuted properly.

But Jefferson could not spike the ball in time as the Rebels escaped with the 25-23 win for their first win over LSU in front of their home fans since 1998.

LSU would rebound for the embarrassing defeat to knock off the Arkansas Razorbacks 33-30 in their regular season finale to earn a trip to the Capital One Bowl in Orlando where they would fall to the Penn State Nittany Lions 19-17 to finish the season with a 9-4 record and #17 ranking in both the final AP and coaches poll.

As for Ole Miss, they would lose to arch rival Mississippi State 41-27 in the annual "Egg Bowl" as the Rebels would be invited to play in the Cotton Bowl for the second year in a row, this time facing off with the Oklahoma State Cowboys, whom the Rebels defeated 21-7 to finish the season with a 9-4 record and #20 ranking in the final AP poll and #21 ranking in the final coaches poll.

College Football Old School Game of the Week: Kentucky Upsets #1 LSU in Triple Overtime Thriller

Kentucky players celebrate while LSU tight end Richard Dickson sits on the field following the Wildcats' upset over #1 LSU in 2007.

The 2007 college football season is considered to be perhaps the most chaotic season of all time as it seemed every week that was a huge upset.

During the season, 13 times a top 5 ranked team lost to an unranked team and the #2 team would lose six times during the regular season.

Needless to say, it was not safe to be ranked in top 5 in 2007 which LSU found out when traveled to Lexington, Kentucky to take on the Wildcats on October 13th.

The Tigers entered the game ranked #1 with a 6-0 record under second-year head coach Les Miles, who had come from Oklahoma State to take over for Nick Saban, who had left to coach the Miami Dolphins in the NFL.

The week before LSU defeated Florida 28-24 in an memorable game where the Tigers converted on 5 4th down situations helping them to their #1 ranking.

Now, the Tigers had to go on the road to take one of the biggest surprise teams in 2007 in the #17 ranked Kentucky Wildcats, who came into the game with a 5-1 record after having started the season 5-0 which was their best start since 1984.

The Wildcats were led by head coach Rich Brooks, who was in his fifth season in Lexington, and quarterback Andre Woodson, who had become a Heisman Trophy candidate up to this point in the season as he had thrown for 1, 522 yards, 18 touchdowns and just two interceptions.

But if the Wildcats were going to pull off the upset they would have to do it without leading rusher Rafael Little who missed the game with a bruised thigh.

Also, the Wildcats had revenge in their mind since it was the first time LSU had traveled to Kentucky since the infamous "Bluegrass Miracle" when Kentucky fans stormed the field while the Kentucky players splashed then head coach Guy Moriss with Gatorade before Tigers quarterback Marcus Randall threw a 74-yard touchdown pass to Devery Henderson as time expired to give LSU an improbable 33-30 win.

 After both teams traded punts to start the game, the Wildcats got the ball at the LSU 49-yard-line following a 20-yard-punt by Patrick Fisher.

It would take the Wildcats 12 plays to get into the end zone as Big Blue went 4-for-4 on 3rd down conversions which included a two-yard touchdown pass from Woodson to tight end T.C. Drake, which was tipped in the air by LSU strong safety Craig Steltz before landing in the arms of Drake,  to give Kentucky a 7-0 lead with 2:49 left in the first quarter.

The Tigers would get the ball at their 21-yard-line to begin their next possession as a 55-yard run by running back Charles Scott to end the first quarter gave LSU a 1st & goal at the Kentucky one-yard-line.

The break between quarters gave Scott enough time to catch his breath as he would punch it in for the one-yard touchdown to start the second quarter and help tie the game 7-7.

The LSU defense would force the Wildcats to punt on their ensuing possession to give their offense the ball back at their 19-yard-line.

The next three plays would gain 21 yards for the Tigers until quarterback Matt Flynn completed a 48-yard pass to Terrance Tolliver, only to have it called back because of a pass interference penalty on Tolliver, pushing the Tigers back 15 yards to their 25-yard-line.

Following a two-yard-loss on 2nd down, the Tigers had 3rd & 18 from the 23-yard-line when Flynn scrambled for 22 yards to pick up the 1st down which became a 37-yard play as Kentucky cornerback Paul Warford was called for a late hit to put LSU at the Wildcats 40-yard-line.

