LSU vs Ohio State

LSU vs Ohio State

The final game in a crazy 2007-2008 college football season is an intriguing match-up between two relatively even teams. LSU appeared out of the mix for the national title in late November, after a loss to Arkansas knocked the Tigers out of the top spot. However, the Tigers defeated Tennessee in the SEC Championship and moved into the second spot in the BCS, following losses to West Virginia and Missouri on the final Saturday of action.

The Breakdown: Look for a defensive struggle to highlight this game. Both defenses rank in the top ten in the NCAA in total defense, with the Buckeyes finishing in the top spot. Additionally, the Buckeyes rank first in scoring and pass defense, allowing less than 11 points per game. Although LSU defensive coordinator Bo Pelini accepted the head coaching job at Nebraska, he will coordinate the defense for this game. Pelini and the Tiger defense struggled down the stretch, but the time off should help heal a couple of key injuries, including defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey. Assuming Dorsey is 100 percent, he should be a huge factor in stopping Buckeye running back Chris Wells.

When the Buckeyes have the ball, look for Wells to be the workhorse in this game. The Tigers don’t give up a lot of yards on the ground, but Wells will see around 30 carries and this will setup the play action pass from quarterback Todd Boeckman to receivers Brian Robiskie and Brian Hartline. Boeckman isn’t a flashy quarterback, but he has a nice arm and is completing over 60 percent of his passes. Look for the Tiger defense to load the line and eliminate Wells from the gameplan – which means Boeckman is going to have to take chances downfield early and often in this contest.

The Tiger offense isn’t going to light up the scoreboard, but they’ve got plenty of weapons that will challenge the Buckeye defense. Quarterback Matt Flynn missed the SEC Championship with a shoulder injury, but all indications point to a return in this game. Flynn will start, but backup Ryan Perrilloux will play a key role in this game. Look for the Tiger coaching staff to get Perrilloux involved with running plays and rollouts of the pocket. When the Tigers throw the ball, look for Early Doucet, Demetrius Byrd and Brandon LaFell to be the top targets. Running back Jacob Hester is a bruising runner and in addition to toting the rock 25-30 times, he will see a couple of passes out of the backfield.

With a game that is relatively even, look for the turnover battle to play a key role in this contest. The Buckeyes were not as effective as the Tigers at taking the ball away, which could be a critical factor in the national championship.

Bold Prediction: Expect this game to go down to the wire and neither side will pull out to a big lead throughout the four quarters. Too much is made about the speed in the SEC versus the Big Ten and it shouldn’t be a factor in this game either. Look for the Tiger offense to make one play late in the fourth quarter that sends the trophy to Baton Rouge for the second time in five seasons.

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