Jefferson sheds light on the fact that the Tigers had some packages put in the gameplan that would have spread Alabama’s defense out more, but that LSU just never went to those schemes. He says he only had the option to audible during certain situations, but if he could have changed the plays more, he would have.

Jordan Jefferson joined WCNN in Atlanta with The Rude Awakening to discuss what happened in the title game, second-guessing the play-calling, just doing what the coaches were asking, why he couldn’t change the plays on the field, halftime adjustments, the transition to the NFL, using Cam Newton’s story as inspiration and setting the record straight about problems off the field.

Could you ever have envisioned the national championship game playing out like that?:

“I definitely didn’t expect for it to play like that. Alabama was a little bit more prepared than us. There was a lot of things that we should’ve did different to catch a rhythm on offense. To win a type of game like that, you’ve got to win all three phases — offense, defense and special teams –and we just didn’t get over that hump to winning those phases. We kind of fell short in that game.”

What did they do differently after you had success against them during the regular season?:

“It’s being better prepared and having the right calls for certain situations. At times we put ourselves in the hole as far as putting ourselves in second- and third-and-long. Being in that type of third-and-long situation against an Alabama team and a defense like that, you’re going to fall short every time.”

Do you second guess yourself on doing things differently?:

“I think we should’ve spread them out a little bit more, put the ball in different passing areas, use our talent on the receiving side. We had that in as far as play-calling, we just didn’t get to it. It’s a learning situation for us, a learning situation for the LSU football team and I definitely expect to see us back in the championship next year.”

Is that something you realize during the game but you can’t really do anything because you’re not calling the plays?:

“Yeah it definitely always comes to mind and it comes to mind to our receivers and tight ends. We have great guys in those areas and sometimes we just wonder why we don’t use those guys. But we’re not the one calling the plays. We still have to go out and execute what the coaches and coordinators are calling. We can’t complain as players, but sometimes we do question that.”

Could you change those plays and audible on the field?:

“Only in certain plays and certain formations, not all the time. … If it was any way where I can change it, I probably would’ve changed some of them.”

Did you ever question the coaching staff as to why you guys weren’t trying something different because what you were doing wasn’t working?:

“Yeah, when we came in at halftime we discussed what we needed to do different as far as moving the ball and getting in a rhythm. … You have to have certain plays for these certain types of defenses they were running. We talked about making the adjustment and the adjustment that we made wasn’t the adjustment that we needed to make to get the momentum and the rhythm going.”

What things are you working on as you transition toward the NFL?:

“Just being more consistent with my footwork and my fundamentals as a passer. That’s really the main things I’m working on. I have a great arm and great footwork, I’m just making sure that it all stays consistent throughout any situation in the game.”

Do you look at Cam Newton and see what he ran in college and the success he had as an NFL rookie?:

“I definitely feel the same way. A lot of people out there don’t think I can throw the ball. In many instances throughout my career, I definitely proved that, especially playing Alabama all those years and playing Arkansas when they was No. 3 at home, I threw the ball 29 times for 250 yards. I’ve proved that a lot of times throughout my career, but the system that I’m in kind of keeps me away from throwing the ball like that consistently. I came from a Pro Style offense in high school where we threw the ball very often. Coming to LSU, they noticed my athletic ability so me running the ball was always an option in the offense. Now that I’m in an NFL system to where I’m throwing the ball a lot, I’ll definitely be improving my throwing ability.”

Part of the scouting process will be having to answer questions about some things off the field. How tough will that be for you?:

“It’s not difficult at all because there’s a lot of answers for a lot of questions that people don’t know. There’s a lot toward that situation and plenty of answers I can give you to show that I was not involved in that situation. That situation was a whole scam for this guy. He was trying to get money, trying to do whatever he can to sabotage what I had going on.”

Listen to Jordan Jefferson on WCNN in Atlanta here

The Cowboys ranked second in the FBS in scoring and passing offense and third in total offense this season and lost just one game but missed out on the BCS national championship game because that loss came to Iowa State. Gundy says he would have pushed the tempo and passed the ball 50 or 60 times just to see what would’ve happened. I imagine many of you would’ve rather seen that than what occurred on Monday.

