Welcome back everyone. It’s good to be talking about college football again. Thanks for visiting my page. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it. As I said last year, I don’t pretend to have the inside skinny on any aspect of the program. You want game recaps and the “word on the street” you’ll have to look elsewhere. All I offer are my takes on LSU and other goings on in the world of sports. Feel free to write and contribute to my page. Remember to check back at the beginning of each week to see the weekly installment of the Good…Bad list.
This will be a very balanced year in both divisions of the SEC. I can’t remember a season in recent memory where there were so many questions to be answered in the East. Is this Georgia’s year? Will Tennessee be down? Will Jesse Palmer be the answer for the Gators? What about Louisiana product Brock Berlin, where does he fit in the mix?
Although the trendy pick is Georgia, I’m going with the Gators. Three defensive coordinators in three years does not create cohesion on the defensive side of the ball. The only reason Georgia will not have a meltdown (see LSU 1998) is Quincy Carter. Although my brother-in-law disagrees, I think he is a fabulous player who can literally do it all. He is the Michael Vick of the SEC. But Carter is a much more accomplished passer and thus brings more to the table. Florida’s defense returns ten starters with loads of talent. Spurrier will have the offense back on track so I look for more consistency and productivity from them. This is how I see the East stacking up.
1. Florida
2. Georgia
3. Tennessee
4. Kentucky
5. Vanderbilt
6. South Carolina
The West is wild once again. Alabama is strong but if but they lost two key ingredients to their offensive success, Shaun Alexander and Chris Samuels. The Crimson Tide secondary is also suspect. But I still think they will win the West. Ole Miss has a great backfield but until they beat the big boys, I’ll take a ‘show me’ attitude toward their chances this year. The rest of the teams are all close and could end up in any order. I think MSU and Arkansas will be down which will allow Auburn and LSU to step up and have winning records. This is how I see the West finishing.
1. Alabama
2. Ole Miss
3. LSU
4. Auburn
5. MSU
6. Arkansas
I see the Tigers winning 6 or 7 games this year. They have three rent-a-wins. Therefore you are looking at winning 3 or 4 conference games. LSU gets Kentucky and MSU at home this year. I think LSU can win both of these games. Then they only need to steal one more game from someone to get to 6 wins and a bowl birth. But where will it come? I love these idiots on talk radio. I really do. I’ve heard people state that a victory over Auburn is a foregone conclusion. Hello…this is a team that hung 41 on us in our own house. Now we have to visit them, which may actually be a blessing. The road team has won this game every year since 1996. I like our chances against Tennessee, if the game is played at night. A night game is good for at least four points to LSU. I liken the game to LSU’s 1995 victory over Auburn. It will be sold out and the place will be hyped, as LSU will be 3-1 or even 4-0 when the Vols visit Baton Rouge for the first time since 1989. LSU won’t win in the Swamp and Bama will not lose in Tiger Stadium. Alabama has not suffered a defeat in Baton Rouge since 1969. Ridiculous. That leaves tough road games against Ole Miss and Arkansas. Everyone needs to take a deep breath and be satisfied with a bowl game. Any bowl game. However, I do think a losing season would be a major disappointment. LSU has enough talent to win at least 3 conference games, especially after come close many times last year.
Anyone who read this page last year knows I can’t stand Josh Booty and the phenomenon I call “the Cult of Booty.” These were the nimrods saying the coaches didn’t call good plays for Booty in the Arkansas game, that’s why he struggled. Right, keep telling yourself that. But it looks like he gets the job by default. Possibly with better coaching he can avoid the mistakes of last year. But believe me, if Rohan were healthy, Booty would only see the field at garbage time. OK, enough negativism.
Geaux Tigers.
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