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Alabama 24, LSU 15. When Tennessee held Alabama without a touchdown two weeks ago, coach Nick Saban acknowledged after the game that his team may have been "tired" after eight straight games without a bye week; after this game, he said the Tide "played well" in the first half, but was still frustrated that it could only come away with three points in six straight trips inside Tiger territory. 'Bama rolled up 223 yards today before halftime -- almost as many as it gained in the entire game against Tennessee -- but at the same time, after one half, the Tide had still scored a grand total of two offensive touchdowns in its last 14 quarters, with a single TD in 10 trips inside the opponents' red zone. "Tired" or not, Alabama was plagued by the same issues with finishing drives, and this time was staring at a rare halftime deficit at 7-3.

Against that frustrating backdrop, the second half counts as a kind of rejuvenation for the struggling Tide offense. 'Bama took the opening kickoff of the third quarter 81 yards for a touchdown, its first in almost three weeks; after being hit for a safety on a drive that started at their own one-yard line, the Tide ate up 66 yards in a little over five-and-a-half minutes for a field goal, two-thirds of it on seven carries by Mark Ingram; and still trailing 15-13 and needing a big play in the fourth quarter, they got their biggest play of the year, a 73-yard catch-and-run by the eerily quiet Julio Jones, the sudden, game-turning highlight will join Terrence Cody's blocked field goal as the defining moments of the season if the Tide run the table. (Or, in Alabama terms, the Daniel Moore Moments.)

Alabama still doesn't win, of course, without the defense; LSU had seven three-and-outs, including two with the game on the line in the fourth quarter, preceding a quick turnover on downs after just one first down to ice the game. But no part of the Tide's win was more impressive than that killer instinct on both sides of the ball -- or, maybe more accurately, the survival instinct. 'Bama never trailed in the fourth quarter during last year's 12-0 regular season, and in fact blew a late lead to Florida in the SEC Championship. This year, it's rallied to come from behind to put away Virginia Tech in the opener and now the top challenger in the West Division; in their toughest games of the season, facing their toughest spots of the season, the Tide outscored the Hokies and Tigers by a combined 32-7 in the final frame to win both games comfortably, by two scores. They blocked Tennessee's kick to prevent a burgeoning giveaway. Whatever other problems this team has, responding in the clutch obviously hasn't been one of them.