Mike Gundy joined 790 The Zone in Atlanta with Mayhem in the A.M. to discuss what he would have done in the title game, Oklahoma State’s style of play, if it would have made for a more entertaining game, if university presidents and athletics directors and other officials need to listen more to coaches, the players not having a take and what he would’ve wanted when he was a player.

What would you have done if you were playing in the national championship game Monday night?:

“We throw the ball around quite a bit. A guy asked me what I would’ve done. I watched those two teams play for about a quarter and I was very impressed with what they were doing up front. I said, with us and who we are, we’d probably throw it 50 or 60 times and just see what happens.”

Isn’t that what Oklahoma State football is all about at this point?:

“That’s what we do. We’ve got a great quarterback and great receivers and we’ve got running backs that make plays and we get rid of the ball fast. We would have tried to use as much tempo as possible. I think it’s important that everybody realizes, I understand the defenses that were in the game, but for us, we certainly would have tried to throw the ball down the field and move as fast as possible to see what happened.”

The Pac-12 and Big Ten have an agreement to have teams square off in a series starting in 2017. Would you like to see something similar between the Big 12 and the SEC?:

“Boy I don’t know. With the league that we play in and the games that we have, I don’t know if you can take on an opponent in a non-league game and be able to withstand the wear and tear during the schedule. I know there will be talks about that. … But we would really have to look into that to see what’s there. Ultimately, before we do any scheduling, we want to do everything we can to give ourselves the best chance to win our conference and potentially be a national champion.”

You aren’t saying that you would have won the game Monday night, but are you saying it would have at least been a more entertaining game?:

“Somebody else has to make that decision. College football fans obviously have to decide that. … My only comment was that the guy called and said, ‘What did you think?’ I said that I felt like it moved pretty slow and we would’ve used as much up-tempo as possible.”

Do officials need to listen to coaches like you and players and finally decide it’s time to come up with something more beneficial for everybody?:

“I don’t think there’s any question about that. I think that there’s people that are listening right now. I think the plus-one, or what I call the Final Four, is a real possibility, which will give us two more games to allow teams to play to get to the final game. I think that can happen. We’re getting close. You’re just trying to get presidents of universities and athletic directors and people on the same page. And I do believe there needs to be more coaches involved.”

And players, too, don’t you think? I don’t know if a player has ever been asked what they want:

“I agree with that. I don’t know that they’ve ever asked them, either. It’s interesting that you usually want to get the information from the guys that are out there getting their hands dirty on what they should do. That’s probably a good suggestion.”

When you were a player, would you have wanted a playoff?:

“No question, you’re right. There’s not any question about that. Of course, television dictates so many things now, the money from TV. … It’s about the student-athletes. They’re the ones out there paying the price. They’ve paid the price for four or five years. You just want them to have the chance to compete and find out who’s the best in the country and make for an entertaining game.”

Listen to Mike Gundy on 790 The Zone in Atlanta here

You couldn’t help but wonder if he was thinking about turning in a more productive and highlight-reel performance playing in the title game a year from now as he’s decided to return to USC for his senior season. The Trojans will almost certainly be a contender next year as they come back from two years of probation and not being able to play in the postseason.

Matt Barkley joined XX Sports Radio in San Diego with Darren Smith to discuss his decision to return to USC for his senior season, living with no regrets about his decision, tweeting about being bored during the title game on Monday night, his definition of a fun game to watch, if USC’s offense would have scored on the Alabama defense, being the Heisman favorite heading into next season, playing through two years of probation and  his thoughts on Tim Tebow and the stir he’s created this season quarterbacking the Broncos.

How tough was the decision to return?:

“It was very lengthy, very time-consuming. A lot went into that decision, trying to figure out both sides of the coin in this whole thing and weighing the pros and cons and talking to a lot of people. … A lot went into it, but at one point we’d pretty much gathered all the information we had and ultimately just had to come to a decision and it seemed to me that USC is where I needed to be.”