A 17-yard-run by Scott helped set up a 31-yard field goal by Colt David to give LSU a 10-7 lead with 5:42 remaining in the second quarter.

The Wildcats would have good field position to begin its next drive as a 29-yard return by Keenan Burton gave Big Blue the ball at its own 40-yard-line, only to give right back to the Tigers as Woodson was intercepted by LSU cornerback Chevis Jackson to give the Tigers the ball at the Kentucky 46-yard-line.

The Tigers would make one 1st down until they were faced with a 4th & 6 at the 30-yard-line when "The Mad Hatter" decided to go for it as Flynn's pass for Brandon LaFell fell incomplete, only to have Kentucky cornerback Trevard Lindley be called for pass interference to give LSU a 1st down at Wildcats 21-yard-line.

After two runs gained eight yards, Scott got the ball and run 13 yards for the touchdown to push the LSU lead to double digits as the Tigers held a 17-7 lead with just 1:48 left in the second quarter.

LSU running back Charles Scott would carry the ball only seven times but would gained 94 yards and scored two touchdowns.

The Wildcats would get the ball back at their 22-yard-line with 1:41 left before halftime and two timeouts in their pocket with the hope that Kentucky could drive down the field and pick up some points before the end of the half.

Following an one-yard run by Tony Dixon to start the drive, Woodson completed a 14-yard pass to tight end Jacob Tamme, which was followed by a 51-yard completion to Steve Johnson to give Kentucky a 1st down at the LSU 12-yard-line.

After an incomplete pass on 1st down, Woodson would take it in himself as he ran for the 12-yard touchdown to cut the LSU lead to 17-14 with just 1:04 left in the first half.

Neither team would mount another scoring threat before the end of the first half as the two teams went into the locker room with the #1 ranked Tigers on top 17-14 and set to get the ball to start the second half.

A 44-yard kickoff return by Trenton Holliday gave the Tigers great field position as they would begin the second half from their 48-yard-line where three straight running plays picked up nine yards to set up 4th & 1 from the Kentucky 43-yard-line.

Once again, Miles would go for the 1st down as backup quarterback Ryan Perrilloux came in and ran two yards to pick up the 1st down.

Flynn would come back in at quarterback and after the next two plays lost three yards, he completed a 18-yard pass to LaFell to give LSU a 1st down at the Kentucky 26-yard-line, which was followed by a holding penalty on the Wildcats to give LSU another 1st down at the Kentucky 16-yard-line.

Four plays later, the Tigers were in the end zone as Flynn found tight end Richard Dickson in the end zone for a four-yard touchdown to push the Tigers' lead back to 10 points at 24-14 with 9:12 remaining in the third quarter.

The Wildcats would begin its next possession at their 24-yard-line but on 3rd & 8 from the 26-yard-line, Woodson was picked off again, this time by LSU defensive back Chad Jones to give the Tigers the ball at the LSU 49-yard-line with a chance to deliver the knockout punch with a touchdown.

The Tigers would drive to the Kentucky 13-yard-line where they faced a 3rd & 8 when Flynn fired a pass to toward the left corner of the end zone, intended for tight end Keith Zinger, only to have Zinger drop the sure touchdown.

If Zinger had caught it, the Wildcats would have been down 31-14 to make it a three-score game, so they were fortunate when David came in to kick a 30-yard field goal to increase LSU's lead to 27-14 with 3:49 left in the third quarter.

Following the ensuing kickoff, the Wildcats took over at their 18-yard-line when Dixon ran for 11 yards to start the drive which got an additional five yards added on as Stletz was called for a face mask penalty.

On the very next play, Woodson connected with Dixon for a 18-yard pass to give Kentucky a 1st down at the LSU 48-yard-line.

Derrick Locke would carry the ball on the next two plays, gaining 20 yards to the Tigers' 28-yard-line, which was followed by a 14-yard-pass from Woodson to Johnson.

Then after an LSU offsides penalty and an one-yard run by Locke, Woodson found Tamme in the back of the end zone for an eight-yard touchdown to bring the Wildcats to within a touchdown at 27-21 with 1:13 to go in the third quarter.

