2008 BCS National Championship Bowl Game Preview

#1 Ohio State (11-1, 7-1 Big Ten) vs. #2 LSU (11-2, 6-2 SEC)

January 7, 2008 @ 8:00 PM (EST) – FOX – New Orleans, Louisiana

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On November 10th, #1 Ohio State’s national championship chances appeared to be in tatters after a 28-21 home loss to Illinois.

Two weeks later, the LSU Tigers appeared to be in the same boat after losing a four-overtime heartbreaker at home to Arkansas, which knocked them out of the #1 ranking for the second time in 2007.

But, thanks to some Big 12 wildness and a big upset in the Big East, these two will be the last men standing come January 7 th. And as displeased as some may be about two teams, including one with two losses, getting into the title game through the back door, it‘s hard to argue that the two teams don‘t deserve to be here, or that this big-time matchup in the Big Easy isn‘t a must-see.

This game features two of the nation’s best defenses, with several of the top defensive players in the country sharing the field.

Ohio State’s defense gives up a miniscule 10.7 points and 225.2 yards per game. Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Vernon Gholston is a monster up front, and is one of the nation’s leaders in sacks with 13. Linebacker James Laurinaitis is the most well-known name on the Ohio State defense. He won the Nagurski Award as a sophomore, and he’s followed that with a stellar junior season, with 103 tackles (8.5 for loss), five sacks, and two interceptions in 2007. Cornerback Malcolm Jenkins is the leader in the secondary, with 44 tackles (five for loss) and three interceptions.

All three project to be first-round picks, but they’ll have some equals on the opposite sideline in New Orleans.

LSU’s defense gives up an average of 19.6 points and 283.8 yards per game, and has forced 33 turnovers (12 fumbles, 21 interceptions, +18 turnover margin). Leading the way is the nation’s top defensive player and possibly the #1 pick in April’s NFL draft, defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey, who has excelled despite facing injuries and being the focus of opposing offenses - 64 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, six sacks. His partner in crime up front is end Kirston Pittman (61 tackles, 12.5 for loss, seven sacks, 14 QB hurries), who has had a standout season after missing the last two with various injuries.

Both defenses will have the task of stopping two pretty good offenses.

QB Matt Flynn will start under center for LSU, but backup Ryan Perilloux is sure to get some action against OSU. With Flynn on the sidelines for the SEC Championship Game against Tennessee, it was Perilloux who led LSU to a 21-14 victory, going 20 of 30 for 243 yards and a touchdown. Both quarterbacks can move well (Flynn has 207 rushing yards and four scores, Perrilloux has 203 and two scores), so Ohio State has to make sure that neither gets too much room or too much time.

Running back Jacob Hester leads the carousel of backfield options for Les Miles, as he has 1,017 yards and 11 touchdowns this season. Flynn and Perrilloux will also hand it off to at least Keiland Williams, Charles Scott, and speedster Trindon Holliday, who have an excellent offensive line to clear the way.

Ohio State may not be as deep as LSU on offense, but has been every bit as productive. QB Todd Boeckman had some tough shoes to fill, replacing Heisman winner Troy Smith, but has done so admirably, throwing for 2,171 yards and 23 touchdowns this season.

Boeckman doesn’t have to win the game all on his own, as he has one of the nation’s top running backs, Chris Wells, who’s coming into the National Championship Game on a tear. In the last five games of the regular season, Wells had 821 yards and eight touchdowns, with 200-yard performances against Michigan St. (221 yards, TD) and Michigan (222 yards, 2 TD) and 169 yards and three scores in a win over Wisconsin.

The Buckeyes will certainly be hoping to avoid a repeat of last season’s national championship game, when they came in as favorites over Florida but were overrun by an athletic, fast, and inspired Gator team.

This year’s LSU team might be a tad better than that Florida team on both sides of the ball (with the only potential exception being at the QB position), which could mean big trouble for the Buckeyes - especially because we may not have seen LSU’s best yet.

But, the Tigers do have their flaws. As good as they are defensively, they can be scored upon, as shown by the Alabama (34 points in a 41-34 LSU win) and the losses to Kentucky and Arkansas. And against LSU, the Razorbacks ran for 385 yards (and before that, Ole Miss ran for 201), which isn’t good news with Wells coming in on such a hot streak. But, they also limited Tennessee to only 94 yards rushing in the SEC title game, so Wells can’t get too excited just yet.

The thing that swings most in LSU‘s favor, besides anything on the field, seems to be the home-field advantage of sorts that the Tigers have by playing at the Louisiana Superdome, where they‘ve had some big victories in recent years - the 2002 Sugar Bowl against Illinois, the 2004 Sugar Bowl against Oklahoma for the BCS national title, and the 2007 Sugar Bowl against Notre Dame. So, not only do the Buckeyes have to deal with a riled up, talented football team, but several thousand rowdy fans as well.

Ohio State is going to have to be at their best in order to quiet both LSU and their raucous fans, but, in the end, the Tigers should take home a second national title in five seasons.

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