Before you make a decision like that do you have to convince yourself that you can’t have any regrets?:

“Correct. I think that’s something you have to establish. At the same time, we do have very high expectations for myself and this team. … We have lofty goals and things you want to achieve, but I think it’s going to be important for us to keep the same mentality that we had this last season. We couldn’t play in a bowl game so it was kind of us against the world at times of trying to make a statement and trying to prove a point. I feel like we have to do the same thing this year even though we’re going to be highly ranked entering the season.”

On tweeting that he was bored during Monday night’s national championship game:

“I actually got excited toward the end with Trent Richardson. For a second there, I thought the kicker was going to get MVP of the game. … I just think it was something that people weren’t used to. … You could definitely tell Bama had more juice from start to finish and earned that championship.”

What’s your definition of an exciting game to watch?:

“I think just great, quality football, great matchups of player personnel to where you can see certain matchups where it’s a receiver and a cornerback or a quarterback and his receiver or a running back and a certain linebacker. I think things like that can make a game exciting.”

Did you watch that game as a fan of college football or with the mindset that you could be playing one of those teams next year?:

“A little bit of both. I think every USC fan thought that at one point during the game that that could be us next year. And we can say that all we want, but it doesn’t mean anything right now. … We’re not really going to say much about where we think we should be or where we should end up.”

Would your offense have scored against Alabama last night?:

“We haven’t played in over four weeks so, at this point, due to the fact that we weren’t practicing, no. But I think the way we finished the season as a team with that win up at Oregon and rolling over UCLA was a great way to finish and our team was really clicking. We were starting to get that rhythm back … and I don’t think we could’ve been stopped.”

How do you feel about being the Heisman Trophy favorite heading into next year?:

“It’s just something that is a statement. That’s all it is right now. There’s no validity behind actually winning anything right now. It’s an honor to have my name in the talk, but to me I’m approaching the season like I’m not considered for anything.”

How tough was it to go through those two years of probation?:

“It was rough; it was brutal. I like being a positive guy and always keeping a great attitude and looking at life that way, but the last couple years, they were tough. We had to find ways to challenge each other. … We definitely found ways to do that, especially the last half of this season, of blocking all those negative things out.”

What do you think when you’re watching Tim Tebow play in the NFL?:

“When I heard what happened, I was both shocked and in awe that he’s been able to do this. I’m proud of the guy. He’s a winner; he’s a gamer. And he can certainly capture a team, just a passionate player who stands up for what he believes in. I love that about him. … When he needs to make plays, he makes plays.”

Listen to Matt Barkley on XX Sports Radio in San Diego here

Cooper was full of ideas during this interview on Monday, including saying that the NCAA should look at the situations of the teams in the SEC. His thought process is: “We say the SEC’s the best and they are the best, but they’ve also had more NCAA violations than probably all the other leagues put together the last 10 years.” Make of that what you will.

John Cooper joined 92.3 The Fan in Cleveland with Baskin and Phelps to discuss the current bowl system and his most current thoughts following Monday night’s BCS Championship Game between Alabama and LSU, his ideas to change the system of deciding a national champion, a tournament-style postseason and what kind of format it might take, why the current power brokers in the BCS and at the administrative levels of universities across the country won’t consider the playoff style format, why that reality makes him an advocate of at least implementing a plus-one system as the next best option, his take on what happened at Ohio State in recent years, the pressure of being the Buckeyes’ head coach and how similar situations of rules infractions are widespread throughout the much-celebrated SEC.

What do you think about the current system after watching Monday night’s game?:

“Absolutely no question in my mind we should have one more game. I would love to see Oklahoma State play Alabama and find out if Alabama’s defense is as good as I think it is. I think it is. I thought that was one of the best defensive teams I’ve seen in a long, long time. I thought they were well-coached and played together. … On the other hand, I don’t know if I’ve ever seen an offense that was as bad as LSU’s was. If I asked you what kind of offense LSU runs, what would you tell me?”

More on his plan:

“I don’t know why in the world we don’t take the top 10 teams in the country and let them play in the major bowl games. Maybe we’d have to add one more bowl, maybe a bowl down in Texas or something. And then after those games are played, let’s take the two top teams and play and determine the true national champion. The only thing I would add to that is I would love to see some of those great Southern teams have to come up here and play. We’re always the visiting team for goodness sake.”

