Safeties Reid, Taylor ready for Alabama rematch

Written by Ben Love, Editor Tiger Rag

Monday, 05 December 2011 19:05

Minutes after ESPN’s BCS Selection Show paired LSU against Alabama in the national title game, starting Tiger safeties Eric Reid and Brandon Taylor met with the local media Sunday night. Both echoed a few similar sentiments, one of which being that they more or less knew it would be Bama, rather than Oklahoma State, even before the news became official. “I kinda knew it [would be Alabama] because of the strength of our schedules, and we beat them in overtime by just three points,” Taylor, a senior from Franklinton, said with a telling smile. “I just knew that we were going to be playing them.” The duo also recognized that the rematch will require more focus and intensity than the original in Tuscaloosa, a physical, hard-fought contest which LSU took 9-6 in overtime. “You’re going to see two teams that played in the [regular] season play even harder because it’s all on the line now,” explained Taylor. “If they win, the game that they lost - that don’t even count anymore because they won the big game. If we win, we will settle the debate about who the best team in the country is.” For his part, Reid largely agreed with his elder safety counterpart. “That game we did what we had to do to get it done. But that game has nothing to do with the one that we’re about to play,” Reid said, underscoring the importance of not looking back too much. “We have to let that game go. We can’t go into this game thinking that because we beat them already, it’s going to be enough to get this one done. “So we’ve got to go in with a clean slate and focus. We know they’re going to be hyped up. They want their revenge, and they get their shot at us, so we’ve just got to make sure we do what we’ve got to do.” Undefeated LSU might not have the revenge factor, but Les Miles’ bunch can play a bit of the disrespected card, considering how many pundits nationally have vocalized opinions that Alabama was the better team the first time around. “A lot of people [were] just saying that they left points on the field,” Taylor told reporters. “We just want to go out there and show the world that we can be dominant at any point in the game, and we just don’t have to win the game in overtime. We can win it in regulation against one of the best teams in the country.” LSU’s safeties went on to say they are thrilled with the extended layoff until Jan. 9, which will be exactly 37 days from Saturday’s SEC Championship Game. In part because the rest will allow the Tigers to rest and recuperate, but also because there will be ample time - following final exams this week - to break down film from the last Alabama game (Nov. 5). “We’ve just got to go back and watch the film from when we played in the season and just make a lot of corrections and stuff like that,” said Taylor, who also noted that LSU’s familiarity with Alabama definitely makes the game scheme ”easier.” Reid admitted that the Tigers’ defense had some lapses in the opening half of the first Bama game, most notably losing Tide back Trent Richardson in the flats in a few passing situations. Adjustments that were made at halftime that day can still apply as LSU’s team goes back and reviews film, according to Reid. “We misread a couple of keys going into halftime, so if we can start the game off stronger it will be to our benefit obviously because you don’t want to start slow against a team like that,” continued Reid, a sophomore. “We’ve just got to make sure to study film, use this month to our advantage and go in mentally focused.” As big as this game is for the current crop of Bayou Bengals, striving for the program’s third BCS crown in nine years, Reid also spoke to the fact that it could be big in the recruitment of a future Tiger. Landon Collins, a senior All-American safety at Dutchtown High School, was a prep school teammate of Reid as well as Crimson Tide running back Eddie Lacy. At the present moment, Collins lists LSU and Alabama as two of the four finalists for his collegiate services. “I know he’s excited because he gets to see both his boys from high school play in the national championship,” Reid said, responding to a reporter’s question that hinted that Collins might enjoy the title tilt. “I know it’s the two teams that he’s trying to decide on, and I know it’s going to be exciting for him being a recruit. Hopefully we can win the game and win the recruit.” When all’s said and done, Reid and Taylor, two Louisiana natives, are just happy to be following in the footsteps of past Tiger teams that played for it all in New Orleans to cap off 2003 and 2007 seasons, both of whom ultimately won national championships. “I was watching [both of those games] on TV from the couch, hoping I’d be there one day,” Reid recounted today with a huge grin. “I’m living the dream.”