re: Call that puzzles me most but no one seems to be talking about...

Hello.

I hate to say it, but I agreed with that call at the time.
Kick the FG. You make it, it makes Bama have to score a TD.
The way Bama played the second half of the game, no one thought they would go through our defense like a revolving door.

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This... Also to run about 40 more seconds off of the clock... I didn't mind the call...

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this isn't the nfl, 2:00 is an eternity in CFB

I think we we're playing "prevent offense and defense" and as usual, it prevented victory for us. Our defense doesn't practice the soft coverage we played on the drive before half and the final drive. This is a flaw of a great defensive coach in Chavis, but it no doubt cost us this game. Pellini did a similar call in the Arkansas OT game in '07. If you are up a bunch, it's Ok, but we let S Carolina get close also using that philosophy! But, if you keep the ball on offense, you still win. Too conservative cost us on both sides of the ball. However, our players stepped up and the coaches had them ready to play. They let Bama sneak one out of Tiger stadium!!!

I had no problem with this call. You don't want to stop the clock while you have possession and they have zero timeouts. At the same time, the opportunity to convert on a high percentage pass would have been nice. But if you throw an incompletion, you stop the clock and now have a 49 yard FG attempt (Hill got 4 yards to make it a 45 yarder). We talked about it in the stands, and people were split on it there as well. It certainly wasn't a "bad" decision. I really would have liked to have had that FG and gotten the opportunity to kick off and know that Bama had to have a TD to win. I think the defense would have been a bit different. Maybe the outcome doesn't change, but dammit, a FG kicker has exactly one job.

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I had no problem with this call. You don't want to stop the clock while you have possession and they have zero timeouts. At the same time, the opportunity to convert on a high percentage pass would have been nice. But if you throw an incompletion, you stop the clock and now have a 49 yard FG attempt (Hill got 4 yards to make it a 45 yarder).

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The problem with the call is that you can put the game away with a 1st down. Even if you run the ball and make the FG then you still have left Alabama with a chance and plenty of time even for a TD. The fact the defense was playing lights out only strengthens the case for going for the 1st down. The more I think about it the more of a no-brainer it was to go for it.

Damn, I started the threat to get it off my chest so I could feel better. It is having the opposite effect

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I had no problem with this call. You don't want to stop the clock while you have possession and they have zero timeouts. At the same time, the opportunity to convert on a high percentage pass would have been nice. But if you throw an incompletion, you stop the clock and now have a 49 yard FG attempt (Hill got 4 yards to make it a 45 yarder). We talked about it in the stands, and people were split on it there as well. It certainly wasn't a "bad" decision. I really would have liked to have had that FG and gotten the opportunity to kick off and know that Bama had to have a TD to win. I think the defense would have been a bit different. Maybe the outcome doesn't change, but dammit, a FG kicker has exactly one job.

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Yes, ideally you don't want to stop the clock when the other team is out of TO's. However, when you have a chance to end the game right then and there, why would you not take it?

Is it to run an extra 40 seconds off the clock which still allows the other team a chance to get the ball one more time (albeit with 40 less seconds)?

Was that big of an advantage gained by making it a 45 yard FG instead of a 49 yard FG if you run the ball? Even if the FG was made, one score still beats you.

You guys can talk about it being a "tough" decision all you want. To me, with the field position, the time remaining, and the way your QB was playing in the second half, that was an "no brainer." It was a no brainer in the present, not something that looks different with the benefit of hindsight. I don't care how good your defense is (and LSU's had been great in the 2nd half), I can't see the logic in conceding the ball back to Bama one more time where if you convert, they never touch it again. GAME OVER. The potential reward (ending the game) enormously outweighed the risk (allow Bama 35 or so more seconds to work with)

Everybody can talk about the fake FG, or the 54 yarder, or the onsides kick, but in the end, the 3rd and 10 call late, and to a lesser extent the Ware QB sneak are the ones that kill me. 2 chances late to step on Bama's throat, and 2 opportunities pissed away.

Either call would have been "right" or "wrong", depending on if we win or lose. Had we made it, we win with the offense on the field, and we're back at #4 pulling for some upsets. Had we thrown incomplete, sack, or INT, people would be screaming LOUDLY to have run the ball and clock, and let our defense play to a shorter clock, even if we had held on.

Had the defense held in the final minute, we're back up at #4 pulling for upsets (same scenario), and there's not nearly as much questioning whether we should have thrown instead of running that last play.

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Either call would have been "right" or "wrong", depending on if we win or lose. Had we made it, we win with the offense on the field, and we're back at #4 pulling for some upsets. Had we thrown incomplete, sack, or INT, people would be screaming LOUDLY to have run the ball and clock, and let our defense play to a shorter clock, even if we had held on.

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I respectfully disagree. Well, people will bitch no matter what. That part I agree with you. But I think there was a clear "right" call in this situation and that was to throw to attempt the first down and win the game. It had nothing to do with it working or not. Again, one call is to win the game while the other still gives the other team a chance even if perfectly executed.