What about a tournament-style postseason?:

“I’d like a playoff. I’d like a true playoff, but you might as well shut up. You’re not going to get a playoff. They’re not going to let us do that. … The bowl people might be the most corrupt people in athletics. The first thing they do, they invite you to a bowl game but you’ve got to buy 13,000 tickets or so many tickets. Most teams nowadays lose money going to bowl games. … The old days you went to a bowl game and a bowl game was an award for a good season and you had fun and rewarded your players. … I never coached anywhere where 6-6 was a good year and this year UCLA went to a bowl game and they were 6-7.”

You don’t think they could find a way to make a playoff make them even more money or is it just that they don’t want to make the effort?:

“I don’t think they want to make that effort. I even suggested this week that, as we speak, the American Football Coaches Association is having their convention down in Texas and I suggested let’s have the coaches sponsor one more game. … There’s a lot of money that could be made off of one more game, a BCS plus one more game, but I don’t think there’s a whole lot of interest in that among the coaches even.”

What’s your take on what’s happened at Ohio State in the past year? It has to have broken your heart, right?:

“Well, it has. There’s absolutely no question about it. I thought Jim Tressel, Coach Tressel, was a great, great football coach. I still think he is. … I think with Urban, whoever coaches at Ohio State is going to win. It’s too good a program. … Urban I think is a great football coach and great hire here.”

Can you just give us what it’s like to be in that position, the pressure that comes with it and how a situation like this one could have developed?:

“Coach made a big mistake. All he had to do when he got that email is pass it on to Gene Smith or the compliance people. … Some of those players would’ve had to sit out. … I’m told, I don’t know and I haven’t coached in that league, but I’m told that the Alabamas and LSUs and some of these teams that have these great players, that maybe the NCAA needs to look into their situation. Those teams have been on probation. … We say the SEC’s the best and they are the best, but they’ve also had more NCAA violations than probably all the other leagues put together the last 10 years.”

Listen to John Cooper on 92.3 The Fan in Cleveland here

Alabama dominated LSU from start to finish. The Tide, even though they struggled on offense for much of the night against the Tigers stifling defense, made LSU look like anything but a previously undefeated SEC power.  There’s no argument. Oklahoma State fans don’t have a beef. The Cowboys lost on the road against Iowa State and barely snuck past Stanford thanks to the Cardinal missing a field goal late. LSU doesn’t have a beef either. Even though they split the two games, Alabama was the better team in both meetings. The Tide beat themselves the first time and LSU benefited from Alabama’s shoddy kicking game. Then on the game’s biggest stage the Bayou Bengals were outcoached, outclassed, and outplayed in every way possible. LSU had 11 drives last night and the longest series went just 23 yards. They passed mid-field just once against ‘Bama. It was a dominant performance by the Tide and left no doubt. Conference title or not, undefeated season or not, Alabama proved last night they are indeed College Football’s best team.

A.J. McCarron joined 790 the Zone in Atlanta with Mayhem in the AM to talk about if he was happy the coaches showed more confidence in him to throw last night, if he wanted to show more emotion last night in the National Championship game, whether or not Alabama used the critics who didn’t think they deserved a rematch in the title game as motivation, if he had a chance to admire his defense from the sidelines, and if he has had a chance to digest what the win last night meant and him being MVP.

How happy he was that the coaches showed more confidence in him to throw the ball:

“Definitely. Coach told me that more weight was going to be put on my shoulders and I was glad that he gave me that opportunity to make plays for my team.”

Whether or not it was his goal to show more emotion last night than he did in the first meeting between the two teams:

“I just didn’t show emotion like I always do. I always play with emotion and that’s something I didn’t do the first game. I felt like personally I had to come out and play better for my team the second game. I didn’t really play that bad the first game but I just didn’t play like myself and that was something I wanted to do for my teammates because they deserved to get this win tonight.”

