The Alabama Crimson Tide might not be the unstoppable powerhouse they’ve been in previous years, but they’re still on track to compete for the SEC title and a spot in the College Football Playoff. By no means is the Alabama dynasty “dead,” even if their wins aren’t the showstoppers they usually are.
Last weekend, the LSU Tigers gave Alabama everything they had but still fell short, losing 20-14. It’s a down year for the Tigers but that doesn’t mean lame-duck head coach Ed Orgeron isn’t trying to make the most of it. And even though they didn’t beat the Tide, Orgeron has no problem saying that he thinks they were the better team, even in defeat.
“I felt we were a better team than them,” Orgeron said on the SEC coaches media teleconference. “I don’t know if they were expecting us to be that good. … I don’t know if they played to their peak performance or not, but I felt we matched up pretty good. … I can’t judge how good they are. They aren’t as good as they were in the past. They might be the best team in the country, I don’t know. But they weren’t that night.
“You’ve gotta put this one game, this was LSU-Alabama, it was a rivalry. We were hearing they were going to crush us, we didn’t have a chance. We went in guns blazing. … We were ready. One of those nights we were in the zone. That’s all that was.”
That’s all well and good, and good for Orgeron for defending his guys even in defeat, but they still lost the game. So, if moral victories is what LSU had to settle for at the moment, that’s the best they’re gonna do here.
LSU is 4-5 and fighting for bowl eligibility with their remaining games. This weekend’s game against Arkansas is a must-win in that regard.