After forcing the Tigers to go three-and-out on their next possession, the Wildcats got the ball back at their 37-yard-line as the fourth quarter got underway.

The Tigers were poised to force an three-and-out until Steltz was called for pass interference to give Kentucky a 1st down at the LSU 49-yard-line.

From there, Locke would carry the ball five straight times for 30 yards to set up 3rd & 3 as Woodson completed a two-yard pass to Johnson to set up 4th & inches from the 17-yard-line when Brooks decided to go for the 1st down.

Kentucky would get the 1st down as Woodson ran for two yards, but the Wildcats would pick up zero yards on the next three plays, forcing them to settle for a 33-yard field goal by Lones Seiber to cut the LSU lead to 27-24 with 7:57 to go in regulation.

Kentucky quarterback Andre Woodson completed 21 of 38 passes for 250 yards and threw three touchdowns, plus ran for one touchdown.

The Tigers would take over at their 20-yard-line but would gave it right back to the Wildcats as Flynn's deep pass intended for LaFell was intercepted by Lindley to give the Wildcats the ball at their 38-yard-line.

Following an incomplete pass on 1st down, Woodson would connect with Tamme for 11 yards, then hit Johnson for 37 yards to give the Wildcats a 1st down at the LSU 16-yard-line.

Two straight runs by Locke set up 3rd & 2 where he Locke got the ball again only to be dropped for an one-yard loss, forcing the Wildcats to settle for a 27-yard field goal by Seiber that tied the game at 27 with 4:21 left in the fourth quarter.

The Tigers would get the ball at their 16-yard-line as they converted three 3rd downs in a row to drive into Kentucky territory.

The first 3rd down conversion came on 3rd & 10 from the Tigers 16-yard-line as Flynn scrambled for 10 yards to pick up the 1st down.

Then, fullback Jacob Hester ran for 11 yards on 3rd & 1 to give LSU another 1st down at the Tigers' 46-yard-line and then followed by Flynn's 14-yard pass for running back Richard Murphy for another 1st down at the Kentucky 41-yard-line.

But after the next three plays picked up only one yard, the Tigers were faced with a 57-yard game-winning field goal attempt as LSU drained the clock to two seconds before calling timeout to make sure Kentucky would not get a chance to drive for a field goal or touchdown if David made the kick.

The Wildcats would call back-to-back timeouts in hopes of icing David before his 57-yard kick which fell short and no good to send the game into overtime.

LSU won the coin toss and elected to go on defense so they would know what type of score they would need after the Wildcats completed their overtime possession which would begin at the 30-yard-line following a false start penalty.

But the Wildcats would get a 1st down after LSU defensive end Tyson Jackson was called for roughing the passer after hitting Woodson too late after an incomplete pass to put Kentucky at the Tigers' 15-yard-line.

After two straight runs by Locke picked up two yards, Woodson found his favorite target Johnson for a 12-yard completion to give Kentucky 1st & goal at the LSU one-yard-line.

It would take the Wildcats two tries to get into the end zone as Locke was stopped for no gain on 1st down, but was able to punch it in on 2nd down to give Kentucky its first lead since the 1st quarter as they took a 34-27 lead, hoping their defense would keep the Tigers out of the end zone to complete the comeback from 13 points down.

However, the Tigers would respond like the #1 team should as Flynn connected with Murphy for an eight-yard pass on 1st down, then handed it off to Hester who ran for nine yards for a LSU 1st down, followed by a six-yard run by Murphy, and then wrapped up with a two-yard touchdown pass from Flynn to Dickson that with David's extra point tied the game at 34 to send the game into a second overtime.

The Tigers would get the ball to start the second overtime period as a 14-yard pass to Tolliver was nullified by the fact that Tolliver had stepped out of bounds before making the catch, making him ineligible for the catch and drawing a 10-yard penalty to the Tigers.

LSU would be forced to settle for a 38-yard field goal by David to give the Tigers a 37-34 lead, but gave the Wildcats a chance to win the game if they could score a touchdown.

However, Woodson would throw three straight incomplete passes, forcing the Wildcats to call on Seiber to attempt a 43-yard field goal in hopes of sending the game to a third overtime.

Seiber would come through as he successfully made the 43-yard field goal to tie the game at 37 as the game moved into a third overtime period.

