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Epic drive from Alabama at the end of regulation? More like an epic fail by an LSU defense that played so well for the first 59:10 of this annual brawl between two of the SEC West’s heavyweight fighters. 

Courtesy of a T.J. Yeldon fumble deep in his own territory, the Tigers had the ball at the ‘Bama six with just 73 seconds left in a 10-10 tie. How do you possibly lose this game? From that point forward, LSU simply gave the game away. It began with a mindless unsportsmanlike penalty from Vadal Alexander, backing the team up and nixing a shot at a touchdown. 

It continued with a weak kickoff from Trent Dominque that hooked out of bounds to set up the Tide at the 35. And the late-game futility reached a pinnacle when ‘Bama was able to travel 55 yards in 50 seconds to set up Adam Griffith’s game-tying field goal. At that point, you could kind of feel the wind leaving LSU’s sails. 

LSU had shut down Alabama all night. QB Blake Sims was ineffective. And the Tide running game really never got going, averaging less than four yards per carry. Yet, when it when it needed that one drive to send the game into overtime, there was very little resistance from the home defense. 

On a rough day for red-zone fumbles from Alabama teams, LSU got a gift-wrapped turnover that should have led to another statement win for the resurgent program. It didn’t, which ought to haunt the Tigers at least until next week’s game at Arkansas. 

E-mail Phil Harrison

On a night when many dreams were dashed for teams in the Top ten, Alabama found a way to get it done.

Say what you will about LSU taking command of the game in the second half, or how ‘Bama was lucky to survive. The reality is that any team would take it in a heartbeat if you dangled a shot at a win in Death Valley — overtime or not.

With the loss, LSU must now focus on bowl positioning. The chance at an SEC West championship is all but evaporated, and without a shot at winning the SEC, with more than two-losses, an outside shot at still getting back in the team picture of the College Football Playoff is toast as well.

But tonight is about survival for the Tide. In the new era of the College Football Playoff, and with life in the SEC, simply getting by is good enough. It was more than good enough tonight, and now it’s out of the fire and into the frying pan. Queue up the blockbuster music for next week as the No. 1 ranked Mississippi State Bulldogs roll into town.

Time to get the tent and compass and learn to make fire because it’ll be another survival affair. Such is life in the SEC West this year.