BBI asks me to write previews and reactions to the games. Everything has already been said about the game, so I threw out my thoughts on the season. I figured I'd post them here, too. I check this board daily and enjoy the discussion, good and bad. But I think we can all agree this was a special run. Here's what I had to say...

On Saturday afternoon I sunk into a metal chair just outside Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop on the end of Bourbon St and took a swig from my Bud Light. An orange clad visitor fresh off a plane from Boston ambled over and engaged me in conversation. He'd followed his alma mater to Glendale, Tampa and San Francisco for national title games. His first stop at title game #4 was, predictably, Bourbon St.

I was wearing my LSU Sports Radio Network shirt, and he asked me if I did radio for LSU. I confirmed. So he started breaking down the game.

"I think the offenses are about even," he started.

I nodded.

"Now, I'd much rather have our defense," he said emphatically.

I shook my head, "Nope."

He looked at me, tilting his head and said, "oh yeah?".

Then I said something that made him question my sanity, but I said it with unwavering confidence.

"We're going to score 40, and there's nothing y'all can do about it."

He scoffed and said that 27 was about the max LSU could score.

Now look, I realize Joe Clemson Alum is not exactly an expert on all things college football, but that conversation put into perspective for me something we watched all year that the college football world didn't know until the wee hours of Tuesday morning.

LSU's offense was truly unstoppable, the best in college football history. And LSU's defense was damn good, and by the end of the year may have been as good a defense as there was in college football.

You already knew the first part, but look at the second.

After Ole Miss embarrassed the LSU defense in the second half, the Tigers put the clamps on everyone.

Arkansas is awful, but still, LSU held them to 6 point through 3 quarters. Texas A&M scored 7 points. Georgia scored 10. The Beletnikoff runner up and a Heisman finalist had 14 points at halftime of the semifinal. After that the game was decided. And then Clemson, featuring two elite WRs, the ACCs all-time touchdown king and a QB that an analyst said might be the best all time when his career was complete, scored 8 points in the second half. Lawrence was under 50% completions, and Etienne rushed for 78 yards.

LSU dusted Clemson thoroughly to finish off the greatest season in the history of college football. I don't need NFL draft stats. I don't need scoring differentials from the 90s. I don't need anything. I watched it with my own eyes. This is the best ever.

And that's what I want to close with. When the clock hit zeros on Monday night, I threw my arms around two of my closest friends. I doled out a dozen high fives on the concourse level headed to the press box. I watched the confetti fall and Coach O raise the last remaining trophy the NCAA had left to give to LSU. The entire state was represented on one half of the Dome, and not a soul had left before that presentation. I soaked it all in. And when the postgame show was over I got a ride to the team hotel and embraced my mom and dad, all smiles. But I realized in the middle of all of that jubilation that the real joy comes in the ride.

It comes in watching the faxes come in on signing day. It comes in watching the band take its first steps before the Georgia Southern game. It comes in watching 3rd and 17. It comes in church, on the driving range, at the gym, where everyone is talking about the Tigers. It comes in watching College Gameday when they pick the site where the Tigers are taking the field. It comes in talking to my dad every halftime, in person or on the phone. We don't know a damn thing about football strategy, but we sound like Bill Walsh in the moment. It comes in consuming talk radio hours at a time during the week, getting ready for the next game. It comes in tailgating and watch parties. It comes in looking around the French Quarter when it becomes a sea of purple and gold, much of which I know personally. It comes in living your life inundated by football at every turn.

The months leading up to the title are the joy. Raising the trophy is just the exclamation point, and this Tiger team used a sledgehammer to punctuate it.

I'll never, ever forget the ride we just watched. The 2003 title will always be the first one for me. The 2007 title will always be my collegiate crown. This one will ALWAYS be the standard bearer. This team was simply that good.

We've watched the exodus over the last week. We knew that was coming. And let me tell you this; I don't watch much football that isn't SEC football. I don't have any interest in the other conferences, and Sundays are too good for naps and golf to spend watching Chiefs-Dolphins. But I will take a sincere interest in Baylor, the Panthers and whoever takes that #1 pick. You take me on a ride like that, you have my heart forever unless you end up at Alabama.

I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did. It went by too fast, but man was it fun. It'll take me some time to come down off this high, but eventually it will happen. Those memories, though, they're here forever.
Geaux Tigahs!!