LSU 9, Alabama 6: Let the Arguments Begin. All of Them

I have to admit I was a little amused watching Twitter as some of those who watched the LSU-Alabama game complain about how it was an awful game because it was a field goal-fest. Meanwhile, I was watching a South Carolina-Arkansas game where a lot of touchdowns were scored -- and it was not exactly a thing of beauty.

Maybe the game in Tuscaloosa was not what a lot of people expected when it was called the Game of the Century -- but games are classics because of their context and how hard they were fought. The game between LSU and Alabama was hard-fought, and if LSU goes on to win the national championship, it will be remembered as a classic no matter how many points where scored.

The question of a rematch might very well be too early to ask if you don't think the concept is ridiculous. If you do, it's a much easier question to answer. Either way, you might as well get used to having the argument for the next several weeks. Because if the remaining undefeated AQ teams go down between now and the end of the season, and perhaps regardless of whether Boise State is undefeated or not, we're going to argue over that far more than we argue over whether or not it was a good game.

But back to the first edition of the game. As with most defensive struggles, there's not a ton to discuss. The best player on the field offensively might have been Trent Richardson, who had 169 all-purpose yards and a couple of long plays that should keep him in the Heisman Trophy discussion. The problem for Richardson is that the Heisman Trophy was long ago turned into the MVP award it was never meant to be, and if Alabama doesn't find its way back into the national championship game, he might not be able to stay in that conversation.

One thing that did become clear was that LSU still needs a competent quarterback. Jarrett Lee threw two interceptions at the worst possible time. It just takes one series of your defense not being up to the task, or a pick-six, for those interceptions to cost your team a low-scoring game. It didn't happen against Alabama, but it could very well happen against a different opponent on a different night.

And not just in the national title game. Keep in mind that LSU still has to maneuver a schedule that includes a date at the end of the year with Arkansas. If it loses one of those games along the way, LSU could also find itself out of the national championship discussion.

After all, you need two teams for a rematch. Neither punched their ticket to New Orleans on Saturday night, even if one of them came pretty close.