Painful...

That hurt…a lot. That game was there for the taking, but the Tigers couldn’t close out Alabama. A few thoughts on the game:

* Z Mett was brilliant. That was the #1 team in the country and Mettenberger carved them up all night. I challenge you to think back to a better performance by an LSU QB against a defense of that caliber. Mett was taking shots yet delivering time after time. Let’s hope this is a sign of things to come for LSU’s offense.

* The defense was great except for the two drives to end the first and second halves. This is a troubling problem that has cropped up. In the last three contests, South Carolina, A&M and Alabama, the defense has given up TD drives in the last 3 minutes of the game. I’m not sure what the problem is, but obviously it must be addressed.

* The “Hat” pulled out all the stops in this one, and got it wrong all night. There were 5 calls that bare scrutiny.

1. The fake FG: Terrible decision and the play as designed was an utter failure. LSU was playing well and a 7-6 score would have closed the gap and kept the fans motivated.

2. The 53 yard FG: this one could go either way. I didn’t like it, but I’m not going to say it was a bad call. But Alabama then turned around and drove for a TD at the end of the half.

3. The on-side kick: A lot of folks loved the call even though it didn’t work out. I didn’t like it. LSU had just cut the lead to 4 and had momentum. The defense was playing well and the risk far outweighed the rewards in my mind. Miles was bailed out when Alabama fumbled at the LSU 10.

4. Going for the first down on 4th & 1 with a Spencer Ware sneak: I would have rather tried for the FG with 8 ½ minutes left, but going for it was not a bad call. I did not like the play call though. That was a long way to sneak the ball when that formation totally tipped Bama off as to the play.

5. The FG attempt with less than 2 minutes left: I think the call had merit. The defense was great all second half and the 6 point lead places a good deal of pressure on Bama. My problem was the 3 plays before that. I would have been more aggressive and given Z Mett a chance to win the game on that drive. Play action on 2nd down would have had a real chance to work.

* Obviously Miles did not think that LSU could win the game playing “straight-up.” But as the game evolved it was clear that the players were clearly up to the challenge. It is a shame that things did not work out as LSU outplayed Bama for much of the night.

* The Tigers need to bounce back very quickly against a good but reeling Miss. State team. Expect a slow start but LSU will grind out another sloppy win in the fourth quarter.

LSU 27 – MSU 17

Everything at Stake

Everything says Alabama should win this game. The eyeball test, Vegas experts, the computers and all the stats known to man regarding college football point to an Alabama victory. The biggest question for the talking heads in the media is who would give Alabama the best game when they get to the National Championship. When not if.

And to a certain extent I’m buying in. I’ve seen LSU play eight games now. I’ve dropped more F-bombs on the Tigers than I can recall over the past two months. At times LSU can’t get out of its own way. The “Bad Miles” game management skills (or lack there of) have been on display this season.

But something tells me the “Hat” will have an answer this Saturday. Something tells me LSU will respond with a “damn strong” performance in the biggest game of the year.

There are a few things I don’t have to speculate on though:

* Tiger Stadium will be rocking, and no player for Alabama will have experienced that degree of fan intensity. Certainly McCarron will not have faced anything like Tiger Stadium for a full 3+ hours.

* LSU has played much better at home than on the road. Plus LSU has had two weeks to prepare.

* Alabama will not be able to run on LSU. The Tide only had 96 yards rushing in Tuscaloosa last season with Trent Richardson, and he is gone. I like LSU’s chances to hit McCarron and make him uncomfortable.

* LSU’s defense is national championship caliber. Alabama will not be moving the ball up and down the field on the Tigers.

This is a really tough game to pick. LSU must convert a few third downs and cannot turn the ball over. If both teams play to form, Alabama wins. But that’s not what is going to happen. The Tide will make a few uncharacteristic mistakes while the Tigers will minimize their own missteps. It will be tight match all the way through.  But LSU will get back into the National Title hunt and get a level of revenge for that beating at Alabama's hands so many months ago.

