ESPN College Football

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

Alabama gets a chance to finish the job a year later. And in the process, the Crimson Tide can go a long way toward finishing what they started this season.

"Everything we do -- in the weight room, during offseason runs, in practice, in the huddle in the fourth quarter -- we talk about finishing," Alabama junior tailback Glen Coffee said. "It's what we do. It's what you have to do if you're going to play in this program for Coach Saban."

As all the hoopla over Nick Saban returning to LSU reaches a fever pitch, the question du jour for Alabama fans has nothing to do with revenge or nasty receptions or proving that their coach is at the right place.

It has everything to do with finishing the job.

Can Alabama keep alive this improbable run to the SEC Championship Game and ultimately to the BCS National Championship Game?

"You definitely think about it and want to finish it off and be a part of the legacy here," Alabama safety Rashad Johnson said. "But at the same time, we have to stay focused on what's right in front of us.

"That's what has gotten us here."

There's a bit of irony that the LSU game is Alabama's first chance to clinch the Western Division title.

The Crimson Tide were leading the Tigers by 10 points late in the third quarter a year ago, and Bryant-Denny Stadium was bursting at the seams with excitement.

With a little more than seven minutes to play, Alabama led by a touchdown following a Javier Arenas punt. But it was all downhill from there.

The Tigers scored 14 points in the final 2:49 of the game to win 41-34 and went on to win their second BCS national championship in the last five years.

It all unraveled for the Crimson Tide, who didn't win again in the regular season and lost four straight. It was a loss that stuck with them all summer.

"We learned a lot from that game," said Coffee, who was suspended because of the textbook ordeal and didn't play. "It wasn't just that game. It was the way we let the season get away from us. You've got to play every game for 60 minutes.

"We've had some struggles finishing games this year and some second halves where we didn't put teams away. But this is the time of year where you better put everybody away."