2012 BCS National Championship Game

College football bowl game March 2012 2012 Allstate BCS National Championship Game 14th BCS National Championship Game File:362 -bcs championship game-primary-2012.gif 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide University of Alabama LSU Tigers Louisiana State University 11–1 SEC 13–0 SEC Nick Saban Les Miles 2 2 2 1 1 1 3 6 6 6 0 0 0 0 January 9 Mercedes-Benz Superdome New Orleans, Louisiana Offense: A. J. McCarron (QB, Alabama)Defense: Courtney Upshaw (LB, Alabama) Alabama by 1.5Vegas Insider – College Football Betting Lines https://web.archive.org/web/20111228054517/http://www.vegasinsider.com/college%2Dfootball/odds/las%2Dvegas/ December 28, 2011 Scott Novak (Big 12) Louisiana State University Tiger Marching BandMillion Dollar Band 78,237 21.2 million ESPNChris Dufresne http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-rose-bowl-espn13-2009jun13,0,1578680.story Rose Bowl game moving to ESPN in 2011 Los Angeles Times June 13, 2009 December 7, 2011 List of announcers of major college bowl games Brent Musburger (play-by-play)Kirk Herbstreit (analyst)Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi (sidelines) 16.2 (24.2 million viewers) The 2012 BCS National Championship Game (branded as the 2012 Allstate BCS National Championship Game for sponsorship reasons) was a postseason college football bowl game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the LSU Tigers, and determined the national champion of the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season on Monday, January 9, 2012, at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The game was part of the 2011–2012 Bowl Championship Series and a rematch of regular season foes.https://newsfeed.time.com/2012/01/10/alabamas-bcs-win-a-fitting-end-to-a-subpar-bowl-season/ Alabama's BCS Win: A Fitting End to a Subpar Bowl Season Gregory Sean January 9, 2012 Time January 12, 2012 Alabama beat LSU 21–0 to win their 14th national championship, marking the first shutout in a national championship game since the 1992 Orange Bowl and the first ever shutout in a BCS bowl game.https://www.espn.com/college-football/recap?gameId=320090099 https://web.archive.org/web/20170302184440/http://www.espn.com/college-football/recap?gameId=320090099 dead March 2, 2017 Alabama's D embarrasses LSU as five FGs, late TD seal national title January 9, 2012 ESPN Associated Press January 12, 2012https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/bcs-national-championship-alabama-handles-lsu-21-0-to-claim-title/2012/01/10/gIQALTPGoP_story.html?tid=pm_sports_pop BCS national championship: Alabama handles LSU 21–0 to claim title Prisbell Eric January 9, 2012 Washington Post January 12, 2012http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/ncaa/gameflash/2012/01/09/49563/index.html#recap https://web.archive.org/web/20120112131917/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/ncaa/gameflash/2012/01/09/49563/index.html#recap dead January 12, 2012 No. 2 Alabama beats No. 1 LSU 21–0 for BCS title January 9, 2012 Sports Illustrated May 13, 2013 The game had the third-lowest TV rating, 14.01, in the 14-year history of the BCS National Championship game.Solomon, Jon (January 10, 2012) "Alabama-LSU produces third-lowest TV rating for national championship in BCS era." al.com.https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1018076-bcs-championship-2012-terrible-ratings-shows-bcs-got-it-wrong BCS National Championship 2012: Terrible Ratings Show BCS Got It Wrong January 9, 2012 Bleacherreport January 12, 2012 It was LSU's first loss in a game played in New Orleans (which is near the LSU campus in Baton Rouge) since the 1987 Sugar Bowl. From 1987 through the 2011 regular season, LSU was 4–0 in bowl games in New Orleans (three Sugar Bowls and the 2008 BCS National Championship Game) and 5–0 in the city vs. Tulane. Teams LSU was selected to participate in the BCS National Championship Game after a 13–0 regular season that culminated with a 42–10 win over the University of Georgia in the 2011 SEC Championship Game. Alabama was picked as the other half of the match-up following an 11–1 campaign, with their only loss coming against LSU in overtime during the regular season. Over the following weeks, a series of upsets resulted in the Crimson Tide receiving a No. 2 ranking in the final BCS Rankings to qualify for the championship game. The selection of Alabama was controversial, and decried by writers such as Rick Reilly, and by fans who claimed other opponents, most prominently the Oklahoma State Cowboys (who finished second in most of the computer rankings), were more deserving of a spot in the game. The controversy lent support to the ever-increasing call for a college football playoff and supposed SEC bias, specifically with regard to Alabama. Ironically, it was the conferences whose teams finished third and fourth (the Big 12 and the Pac-12) that had rejected the SEC's proposal for a four-team playoff in 2008.Wetzel Dan https://sports.