LSU 16 – Alabama 14

Grinding Out Wins

This was a game that was equal parts frustrating and exciting. Texas A&M outplayed LSU for 25 minutes in the first half then turned the ball over twice in the last five minutes giving LSU life and a two point half time lead. The defense shook off a slow start and kept “Johnny Football” in the pocket for most of the game limiting his explosiveness. For all the defense did to keep LSU in the game, it was also the defense that kept trying to give it back. Multiple penalties including multiple off-sides, a facemask, pass interference and an IDIOTIC late hit by Eric Reid kept A&M drives alive. Bottom line, LSU won in spite of itself. This team is so talented they can get away with poor coaching and stupid decisions against most opponents. That doesn’t make it any less frustrating as fan.

*All three TD plays came from 20+ yards out, avoiding LSU’s own personal Bermuda Triangle, aka the red zone. Ford continued to prove his value outrunning the A&M defense for the first TD finishing the day with a 7.1 yard average on 11 carries. Hill is turning into LSU’s offensive MVP with another 100 yard rushing game and a critical 47 yard TD score to seal the victory late in the fourth quarter.

* The receivers continued to improve in holding on to the ball. Kadrone Boone’s TD catch was fantastic.

* Mettenberger is regressing. Does that sound familiar? He was terribly inaccurate and missed a number of guys on deep throws. I wonder if the coaches are messing with his head like they did with Lee and Jefferson. He may be so terrified of throwing a pick that he is hesitant to throw unless the receiver is absolutely open. That should also sound familiar. The other explanation is that Mett just isn’t very good. Good coaching is putting players in a positing to be successful; this staff is not doing that in the passing game.

* This is four years now that LSU has been unable to develop an effective passing game. Lee did well to start last season but Miles insisted on shoving Jefferson back into the lineup to the ultimate detriment to the 2011 team. Look at these numbers on SEC passing yards per game rankings: 2009 – 9th; 2010 – 12th; 2011 – 10th; 2012 – 12th. Nationally it looks even worse: 2009 – 97th; 2010 – 107th; 2011 – 106th; 2012 – 112th. I understand we are a “running team,” but given all the resources and talent at our disposal, these numbers are just atrocious. I emailed a very well known local sports writer about why the “big media” hasn’t challenged Miles on this. All I got was the company line about players being injured or not executing. Someone should publicly ask these hard questions:

Is it poor recruiting?
Is it poor player development?
Is it poor play calling and game planning?
Is it a meddling head coach?

I’m not down on this team, far from it. I’m just tired of the same problems year after year. I’m not calling for anyone to lose their job, I just want the LSU Football program to shake things up and see if we can get better results. I know, how much better can we be than 7-1? I’m looking long term. If you were an elite QB or WR, would you come to LSU? If your son was a talented player at those positions, could you honestly tell them that LSU offers them the best opportunity to develop as a football player?

* Defense was awesome after it woke up but stupid down the stretch. Hopefully Chavis gives them an earful this week.

* This team is very interesting from a mental standpoint. It’s obvious they play hard and refuse to get down or hang their heads. Terms like tough, gritty, patient and perseverance all come to mind when describing this team. These are all invaluable mental and emotional traits that are essential to winning. But other less flattering terms, such as undisciplined, careless and unfocused could be used as well.

With the off week, the Tigers get a much needed chance to rest. We will see if the coaching staff puts the time to good use, unlike the last time we prepared to play Alabama.

All Goals in Sight

Been a little busy this week but I wanted to throw a few thoughts out there from last week and look forward to the Aggies.

LSU strongly rebounded from the Florida set back to win an exciting game over South Carolina. Miles is now 18-1 after a loss while at LSU, simply amazing.

*The offensive line played its best game of the season dominating a very good SC defensive line. LSU generated 258 yards on the ground highlighted by Jeremy Hill’s 50 yard gallop to seal the game for the Tigers.

*For all the positives, the Tigers were poor in the red zone. Currently LSU is ranked 82nd nationally in red zone conversions. Looking at TD percentage, LSU is scoring 6 in less then half of their trips inside the 20. In five red zone attempts on Saturday, LSU only came away with three field-goals and one touchdown. It was good enough to win this week, but the Tigers must improve to beat Texas A&M and Alabama and continue the March to Miami. This is a coaching issue. The staff needs to design plays which highlight Mettenberger’s strengths and give the offense a chance. Calling a fade route to the short side of the field on 3rd and goal from the 4 is NOT A GOOD PLAY CALL.

*The defense was stellar as usual holding SC to 34 yards rushing and forcing 2 interceptions.