Whether or not Alabama used the critics as motivation last night:

“Like coach always says you can’t really worry about what everybody else thinks. That’s the system they picked, we did our best as a team to get back to that opportunity, and show the world we deserve a second chance. Felt like we did that after the LSU game the first time and we showed the world that we let it slip away. We didn’t get beat the first time, we just let it slip away ourselves. We came out and proved that we were the best in the country.”

If he had a chance to admire the play of his defense:

“I definitely did sitting on the bench. That’s nothing different from that defense. They come out every week, especially in practice. We see that every week which makes us better as an offense. Everybody that doubts our offense, it’s pretty funny because we fly under the radar but we broke records for the school and we were the most scoring offense in the school history and we led the country in the SEC for a while in offense, scoring, and a bunch of different categories. We flew under the radar all year long but that’s what we like. We like to not really be thought about as a threat so we can go out and prove people wrong.”

If he had a chance to digest what happened last night yet and the kind of company he is now in at Alabama:

“I haven’t had a whole lot of time. I’ve been eating with my family, going out with my friends after the game, and I haven’t really had a whole lot of time for it to kick in but I’m sure once I wake up after I fall asleep, I wake up turn on ESPN it’ll be something special to see and just realize it’s always been a dream for my family that they always wanted me to play quarterback for the University of Alabama and the fact that we did it and we won it, it’s gonna be cool to go down in history like that.”

On playing for more than just a Title last night:

“Yes sir. Definitely. We didn’t just play this season for ourselves. We played it for the city of Tuscaloosa. Not only did we go through a devastation like that and a lot of people losing a lot of loved ones and it’s basically tearing the city apart but we also lost one of our teammates earlier in the year and to come out and win it for him, we know that he’d want it more than anything. We just had a lot to prove to our city, to our team, and make the state stronger in the end. Felt like we did it.”

Listen to A.J. McCarron on 790 the Zone in Atlanta here

That said, Mathieu doesn’t particularly like his chances. The LSU defensive back says the odds are stacked against him, but that every one of the finalists is deserving and he’s just looking forward to spending time with the rest of the gang in New York.

Tyrann Mathieu joined ESPN Radio with Scott Van Pelt and Ryen Russillo to discuss his reaction to being named a finalists, what his friends and family said, his odds of winning, being constantly around the ball on defense, his chances being hindered by the suspension, why he has a knack for getting to the end zone, playing Alabama again and the status of the Honey Badger nickname.

What was it like to find out that you were a Heisman Trophy finalist?:

“I think I found out when the rest of the world found out, just sitting in front of the TV. I was shocked and surprised when they announced my name.”

What kind of reaction did you get from family and friends?:

“All those guys, they’re happy for me. I got a million phone calls, a million text messages saying that they were proud of me and that I really did do a lot for my team.”

Have you ever been to New York City before?:

“Never been. … I’m pretty excited.”

What kind of odds do you think you have of winning?:

“I definitely think the odds are stacked against me. I think all of the finalists are well-deserving to be the Heisman Trophy winner. I’m just going to take this experience and just really look forward to being around those guys and learning more about the other finalists.”

You made big plays all season long. Is there just something different about you that you’re always around the ball as a defender?:

“Yeah I think coaches surround us with a lot of great athletes and we motivate each other, compete with each other, challenge each other to be the best that we can be. I’m surrounded by a ton of guys with great talent, so I just go out there and just play my heart out for those guys and compete with those guys.”

Do you think your chances were hurt at all because you were suspended for a game?:

“I think me getting suspended definitely took me out of the Heisman race early in the year. But God is good and I think I stayed the course and just remained humble, stayed grounded and just looked forward to getting back out there with my team and just making those plays that I’m accustomed to making.”

When you have the ball in your hands, it seems like you have a knack for getting to the end zone. What goes through your mind in that situation?:

“I always was an offensive player, so me moving to defense my sophomore year in high school, the chances of getting the ball and getting to the end zone have become slim. Once I get the ball in my hands, I just try to make a few guys miss and try to get to the end zone to put some points on the board.”