Following an one-yard run by Locke to start the drive, Woodson would connect with Dicky Lyons for six yards, then for 12 yards to give the Wildcats a 1st & goal at the LSU six-yard-line.

But two straight incomplete passes would force 3rd & goal when Woodson threw another incomplete pass, only to have LSU free safety Curtis Taylor get called for holding, to move the Wildcats half the distance to the goal and an automatic 1st down at the LSU three-yard-line.

The next two plays would pick up only one yard which was followed by a delay of game penalty to push the Wildcats back to the LSU seven-yard-line for 3rd & goal when Woodson found Johnson wide open in the right corner of the end zone for a seven-yard touchdown to give Kentucky a 43-37 lead.

Steve Johnson catches would be the game-winning touchdown pass in third overtime period.

With the game now in its third overtime, the Wildcats had to go for two which they failed as Woodson's pass fell incomplete keeping the score 43-37 as the Tigers began their next possession needing a touchdown and a two-point conversion to win the game.

Three straight runs by Scott gained eight yards to set up 4th & 2 when Scott, who hadn't carried the ball since the third quarter, took the handoff from Flynn and ran to his left, only to be stopped by Wildcats linebacker Braxton Kelly one yard short of the 1st down, meaning the Tigers had turned it over on downs to end the game with Kentucky on top 43-37, setting off a wild celebration at Commonwealth Stadium as fans stormed the field to celebrate the first Kentucky win over a #1 team since 1964 when they defeated the Ole Miss Rebels 27-21.

The win over LSU would be the highlight of the Kentucky football season as they would drop four of their last five regular season games to finish with a 7-5 record and earn a trip to the Music City Bowl for the second year in a row where they defeated the Florida State Seminoles 35-28 to finish with a 8-5 record.

As for the Tigers, they would recover from the triple overtime loss to Kentucky to win their next four games to reclaim the #1 ranking, only to lose it again following a 50-48 triple overtime loss to Arkansas in the regular season finale.

However, the Tigers play in the BCS National Championship Game after they jumped from #5 to #2 following a 21-14 win over Tennessee in the SEC Championship Game and losses by West Virginia and Missouri on the final Saturday of the regular season to earn a trip to the title game where LSU would defeat #1 Ohio State 38-24 for their second national title in five years.

College Football Old School Game of the Week: LSU Knocks off Undefeated Alabama in Overtime

Dwayne Bowe makes the game-winning touchdown catch in overtime of LSU's win over Alabama in 2005.

The rivalry between the LSU Tigers and the Alabama Crimson Tide definitely took up a notch in intensity when Nick Saban, who had led the LSU Tigers to a share of the 2003 national title, was hired as the head coach of the Crimson Tide in 2007 after leaving Baton Rouge for a brief stint in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins.
Since Saban's arrival in Tuscaloosa, the Crimson Tide and the Tigers have taken part in several big-time showdowns include two meetings as the top two ranked teams during the 2011 season.
But two years before Saban come back to college football, the Tigers and the Crimson Tide met in top-5 showdown late in the 2005 season that ended determining the outcome of the SEC Western Division race that season.
LSU entered the game ranked #5 with a 7-1 record, which was remarkable considering some of the circumstances the Tigers had dealt with during the season.
Not only were they under a first-year head coach in Les Miles, who had come over from Oklahoma State, but had to deal with the effects of Hurricane Katrina which had left much of the Louisiana coast in ruins when it hit in August.
The Tigers were able to overcome those distractions as they entered the Alabama game on a six-game winning streak thanks to an offense that was led by quarterback Jamarcus Russell, running back Justin Vincent, and wide receiver Dwayne Bowe.
If the Tigers could knock off the Tide, they would need to win their final two games to earn a third trip to the SEC Championship Game in five years.
While the Tigers were once again competing for the SEC West title, the Crimson Tide were having an unlikely dream season under third-year head coach Mike Shula as Alabama entered the LSU game undefeated with a 9-0 record.
The Crimson Tide had gotten to this point thanks to a stingy defense and a cupid of late-game wins over Ole Miss and Tennessee as Jamie Christensen had hit game-winning field goals in the final seconds of both games.
If the Tide could knock off LSU, they would clinch the SEC West to earn their first trip to the SEC Championship Game since 1999 and keep their chances of a national championship alive with a 10-0 record.
 After both teams punted on their opening possessions of the game, the Tide had the ball at their 44-yard-line when quarterback Brodie Croyle hit Keith Brown for a 26-yard completion to give Bama a 1st down at the LSU 30-yard-line.
However, the Tigers defense would allow only one more yard on the next three plays, forcing the Tide to settle for a 46-yard field goal attempt by Christensen which sailed wide right and no good, keeping the game scoreless.
Following a LSU three-and-out, the Tide got the ball back at their 22-yard-line when they went to their vaunted running game as Kenneth Darby carried the ball four times for 44 yards on a 10-play, 67-yard drive which culminated with a 28-yard field goal by Christensen to give Bama a 3-0 lead with 5:15 left in the first quarter.
The Tide would get the ball again at their 16-yard-line with just 24 seconds left in the first quarter when the Bama offense put together a 11-play, 84-yard drive that was capped off with an eight-yard touchdown pass from Croyle to D.J. Hall to increase the Crimson Tide's lead to 10-0 with 10:59 left in the second quarter.