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/news?slug=dw-wetzel_sec_reaps_reward_rejection_120311 December 3, 2011 SEC reaps reward of rejected playoff plan May 13, 2013 This game was the first time in the 14-year history of the BCS that the National Championship Game featured two teams from the same conference, let alone the same division (similar to the 2011 NCAA Division I baseball tournament six months prior featuring two teams from the SEC East division, though that came about through a playoff). This was also the first time that the BCS National Championship Game was a rematch from a regular season game, although the 1996 season's Bowl Alliance National Championship game was also a rematch, when Florida defeated Florida State 52–20 for the national title in the 1997 Sugar Bowl. As a result of the matchup, the SEC's streak of producing the BCS champion was assured of extending to six straight seasons. Alabama 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide football team Alabama ranked first in rushing with 219.83 yards per game and in total defense (191.25 ypg), including scoring defense (8.83), rushing (74.92 yards per game) and passing (116.33 yards per game). Key players for the Crimson Tide were RB Trent Richardson (164.67 yards per game, 1583 rushing yards), OT Barrett Jones (Outland Trophy recipient), LB Courtney Upshaw (17 tackles for losses and 8.5 sacks), and S Mark Barron (66 total tackles, 42 solos). LSU 2011 LSU Tigers football team LSU ranked first in the conference in scoring offense (38.46) and second in the nation in total defense (252.08 yards). The Tigers averaged 375.31 yards per game with 215.15 yards in rushing and 160.15 yards in passing. The leaders of this team were CB Tyrann Mathieu (Chuck Bednarik Award recipient), CB Morris Claiborne (Jim Thorpe Award recipient, six interceptions for 173 yards, 1 TD and 6th overall draft pick), DE Sam Montgomery (13 tackles for loss, 9 sacks for −55 yards), WR Rueben Randle (53 receptions, 917 yards, and 8 TD's) and P Brad Wing (44.14 punt average). Starting lineups Selected in an NFL Draft #FFCC00 (number corresponds to draft round) † = 2011 All-American Alabama Position LSU Offense Marquis Maze WR Rueben Randle 2 Brad Smelley 7 TE WR Russell Shepard †Barrett Jones 4 LT Chris Faulk Chance Warmack 1 LG Will BlackwellWilliam Vlachos C P.J. Lonergan Alfred McCullough RG Josh Willford D. J. Fluker 1 RT Alex Hurst Michael Williams 7 TE DeAngelo Peterson Darius Hanks WR Odell Beckham Jr. 1 A. J. McCarron 5 QB Jordan Jefferson †Trent Richardson 1 RB Michael Ford Defense Jesse Williams 5 DE Kendrick Adams Josh Chapman 5 DT Michael Brockers 1 Damion Square DE DT Bennie Logan 3 Jerrell Harris OLB DE Sam Montgomery 3 Dont'a Hightower 1 MLB LOLB Stefoin Francis Nico Johnson 4 ILB Kevin Minter 2 Courtney Upshaw 2 ROLB Ryan Baker DeQuan Menzie 5 CB †Morris Claiborne 1 Dre Kirkpatrick 1 CB † Tyrann Mathieu 3 †Mark Barron 1 FS Eric Reid 1 Robert Lester SS Brandon Taylor 3 Game summary Alabama won the coin toss with a call of "tails" and elected to defer their decision to the second half. The game, largely a defensive struggle, was epitomized by LSU's first possession of the game. The Tigers fumbled the ball on the opening play and ultimately ended up punting the football to Alabama after failing to gain a first down. The rest of the first half was dominated by both defenses. Alabama got within field goal range four times and kicker Jeremy Shelley made three of his attempts to give Alabama a 9–0 lead at halftime.This time, Shelley gets his kicks Mark Schlabach https://www.espn.com/college-football/bowls11/story/_/id/7445339/allstate-bcs-championship-game-alabama-crimson-tide-kicker-jeremy-shelley-makes-most-chance-redeem-himself ESPN January 10, 2012 January 14, 2012 LSU gained only one first down and was unable to cross the 50-yard line for the entire first half. The second half played out much the same as the first. Alabama's defense allowed LSU to cross the 50-yard line only once and gave up only four more first downs. Alabama was able to add 6 more points from a couple of Shelley field goals and another 6 points on the game's only touchdown on a 34-yard rush by Heisman Trophy finalist Trent Richardson.Richardson's touchdown run in BCS title game caps illustrious career Tony Barnhart http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/story/16803211/richardsons-touchdown-run-in-bcs-title-game-caps-illustrious-career CBSSports.com January 10, 2012 January 14, 2012 Alabama LSU expand 1 5:00 Alabama 5 20 1:54 FG 23 Jeremy Shelley 3 0 2 4:18 Alabama 11 58 6:12 FG 34 Jeremy Shelley 6 0 2 0:00 Alabama 9 52 1:59 FG 41 Jeremy Shelley 9 0 3 12:49 Alabama 6 50 2:11 FG 35 Jeremy Shelley 12 0 3 0:22 Alabama 6 20 3:01 FG 44 Jeremy Shelley 15 0 4 4:36 Alabama 4 50 1:39 RushTD Trent Richardson 34 no good (miss right) Jeremy Shelley 21 0 21 0 Statistics Statistics Alabama LSU First downs 21 5 Total offense, plays – yards 69–384 44–92Rushes-yards (net) 35–150 27–39 Passing yards (net) 234 53Passes, Comp-Att-Int 23–34–0 11–17–1 Time of Possession 35:26 24:34 Reference:https://www.espn.com/college-football/boxscore?gameId=320090099 Alabama Crimson Tide vs. LSU Tigers – Box Score ESPN January 10, 2012 January 14, 2012 See also Alabama–LSU football rivalry 2011 LSU vs. Alabama football game List of college football post-season games that were rematches of regular season games References BCS National Championship Game 2012 2012 2012 2012 Category:2012 in New Orleans BCS National Championship Game BCS National Championship Game