No. 3 LSU tops Saban and No. 17 Alabama, 41-34

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) -- Maybe now those folks at LSU can get over Nick Saban and relish what they have: a living-on-the-edge team that's still in the thick of the national championship race after another heart-stopping victory.

Les Miles' Cardiac Tigers did it again Saturday night, scoring two touchdowns in the final three minutes to rally No. 3 LSU to a 41-34 win over No. 17 Alabama, which should serve as payback for the coach who won a title in Cajun Country but is now considered a turncoat by the purple and gold.

LSU (8-1, 5-1 Southeastern Conference) pulled this out in typical fashion, going down to the wire in their fourth straight game.

Alabama (6-3, 4-2) went ahead on a 61-yard punt return by Javier Arenas with 7 1/2 minutes left, and the Crimson Tide was in position to clinch it when the Tigers faced fourth-and-4 at the Bama 32.

No problem for this team that went 5-for-5 on fourth-down conversions in a win over Florida that started this remarkable run.

Matt Flynn tossed a pass over the middle to Early Doucet, who shook away from one defender, faked out another and went all the way to the end zone for the tying score with 2:49 remaining.

Alabama got it back, but safety Chad Jones burst up the middle to sack John Parker Wilson and knock the ball away. It rolled along the turf until LSU's Curtis Taylor fell on it at the Tide 4.

Two plays later, Jacob Hester dove over from the 1 with 1:26 left and LSU was still in the title race.

LSU beat Florida and Auburn on its final possession and lost to Kentucky the same way. This time, the Tigers actually gave themselves a little breathing room, allowing Matt Flynn to simply kneel for the final two plays.

Saban, who led LSU to a share of the national championship in 2004 before leaving for the NFL, walked to midfield to shake hands with the coach who replaced him. Miles has faced constant criticism that he's not that great a coach, that he's simply winning with the enormous talent Saban left behind.

It must be noted, however, the guy who made the biggest play was recruited by Miles; Jones is a true freshman from Baton Rouge.

The game fully delivered on its buildup, the two teams going at each other like heavyweights throwing nothing but bombs. There were numerous big plays and amazing swings in momentum, but LSU came through when it mattered.

Flynn, whose three first-half interceptions helped Alabama get back in the game from an early 17-3 deficit, calmly drove the Tigers 84 yards in 10 plays for the tying touchdown.

Then the touted LSU defense came up with not just a stop, but a turnover.

Wilson completed only 14 of 40 passes for Alabama, but it seemed as though every one was a game-changer. He threw three touchdowns, hooking up with DJ Hall on a 67-yarder and hitting Keith Brown for scores of 29 and 14 yards.

Alabama, with two linemen and its top running back suspended over textbook issues, couldn't muster a running game. The Tide finished with just 20 yards on the ground and were outgained 475-254 overall.

After squandering its two-touchdown lead and falling behind, LSU finally responded with Flynn's 61-yard touchdown pass to Demetrius Byrd in the final minute of the third quarter.

That was just the warmup for another down-to-the-wire finish.

The Tigers - well, their fans at least - had this one circled on the calendar ever since Saban returned to the SEC West just two years after leaving Baton Rouge to coach the Miami Dolphins.

Feeling betrayed, the LSU faithful couldn't wait to get back at the $4 Million Man, the annual salary that Alabama doled out to lure Saban away from the NFL.

After the clock struck zero, ending the four-hour-plus marathon, it seemed as though all was forgiven. Saban lingered on the field to shake hands with his former players.

Courtesy: NCAAFootball.com; Photo Credit: SEC Sports Media