Alabama running back Kenneth Darby would be the game's leading rusher with 104 yards on 21 carries.

After another exchange of punts, the Tigers had the ball at their 36-yard-line when Russell connected with Craig Davis for 23 yards on the first play of the drive, then connected with Davis again for nine yards on a 3rd & 7 to put LSU at the Alabama 29-yard-line, the furthest the LSU offense had driven in the game to this point. But on the very next play, Xavier Carter was dropped for a 13-yard loss on a reverse, pushing LSU back to the Bama 42-yard-line.

The Tigers would get the yards back but were forced to settle for a 43-yard field goal attempt by Chris Jackson which he missed wide left giving the Tide the ball at their 27-yard-line with 3:52 left before halftime and a chance to increase their lead.

The Tide offense would drive to the LSU 38-yard-line until Croyle fumbled the football on a quarterback draw, which he recovered but not before losing 12 yards to force a 4th & 22 at the 50-yard-line with two seconds left in the half.

Croyle dropped back to attempt a "Hail Mary" pass but was sacked by LSU's Tyson Jackson for another 12-yard-loss as the first half came to a close with the Tide ahead 10-0.
The Tigers got the ball to start the second half at their 20-yard-line as Russell hit Davis for 17 yards to begin the drive, then connected with Vincent on a 26-yard screen pass to put LSU at the 37-yard-line.
Following a pass interference penalty on Crimson Tide cornerback Anthony Madison gave them a 1st down at the Bama 22-yard-line, the Tigers went to the ground game as Vincent carried the ball four straight times, gaining 20 yards.
The Tigers had a 2nd & goal at the two-yard-line but could only pick up one more yard on the next two plays forcing a 4th & goal at the one-yard-line.
Even though a field goal would make it a one-score game, Miles decided to go for the touchdown which he got as Vincent punched it in for the one-yard touchdown to cut the Tigers' deficit to 10-7 with 9:53 left in the third quarter.
Then after forcing a three-and-out, the Tigers got the ball at the Bama 44-yard-line when Russell connected with Bowe for 28 yards to give the Tigers a 1st down at the Crimson Tide's 16-yard-line.
It looked like the Tigers were going to have a short field goal attempt after an eight-yard pass from Russell to Bowe on 3rd & 11, but a late hit penalty on left tackle Andrew Whitworth pushed LSU back 15 yards, forcing Jackson to attempt a 42-yard field goal instead of a 27-yarder.
But Jackson would make the kick to tie the game at 10 with 5:46 left in the third quarter.
The next time the Tigers got the ball it was at their 12-yard-line just eight second into the fourth quarter when Russell lead the Tigers on a 10-play, 58-yard drive to set up a potential go-ahead field goal for Jackson from 47 yards out.
However, Jackson's kick would sail wide right, keeping the game tied 10-10 with 10:35 left in regulation.

LSU quarterback Jamarcus Russell would complete 16 of 30 passes for 229 yards and throw one touchdown.

