Senior Jordan Jefferson made LSU football coach Les Miles’ quarterback decision easy when he was implicated in, and subsequently suspended for, the infamous Shady’s brawl, paving the way for fellow senior Jarrett Lee to start.
Alabama also faced uncertainty behind center prior to the season, with sophomore A.J. McCarron and freshman Phillip Sims vying for the starter slot with the departure of former quarterback Greg McElroy.
McCarron won the job, starting every game this season and throwing only one more interception than Sims in 172 more attempts. He will lead his Crimson Tide against Lee and LSU on Saturday in Tuscaloosa.
CBS announcer Gary Danielson said in a teleconference Tuesday that the quarterbacks will decide the finish and the trials McCarron experienced competing with Sims for the spotlight may have prepared him for a seminal moment in Saturday’s contest.
“It comes down to the quarterbacks in these games [in the Southeastern Conference for the past four or five years] being the tiebreaker,” Danielson said. “At Alabama, to win the job, as the pressure is ratcheted up between A.J. [McCarron] and Phillip Sims during spring ball, offseason programs. … All of that was in preparation for maybe one four-minute drive in this game.”
McCarron has gone 134-of-200 for 1,664 yards, 10 touchdowns and three interceptions, while Lee is 98-of-155 for 1,250 yards, 13 touchdowns and one interception.
The most similar statistic is the two quarterbacks’ efficiency ratings. Lee boasts a 157.4 and McCarron has registered a 150.4, 14th and 21st in the nation, respectively. The stat quantifies how careful each quarterback is with the football, and it has garnered the title of “game manager” for both signal callers.
After throwing two interceptions in his first start, against Kent State, McCarron went 152 attempts without another until he was picked off on the first drive of Alabama’s game against Tennessee. “[McCarron] knows what situations he has when he’s on the field,” said LSU sophomore defensive tackle Michael Brockers. “I feel like he’s a great manager of the game.”
ESPN analyst and former Georgia defensive end David Pollack said LSU may have the quarterback edge.
“Quarterback play, I think LSU has the advantage so far,” Pollack said. “It’s not like Jarrett Lee’s setting the world on fire. He’s extremely efficient. He’s thrown a touchdown in every single ballgame and has only thrown one pick, which is what LSU fans want to see with that great defense.”
Both quarterbacks have been overshadowed by their battering-ram running games. Despite being overlooked, the quarterbacks provide a balanced offensive output. LSU is averaging 183.1 passing yards per game as opposed to 189 rushing yards, while Alabama is averaging 228.4 in the air and 229.2 on the ground.
Pollack said the key will be getting them out of their comfort zones.
“Neither team has had their power running game taken away from them where their quarterback had to go out and win a ballgame,” Pollack said. “If one of the defenses can put them in an uncomfortable spot and make them have to throw the football, I want to see how the quarterbacks react.”