*The kicking game is not as strong as it was last year. Wing hasn’t been hitting the huge bombs we have grown accustomed to or pinning teams deep as he has done in the past. Alleman has already missed 3 field goals inside 40 yards. Alleman needs to improve with three big games coming up.

*LSU plays Texas A&M this weekend in a series that many expect to become a true rivalry as time goes by. A&M is very talented offensively but struggles on defense. The Aggies gave up 57 points last week to Louisiana Tech. A&M is ranked 10th in the league in total defense.

Expect the game to be tight through three quarters but the Tigers will slow down the tempo and wear out A&M in the fourth quarter with the running game. The defense will contain Johnny Manziel aka “Johnny Football” for the most part and come out 7-1 heading into the bye week.

LSU 27 – Texas A&M 17

Mid-Season Winners & Loooooosers

It’s the half way point of the season so let’s talk about some winners and losers. Feel free to post your own thoughts in the comments section.

Winners: Although I’m definitely not a fan of the parade of “alternate” uniforms bombarding college football, some of the new designs are pretty snappy. Vanderbilt, North Carolina, Wisconsin and Illinois look pretty good in the new gear.

Losers: Some of these are just terrible. Nebraska, Missouri, Notre Dame’s helmets and a majority of Oregon’s 384 designs.

Winners: The SEC. Four teams in the Top 10 and seven in the Top 25.

Losers: The BIG TEN. No teams ranked in the Coaches top 25 and the best two teams, Ohio State and Penn State are on probation.

Winners: Offensive Football. In 2003, only 2 teams averaged 500 yards or more of total offense per game. 39 teams averaged 400 yards or more. In 2012, a staggering 18 teams are averaging 500 yards or more of total offense per game while 69 teams are averaging 400 yards or more.

Losers: Defensive Coordinators trying to keep up with these high powered offensive units. (Excluding anyone that plays LSU and its anemic offense)

Winners: Group Think. All 60 AP voters selected Alabama as #1.

Losers: Independent Thought. Alabama has beaten five teams with a combined record of 13-14. You mean to tell me that among the 60 voters NOT ONE thinks Oregon, South Carolina, Florida or West Virginia, all undefeated, would beat Alabama on a neutral site? NOT ONE?

Winners: The internet, blogs, social media and TV. The more sports info out there the better.

Losers: Coaches bullying the media to push their own agenda. Just shut up and coach and stop reading the paper if you don’t like what is being said. Yes, I’m talking to YOU, YOU and YOU.

Winners: Upsets!! Stanford over USC, Washington over Stanford, NC State over FSU, Central Michigan over Iowa.

Losers: Terrible non-conference schedules suck the life out of September. Top 25 match-ups in September were like unicorns.  Of the current Top 25 teams, there were only two non-conference match-ups; Michigan v. Alabama and Michigan v. Notre Dame.  Even when you add the "others receiving votes" to the mix, (41 teams received at least one vote) there were only 7 non-conference match-ups total between the top 41 teams in the country.

Undefeated No More

Don't everyone freak out.  I'm sure the "drama queen" section of the LSU contingent is saying we may not win another game this season.  The more pessimistic of Tiger Nation sees LSU at 8-4 by season's end.  I happen to think 9-3 more likely.  Let's not forget, LSU has an elite defense which will keep every game close this season.  So what happened Saturday?

*LSU got beat by a better team.  LSU was outcoached by Florida's defensive staff and outplayed in the trenches.  Florida put the bye week to good use in its preparation for LSU beating the Tigers at their own game, hanging around and wearing out the opposition in the second half.

*The offensive play calling was predictable and uninspiring throughout the game.  Late in the first half, LSU had first and goal at the 6 and we couldn't punch the ball in.  The play calling was an absolute embarrassment.  First down: run.  This was mistake #1.  This is a perfect spot to throw a fade or go play action.  Mettenberger is much more effective throwing on first down.  A fade is a low risk play that could reap big rewards. Second down: a one man route with Mettenberger rolling out.  What could go wrong?  The ONLY option on the play got tackled in the back field and Mettenberger was lucky to get rid of it.  After having to TAKE 2 TIMEOUTS IN A ROW, we try to run another ONE MAN ROUTE trick play that didn't fool anyone.  Terrible, terrible, terrible.

