Garrett Nussmeier stood on the outskirts of the huddle as his replacement jumped up and down in the heart of the flock.

This was not how this year was supposed to go for Nussmeier. LSU’s fifth-year senior quarterback and second-year starter came back to school for moments like this — a primetime matchup on the road against Alabama.

But instead of getting ready for the next drive in a game that was still in reach — trailing by 11 in the third quarter — Nussmeier found himself at a distance from the rest of the action, powerless as sophomore backup Michael Van Buren entered the game. Nussmeier had been benched.

“We knew there could be opportunities in the quarterback run game, and then at the back end, as they tried to bring closure to it, they would make it difficult to just sit in

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