After Jackson's miss, the game would turn into a defensive stalemate as neither team could mount a drive and traded punts until the Tigers took over at the 50-yard-line with 3:32 left in regulation and a chance to drive for the winning score.
Russell and the Tigers took their time as they only drove 18 yards in six plays before calling on Jackson to attempt a 49-yard field goal with about a minute left in regulation.
But for the second time in the 4th quarter, Jackson would miss a potential go-ahead field goal as his 49-yarder sailed wide right, giving the Tide the ball at their 33-yard-line with 54 seconds left.
The Bama offense could only get to their 49-yard-line before calling their last timeout with just two seconds left on the clock.
That is when Croyle lofted a screen pass for Glen Coffee in the left flat, who was able to run to the LSU nine-yard-line before he was met by a gaggle of LSU defenders as time expired to send the game into overtime with the score still 10-10.
LSU won the overtime coin toss and elected to play defense which had held the Bama offense to 63 yards of total offense in the second half.
An illegal shift penalty on the first play of the drive pushed the Tide back five yards to the 30-yard-line but were able to drive to the LSU 17-yard-line where they had a 3rd & 2 when Croyle was unable to complete a pass to Darby, forcing Bama to settle for a 34-yard field goal by Christensen to give the Tide a 13-10 lead as the LSU offense prepared to take the field, knowing a touchdown would win them the game.
On the first play from scrimmage, Russell hit Vincent for 10 yards to give LSU a 1st down at the Bama 15-yard-line.
Two straight running plays picked up four yards to set up 3rd & 6 when Russell fired a pass for Bowe in the end zone, who made the 11-yard touchdown catch to give LSU a 16-13 overtime win and the lead in the SEC West Division.

The Tigers would knock off Ole Miss and Arkansas in their final two regular season games to clinch their third SEC West title in five years, where they would play the Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC Championship Game.
However, the Tigers would be stunned by the Bulldogs as they lost 34-14, denying LSU a third SEC title in five years.
The Tigers would finish the season with a 10-2 record as they trounced the Miami Hurricanes 40-3 thanks to a 196-yard passing and two-touchdown performance from backup QB Matt Flynn, who started in replaced of Russell who hurt his shoulder in the SEC Title Game.
As for the Tide, they would follow up their heartbreaking loss to LSU with a four straight in the "Iron Bowl" as Croyle was sacked 11 times in a 28-18 loss to the Auburn Tigers.
The Crimson Tide would get an invitation to the Cotton Bowl where they would play the Texas Tech Red Raiders as Christensen would kick his third game-winning field goal of the season with a 45-yarder as time expired to give Bama a 13-10 win to end the season with a 10-2 record.
One year later, the Tide would go 6-7 and fire Shula, who was replaced by Saban, who has gone on to win five national championships during his tenure at Tuscaloosa.

College Football Old School Game of the Week: Saban Wins in Return To LSU

Alabama head coach Nick Saban would get revenge on his former team as he lead the Tide to a win over LSU in Baton Rouge.

The LSU Tigers always looked up to the Alabama Crimson Tide as a rival because of the fact they were in the same conference, the SEC, and that Alabama ruled the conference with its numerous SEC titles and national titles.
However, the LSU-Alabama rivalry would intensify beginning in 2007 when former LSU head coach Nick Saban, who had led the Tigers to a share of the national championship in 2003, came back to college football after two years in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins, to become the Crimson Tide's next coach.
Saban becoming the head coach in Tuscaloosa was seen as an act of betrayal in the minds of LSU fans and Saban became public enemy #1 in Tigers Nation.
LSU would get a matter of revenge when the Tigers traveled to Tuscaloosa to face off with the Crimson Tide on November 3, 2007 where the Tigers pulled out a 41-34 win as LSU would go on to win the national title that year.
While that game was emotional, it would be tenfold for when the two teams met on November 8, 2008 as the Crimson Tide traveled to Baton Rouge, the first time Saban had been to Baton Rouge since his depature following the 2004 season.
The Tide entered the game as the #1 team in the country as they had stormed to a 9-0 record behind senior quarterback John Parker Wilson, senior running back Glen Coffee, and freshman sensation wide receiver Julio Jones.
With a win over LSU, the Tide would clinch the SEC West Division title and earn an trip to the SEC Championship Game for the first time since 1999.
Meanwhile, the Tigers entered the game ranked #10 with a 7-2 record, but were had issues at quarterback as redshirt frehsman Jarrett Lee had threw only 12 touchdown passes and 10 interceptions, with five of those interceptions being returned for touchdowns for the opposing team.
If LSU was going to knock off Bama, Lee was going to have play turnover-free football in hopes of leading the Tigers to an upset.

