Rowan Kavner, The Daily Reveille
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LSU coach Les Miles had two choices after LSU senior quarterback Jarrett Lee threw two interceptions against Alabama on Nov. 5.

He could continue the rest of the second half with the signal caller who cruised through the first eight games of the season, or he could turn to embattled senior quarterback Jordan Jefferson, who, before a preseason suspension, was the anticipated starter.

Miles went with the latter, and, though it wasn’t flashy, the Tigers overcame a three-point deficit to beat the Tide, 9-6, that day. The offensive output through the air was nothing spectacular the rest of the season, but the Tigers’ plethora of running backs and stellar defense and special teams allowed LSU to remain perfect until its rematch with Alabama.

Before delving into what happened in LSU’s crushing 21-0 National Championship defeat against the Crimson Tide, let’s compare these players.

Player 1: 98-155, 1250 passing yards (156.25 yds/gm), 13 passing TD, 1 INT, 4 sacks

Player 2: 55-90, 614 passing yards (102.3 yds/gm), 4 passing TD, 2 INT, 11 sacks, 152 rush yards, 1 rush TD

Player 1 is Lee as a starter through the first eight games of the season. Player 2 is Jefferson in LSU’s final six games as the primary quarterback, including the Tigers’ regular season matchup against Alabama.

While Jefferson offers a running threat, Lee’s superior passing numbers are hard to ignore.

Yet Lee, in his final game as a collegiate athlete, sat on the sideline through four quarters of Jefferson throwing for 53 yards and one interception.

He sat on the sideline as junior wide receiver Rueben Randle, who averages more than 17 yards a catch and nearly doubles the number of receiving yards of any other LSU receiver this season, caught three passes for 13 yards, mostly on short screen plays.

He sat on the sideline as LSU fans began chanting his name in the third quarter after the Tigers managed just one first half first down.

Miles had the choice to do what he did Nov. 5, switching out quarterbacks to find some sort of consistency. He chose not to, stating he liked his chances against Alabama’s pass rush with Jefferson, who was sacked four times.

“You never know when your opportunity is going to come,” Lee said after the game. “So I just wasn’t sure and I was trying to be ready.”

The opportunity never came, and now Lee and the rest of the senior class can only wonder what would have happened if it did.