How different do you think the matchup will be with Alabama this time around?:

“I think both of the teams, I think we know a little bit more about those guys and I think they know a little bit more about us. I think we’re going to prepare well and those guys are going to prepare well. It’s just going to be a head-to-head heavyweight bout and both teams will be ready come Jan. 9.”

Do you still like the Honey Badger nickname or has it run its course?:

“It’s kind of both. You don’t want to let the Honey Badger take over the Tyrann Mathieu. You’ve just got to stay humble, keep a level head and just realize that the Honey Badger is just that person that goes out and takes the field on Saturdays.”

Listen to Tyrann Mathieu on ESPN Radio here

Of course, it doesn’t help that beyond that, teams in the top 10 weren’t picked to play in BCS games but teams like Michigan and Virginia Tech were. It’s time for the system to be reworked or imploded altogether at this point, right?

Bill Hancock joined KFNS in St. Louis with King’s Court to discuss LSU having to beat Alabama again, teams earning their way into this position, if it’s definitively the top two teams in the country, why Oklahoma State’s not in the game, why other top-10 teams got snubbed, the possibility of split national champions, those who think the first Bama-LSU game was boring and if every game truly counts at this point.

How would you feel if you were Les Miles and you had beaten Alabama on the road and finished ahead of them and still needed to beat then again, on a neutral site, to win the national championship?:

“You would want the season to be over, just like a team might want a game to be over in the bottom of the seventh. You want a rainout when you’re leading in the bottom of the seventh. No matter what system there is for football, this kind of a rematch situation could come up. If there was a tournament at the end, it could come up.”

Yeah, but when it happens in basketball it’s because the teams have earned their way there:

“I think Alabama’s earned their way into this game. Once again, I think the BCS has delivered. We’ve got the best two teams in this game and obviously, the media who votes in the AP poll, agrees with it.”

You honestly believe the title game will pit the best two teams against each other?:

“Yeah, I do. Oklahoma State closed the gap this weekend; there’s no question about it. … We have the narrowest margin between two and three that we’ve ever had in the BCS, But, I think if you talk to all the observers of college football, they’re saying that this is the best two teams.”

More on why Alabama over Oklahoma State was right:

“Alabama lost to the No. 1 team by a field goal, at home, in overtime, and, bless their heart, Oklahoma State lost to a team with a .500 record.”

How can the BCS put West Virginia, Virginia Tech and Michigan in games over the likes of Boise State or TCU?:

“Everybody knows what the rules are. They knew at the start of the season what the rules are. The teams that are in the top 14 are eligible to be selected at-large by one of the bowls. Bowl selections, the history and tradition of the bowls, is that the bowls have the opportunity to choose the teams that they feel are best for their market. … Of course West Virginia was an automatic qualifier as the conference champion.”

Do you think there’s a chance we could have split national champions?:

“Oh it’s fun to talk about hypotheticals. I wouldn’t know about that. I guess I would be surprised if that happened.”

On the rematch of a game that didn’t have a touchdown scored:

“I think football purists loved that football game. I don’t know how you could say that an overtime thriller like that was dull. Would people who are wishing we didn’t have a rematch, would they feel differently about a rematch if that game had been a 49-42 game?”

It just doesn’t seem fair that LSU has to beat Alabama again:

“I get that. On the other hand, if you had a tournament, it’s quite likely that they’d have to beat them again.”

But how do you stick with the mantra that every game counts if the first meeting between the teams basically didn’t count?:

“Every game certainly counts in all the computer rankings and counts in the mind of the 174 people who vote in the two human polls. Who knows how things might have been different if Alabama beat LSU. … It turns out that it didn’t [hurt Alabama], but it could have.”

Listen to Bill Hancock on KFNS in St. Louis here

Another way that the Cowboys could have played for the national championship after the regular season was over would be to have a four-team playoff, which is what Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy, not surprisingly, argues for in the following interview before he says that his team could beat unbeaten LSU.

Mike Gundy joined The Dan Patrick Show to discuss not being in the title game, if Oklahoma would have made it in if it were in the same situation, a possible four-team playoff, preparing to face Andrew Luck, the performance this season of Baylor’s Robert Griffin III and if Oklahoma State could beat LSU.