Alabama running back Glen Coffee would carry the ball 26 times for 126 yards and score one touchdown.

The Tide got the ball to start the game as they begin their opening drive from their 27-yard-line and were in LSU territory after the second play from scrimmage when running back Glen Coffee ran for 31 yards to the Tigers' 42-yard-line.
It appeared Bama was going score a touchdown when on 3rd & 6 from the LSU 26-yard-line, Wilson hit Earl Alexander in stride for an apparent touchdown, only to have Tigers defensive back Chad Jones knock the ball loose at the one-yard-line, leading to LSU recovering the football in the end zone for a touchback and giving their offense the ball at the 20-yard-line.
But on 3rd & 17, Lee was intercepted by Bama free safety Rashad Johnson whose 10-yard return set up the Tide at the LSU 15-yard-line.
A 14-yard-run by Coffee gave the Tide a 1st & goal at the one-yard-line where it took them three plays to finally get into the end zone when Wilson snuck it in for the touchdown to give Bama a 7-0 lead with 8:23 left in the first quarter.
LSU would respond with a 31-yard kickoff return by Keiland Williams to put the Tigers at their 46-yard-line to begin their ensuing possession.
After it took the Tigers six plays to travel 24 yards to the Bama 30-yard-line, Lee fired a 30-yard touchdown pass to Demetrius Byrd that tied the game at 7 with 6:21 to play in the opening quarter.
Then on the ensuing kickoff, Bama returner Javier Arenas lost the football when he was hit by LSU defensive back Ron Brooks to force a fumble that was recovered by the LSU kicker, Josh Jasper, at the Tide 30-yard-line.
Following an incomplete pass on 1st down, Lee handed the ball off to Charles Scott who ran in for the 30-yard touchdown to give LSU their second touchdown in just 24 seconds and a 14-7 lead with 5:57 to go in the first quarter.
The score remained 14-7 as the second quarter began as Wilson was picked off by LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson on the first play of the quarter at the LSU 14-yard-line.
The Tide defense forced a three-and-out to get the ball back at their 48-yard-line and were immediately in LSU territory after Wilson hit Jones for a 26-yard pass on the first play of the drive.
However, the LSU defense stiffened and only one yard on the next three plays, forcing a 42-yard field goal attempt by Leigh Tiffin.
But Tiffin's kick was wide left, keeping the score at 14-7 in favor of LSU with 11:37 left in the second quarter.
After an exchange of punts, the Tigers got the ball back at their 34-yard-line when on 3rd & 8, Lee was picked off again by Johnson, who this time ran all the way back for a 46-yard touchdown that tied the game at 14 with 4:33 left in the first half.
After another exchange of punts, LSU got the ball at their 21-yard-line with 2:19 left in the half  and two timouts in their pocket.
Following a two-yard run by Williams on 1st down, Lee hit tight end Richard Dickson for 22 yards and a 1st down at the Tigers' 45-yard-line.
Then after an incomplete pass, Williams would carry the ball on the next two plays; first, picking up six yards, then running for 25 yards to put LSU at the Bama 24-yard-line.
But that is where the drive stalled as Williams was stopped for no gain on 1st down, which was folowed by two straight incomplete passes, forcing Miles to call on Colt David to attempt a 41-yard field goal with 25 seconds left before halftime.
But David's kick sailed wide left and after Wilson took a knee to run out the clock, the two teams went into the locker room still tied 14-14 after 30 minutes of play.

Alabama wide receiver Julio Jones caught seven passes for 128 yards in the 2008 "Saban Bowl".

