2012 BCS National Championship Game The 2012 Allstate BCS National Championship Game was a postseason college football bowl game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the LSU Tigers , and determined the national champion of the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season on Monday , January 9 , 2012 , at the Mercedes - Benz Superdome in New Orleans , Louisiana . The game was part of the 2011 – 2012 Bowl Championship Series and was the concluding game of the season for both teams . Alabama beat LSU 21 – 0 to win their 14th national championship , marking the first shutout in a national championship game since the 1992 Orange Bowl and the first ever shutout in a BCS bowl game . The game had the third - lowest TV rating , 14 . 01 , in the 14 - year history of the BCS National Championship game . Teams . LSU was selected to participate in the BCS National Championship Game after a 13 – 0 regular season that culminated with a 42 – 10 win over the University of Georgia in the 2011 SEC Championship Game . Alabama was picked as the other half of the match - up following an 11 – 1 campaign , with their only loss coming against LSU in overtime during the regular season . Over the following weeks , a series of upset s resulted in the Crimson Tide receiving a No . 2 ranking in the final BCS Poll to qualify for the championship game . The selection of Alabama was controversial , and decried by writers such as Rick Reilly , and fans alike who claimed other opponents , most prominently the Oklahoma State Cowboys who finished second in most of the computer rankings , were more deserving of a spot in the game , lending support to the ever - increasing call for a college football playoff . Ironically , it was the conferences whose teams finished 3rd and 4th ( the Big 12 and the Pac - 12 ) who rejected the SEC ' s proposal for a 4 - team playoff system in 2008 . This game was the first time in the 14 year history of the BCS that the National Championship Game has featured two teams from the same conference , let alone the same division , similar to what happened in the NCAA Baseball Championship six months prior , from the same conference , but in the other division , although that was through a playoff . This was also the first time the BCS National Championship Game was a rematch from a regular season game , although the 1996 season ' s eventual Bowl Alliance National Championship game was also a rematch , when Florida defeated Florida State 52 – 20 for the national title in the 1997 Sugar Bowl . As a result of the matchup , the SEC ' s championship streak was sure to extend to six straight seasons , as the SEC was assured of winning the championship game . Alabama . Alabama is ranked first in rushing with 219 . 83 yards per game and in total defense ( 191 . 25 ypg ) , including scoring defense ( 8 . 83 ) , rushing ( 74 . 92 yards per game ) and passing ( 116 . 33 yards per game ) . Key players for the Crimson Tide are RB Trent Richardson ( 164 . 67 yards per game , 1583 rushing yards ) , OT Barrett Jones ( Outland Trophy recipient ) , LB Courtney Upshaw ( 17 tackles for losses and 8 . 5 sacks ) , and S Mark Barron ( 66 total tackles , 42 solos ) . LSU . LSU ranks first in the conference in scoring offense ( 38 . 46 ) and second in the nation in total defense ( 252 . 08 yards ) . The Tigers have averaged 375 . 31 yards per game with 215 . 15 yards in rushing and 160 . 15 yards in passing . The leaders of this team are CB Tyrann Mathieu ( Chuck Bednarik Award recipient ) , CB Morris Claiborne ( Jim Thorpe Award recipient , six interceptions for 173 yards , 1 TD and 6th overall draft pick ) , DE Sam Montgomery ( 13 tackles for loss , 9 sacks for −55 yards ) , WR Rueben Randle ( 53 receptions , 917 yards , and 8 TD ' s ) and P Brad Wing ( 44 . 14 punt average ) . Game summary . Alabama won the coin toss with a call of " tails " and elected to defer their decision to the second half . The game was controlled by both school ' s defenses — a dominant characteristic of the Southeastern Conference which has led them to winning the previous 5 BCS National Championship Game s and 8 of the 14 national titles since the creation of this format . LSU ' s first possession set the tone for the game . They fumbled the ball on the opening play and ultimately ended up punting the football to Alabama after failing to gain a first down . The rest of the first half would be dominated by both defenses . Alabama would get within field goal range four times and kicker Jeremy Shelley would make three of his attempts to give Alabama a 9 – 0 lead at halftime . LSU gained only one first down and was unable to cross the 50 - yard line for the entire first half . The second half would play out much the same as the first half . Alabama ' s defense allowed LSU to cross the 50 - yard line only once and gave up only four more first downs . Alabama was able to add 6 more points from field goals and another 6 points on a 34 - yard rush by Heisman Trophy finalist Trent Richardson .