Why aren’t you in the national championship game?:

“Obviously we fell short in some area in the voting. I don’t really understand all that. I’m really not smart enough to figure out all the percentages. I guess the loss at Iowa State in double-overtime must have weighed in a huge way and kept us out of the game. We were really disappointed because we felt like we had a great matchup. We wanted to take advantage of what people had said was the great defenses in the SEC versus the Big 12 offenses. … We thought it would be an awesome matchup and everyone in the country would want to see it.”

Do you think if we were talking about Oklahoma, that they would be in the title game if they were in your shoes?:

“You’re right, Dan. Most people in my situation would say no and that you should never admit something like that, but I don’t think there’s any question that tradition plays a part. People recognize Alabama and their history and the national championships. … The truth of the matter is that they know who Alabama is, they recognize their tradition, [Nick Saban] was on television for two hours the day before. All those things, they worked to their advantage. There’s not anything we can do about it now, but I don’t think there’s any question that what you’re saying is true.”

Why can’t we have a Final Four?:

“I agree. The way to do it, in my opinion, is you take the next game, which one would be LSU versus Stanford and it would be Alabama versus Oklahoma State and that game has to take place in one week, this coming Saturday. We play those games and if you’re the higher ranked team, you get to play at home. … We play that game this week and then we go play the championship game at the same time because, I kind of joke about it, but the championship game’s not basically until March Madness anyway. … People say, ‘Well then the team that’s fifth in the poll will complain.’ But, for the most part, if you’ve gotten into the top four, if you look back over the history of the BCS, people across the country would be OK with it.”

Who did you face this year that prepared you for Andrew Luck?:

“I don’t know anybody. A lot of people think he’s going to be the first player picked in the draft, so obviously he’s got a great future. We played very well against Landry Jones and I’m not trying to put him in the same category as Luck, but Landry had put up some big numbers. … He’ll be the closest thing that we’ve competed against since Bradford, who played at Oklahoma.”

Who would get your Heisman vote?:

“As of right now, and again I haven’t watched a lot of tape — it’s really unfair for me to make that comment — but Robert Griffin III has been very impressive.”

Is it because we’re old enough to remember Baylor as a punchline and what he’s meant to that program?:

“What’s impressive is last year he ran big numbers up in the preseason, and then as he got into the meat of the Big 12 schedule, his numbers fell off the table. This season, in every game he’s played, and I may be a little strong there … but with the exception of playing Oklahoma State, he’s run up big-time numbers. And he had 400 yards passing against us, but we forced him into three turnovers and didn’t let him run the ball.”

Do you think you could beat LSU?:

“Yes. Yes. … What I was really looking forward to, and this is just my opinion, this is nothing personal — and my media guys here are holding their breath whenever I talk — … but my honest opinion is, the best way to beat a team of the caliber of LSU … you need to have a big-time quarterback to beat a team like that. And we’re fortunate that we have a guy on our team … that most people would consider a big-time quarterback. … That’s a long answer for yes, I think that we certainly had a chance to win that game.”

Listen to Mike Gundy on The Dan Patrick Show here

LSU will head to the road to take on Alabama on Saturday, a game that has for good reason been hyped non-stop this past two weeks. Tigers coach Les Miles says he’s not about to withhold the emotions that come with playing in such a big game, as long as they don’t keep his players from doing what they’re supposed to be doing.

What say you? Who wins, LSU or Alabama? If it’s a close game, do you hope we see a rematch at the end of the year?

Les Miles joined WWL in New Orleans with Deke Bellavia to discuss having an extra week to rest and prepare before the big matchup with Alabama, his team’s health, the incredible hype surrounding the matchup, what he’s seen from his team through the first eight games, his impressions of this Alabama team, the importance of the turnover margin, the amount and type of preparation that goes into preparing for such a big game, and what he feels are the primary keys to winning.

What were you able to do with the week off heading into this big game?:

“We got them healthy, certainly gave them same time to rehab. … We had three quality practices, probably spent more time going against each other than we did going against the Alabama team. … Watching every bit of film that I could get my hands on and football on the weekend, it was a great weekend.”