Three minutes and 34 seconds into the second half, the Tide got the ball at their 31-yard-line when they called on Coffee to carry them to the end zone.
Coffee touched the ball on six of the seven plays on the drive with five carries for 39 yards and one catch for 11 yards.
Appropriately, Coffee scored the touchdown, a three-yard run that put Bama back in front 21-14 with 8:14 left in the third quarter.
Following the ensuing kickoff, the Tigers got the ball at their 17-yard-line when Lee got hot and hit three of his next four passes, all to Brandon LaFell, for a total of 50 yards to set up a 2nd & 3 from the Bama 33-yard-line.
But after two straight runs gained only two yards, the Tigers were faced with a 4th & 1 at the Tide 31-yard-line.
That is when "The Mad Hatter" decided to go for it on 4th down and was rewarded with a one-yard run by Quinn Johnson for a LSU 1st down.
However on 3rd & 9 from the Tide 29-yard-line, Lee was intercepted for the third time in the game, this time by Bama linebacker Rolando McClain who returned it to the Tigers' 46-yard-line.
The Tide could not do anything with the interception as they went three-and-out and after LSU punted again on their ensuing possession, the third quarter came to an end with Bama out in front 21-14.
With 12:14 left in the 4th quarter, the Tigers would get the ball at their 26-yard-line with a chance to drive for the game-tying touchdown.
It seemed the Tigers were going to go three-and-out until Lee hit Terrance Tolliver for 13 yards on 3rd & 11 to give LSU a 1st down at their 38-yard-line.
Then after a one-yard run by Scott, Lee connected with Tolliver again, this time for 10 yards and another 1st down.
Lee would then hit Tolliver for 24 yards to put LSU at the Crimson Tide 25-yard-line.
After a two-yard run by Scott, Lee came out of the game for one play, replaced by Richard Murphy, who ran for nine yards to set up 1st & 10 from the Bama 14-yard-line.
Lee came back into the game and was promptly sacked by Bama defensive end Bobby Greenwood for a three-yard loss by came back with a 11-yard pass to Tolliver to set up 3rd & 2 from the Crimson Tide six-yard-line.
That is when Lee handed the ball off to Quinn Johnson, who ran for five yards to set up 1st & goal at the one-yard-line.
Scott would punch it for the one-yard touchdown that with David's extra point tied the game at 21 with 6:12 left in regulation.
Both teams would punt on their ensuing possesions setting up a potential game-winning drive for the Crimson Tide as they took over at the LSU 41-yard-line with 1:58 to go after a 23-yard punt return by Arenas.
Coffee would carry the ball three straight times for 11 yards, which was followed by a eight-yard pass from Wilson to Julio Jones to set up 2nd & 2 where Coffee was apparently stopped for a two-yard-loss, only to have LSU linebacker Kelvin Sheppard get called for a face mask penalty, giving the Tide a 1st down at the Tigers' 12-yard-line.
From there, the Tide simply ran down the clock and make it easier for Tiffin to kick would what would be the game-winning field goal from 29 yards out with three seconds to go.
But LSU defensive tackle Ricky Jean-Francois saved the Tigers when he blocked Tiffin's kick to send the game into overtime with the game tied at 21.

LSU quarterback Jarrett Lee would have another tough day as he threw four interceptions, including another pick-six, on 13-of-34 passing.

LSU got the ball first but came away with zero point as Lee threw his fourth interception of the game as Rashad Johnson picked off Lee in the end zone, meaning the Tide needed only a field goal to win the game.
The Tide almost won the game on the first play of their overtime possesion as Wilson hit Jones for 24 yards, setting up a 1st & goal at the LSU one-yard-line.
After Coffee was stopped for no gain on 1st down, Wilson snuck it in for the game-winning touchdown to give the Tide a 27-21 overtime win to remain undefeated and punching their ticket to the SEC Championship Game.
The Tigers would drop their last two games of the regular season, forcing them to play in the Peach Bowl where they would rout Georgia Tech 38-3 to finish the season 8-5.
Lee would usallly play in garbage time over the next two seasons until his senior season in 2011 when he started the first four games of the season after incumbant starter Jordan Jefferson was suspened.
Lee won all four of his all starts before being replaced by Jefferson who helped lead the Tigers to the BCS National Championship Game where they ironically lost to Alabama 21-0.
As for Bama
The Tide ended up in the Sugar Bowl where they were shocked by the Utah Utes out of the Mountain West Conference(they joined the Pac-12 in 2011) 31-17 to finish the season with a 12-2 record.
However, the Tide would come back the next year by winning the first of five national championships under the tenure of Nick Saban.