How is your team’s health going into the big game?:

“I don’t think there’s a guy that’s going to be withheld at this point. There’s some nicks and bruises, but nothing so significant that would keep them from playing in this game.”

How much of a factor is it to keep your team focused on the game and not all the hype on the outside?:

“Yeah, I don’t understand all the things on the outside at this point. I think the most important piece is how you play your technique, how you line it up and what you’re looking at, how you train your eyes. I think our guys understand that. I think there’s allowed to be humor around the big game. I think there’s allowed to be some natural enthusiasm. I don’t withhold that. But if it interferes with how they see their job and the things that their doing, then that’s a problem.”

Through eight games, what is the strength of your football team?:

“We run it, we play very good in special teams and we can defend you. Those are the fundamental pieces. Don’t turn it over, not penalized and we keep playing like that we’ll line up and play well against a lot of teams.”

What impresses you most about this Alabama team?:

“Certainly they’re never out of position. They’re a very talented group, prepared. I see little weaknesses.”

How important is the turnover battle in this game?:

“Yeah, I agree with that. When you play great defenses, there’s an opportunity to get the ball taken. Certainly we’re going to see if we can avoid that on our end.”

What’s the preparation been like for this game?:

“We get over in our little football building and we just go to prepare and we kind of put the blinders on. We don’t run into the glare on the campus. It’s fun as a coach. When you take a team to the field that has great enthusiasm for preparing, now you have a great chance to improve. The team that improves between now and when we play, that team will have a great chance at success.”

What are the keys for your team to win this big game?:

“Just to play like we play. Just to play like LSU — play great defense, run it and throw it efficiently, play special teams, field position and keep the pressure on our opponent.”

Listen to Les Miles on WWL in New Orleans here

Richardson joined The Dan Patrick Show to talk about not being allowed to bench press more than 475, how good he thinks this year’s Alabama team is, how frequently his head coach Nick Saban yells at him, what LSU defender stands out most when watching film in preparation for the Tigers’ defense, what he thinks his Heisman chances are, when will he decided if he’s going to return to Alabama for his senior season, and why he’s leaning at the present moment towards returning for his senior season.

How much does he bench press:

“I really can’t tell you the truth because I really don’t know the truth. But I did 475 easy, and they won’t let me go above 475.”

Wait, he benches 475?

“Yeah I did 475 easily and they won’t let me go up.”

How good is this ‘Bama team:

“Alabama man, we’re good. We’re a working team, and that’s just something we pride ourselves in and try to get better every day at. And every game we try to show something new and let everybody know and just try to showcase our skills man.”

How often does Nick Saban yell at him:

“He don’t yell at me too often, but when he doe, it hits me right there in the gut. Because what I’m doing wrong, I need to make sure I don’t get that yelling too many times.”

Which LSU defender stands out the most when watching film of the Tigers’ defense:

“I mean, they’ve got a real good safety. He’s real good. He comes down hill and makes a lot of their tackles, and he makes them in the box too. So it’s almost like…when they’re in the nickel, it’s like he’s playing linebacker, for real. So they’ve got a real good safety. And Morris Claiborne, he is what he is. He’s probably one of the best cornerbacks I’ve seen in a long time. He’s a real good playmaker, he makes a lot of plays out there, and we can’t wait to go head-to-head with each other and bump heads; that’s going to be a real good collision. I really can’t just wait to get out there and have fun with everybody.”

When does he decide if he’s coming back

“Well I haven’t made no decisions yet, but I only have like 38 hours left in school and I’m taking 15 now; and I’m going to change my degree. So it’s a big chance of me staying here, but that’s something you look down the road, because right now I don’t have no reason to go nowhere now.”

So he’s leaning towards staying at Alabama if he had to say today:

“Yeah, yeah. I’m not worried about getting to the league. The league’s not going nowhere, and right now I just want to play football in college. College football is where it’s at right now — it’s fun, I’m having fun with it, and college football has been good to me.”

Listen here to Richardson on The Dan Patrick Show (interview begins at 25:20 mark)