*On LSU's last offensive drive, Gary Danielson commented that, "you can't hide your quarterback anymore."  He was dead on in his alluding to LSU's super conservative play calling.  LSU did run and pass 25 times each, but there was no attempt at misdirection or using Ford's speed on the outside.  The coaching staff didn't make any adjustments in the second half to try and get the offense moving.


* This may be the worst receiving corps I have ever seen at LSU.  The wide outs don't get open and when they do they drop the ball.  After the Auburn game I was touting Kadrone Boone as LSU's most reliable receiver, so what's he do on his return to his home state, drop two catchable passes in critical situations.  The first drop was on LSU's first drive at the Florida 21.  The second came later in the first half.  Had he caught that pass LSU would have had a first down and kept the sticks moving.  But Mettenberger was then faced with a third and ten and threw his only interception of the game trying to make a play.

*The offensive line has been a huge problem since Chris Faulk went down.  They just don't move the pile and pass protection is completely hit and miss.

*The Tigers turned to ball over three times, the second one after Mettenberger made his best throw of the game.  LSU amassed 8 penalties during the game as well.

*2 SEC road games, a total of 18 points.

*It's 2009 all over again.  The defense is on the field all game because the offense can't get a first down.  It reminded me of the LSU v. Florida game in 2009.  In that game LSU managed only 162 yards.  It felt that the game could have gone on for about 10 more quarters and the Tigers would not have scored.

*The defense was on the field 37 minutes and only gave up 14 points.  They were in the backfield for much of the first half but the offense could never capitalize.

*Wing had a fine game averaging 45.6 yards a punt on 7 kicks.  But he didn't get off any bombs and was not as effective as he has been in the past pinning the other team inside the 10.

*I will never question Beckham's effort, but I imagine he is frustrated and trying to do too much.  He fielded two punts inside the 10 when he should have let them go and he fumbled after making that big catch from Mettenberger.  Again, I think he may be pushing trying to "make something happen" because of LSU's offensive ineptitude.

Where does LSU go from here? 

In the long term Miles needs to clean house on the offensive side of the ball as he did back at the end of 2008 with the defense.  LSU needs a young talented offensive coordinator that can craft a functional passing game.  However, my fear is that whoever is calling the plays in the booth, Miles is down on the field keeping the OC's hands tied.  Offensive dysfunction has been a staple of LSU football since 2008.  The players, plays and assistants have changed, but Miles has been the constant.  It is very likely LSU's head coach is at the root of the offensive problems.

In the short term, the offense just needs to keep plugging away.  It's obvious that this line is not going to be able to sustain long drives so LSU needs to look for bigger plays in the passing game, high risk, high reward.  The problem is LSU faces what may turn out to be the best South Carolina team in the history of the program.  SC's defensive line is every bit as good as LSU's if not better.   The offense has a number of playmakers and Connor Shaw has been playing lights out this season. 

Les Miles is 17-1 after a loss and 22-6 in SEC home games in his time at LSU.  His only back to back losses came in 2008 when the Tigers lost to Ole Miss and Arkansas to close out the regular season.  LSU has won 21 straight games at home dating back to the previously mentioned 2009 setback versus Florida.  While the trend favors LSU, these appear to be two teams heading in opposite directions.   This is a trap game for the Gamecocks as they have Florida coming up next week.  This is a must win for the Tigers if they want to stay in contention for the Western Division.  Everything says South Carolina should come into Tiger Stadium and get a win.  But it won't be easy.  For all his shortcomings, Miles excels in these situations.  I just think LSU’s offensive problems will not be solved any time soon.

South Carolina 17 – LSU 16

Florida Week

Going into this season, I would speculate that many LSU fans looked at the Tiger’s schedule and scrolled down to the titanic battle with Alabama scheduled for November 3.  Many probably looked right past this week’s little match-up with the Mighty Gators of the University of Florida.  Going 13-1 and destroying everyone except the aforementioned Crimson Tide can do that.  But fans with longer memories and longer attention spans than my four year old son are very familiar with the beatings the Gators have laid on LSU over the years.  (Check out the Wiki on the LSU –UF Rivalry.) To wit, my Top 5 Florida beat downs over the last 20 years:

5. 1996: UF 56 – LSU 13. This was a good LSU team that went 10-2 that season. The Gators did win a National Title that season with Heisman trophy winner Danny Wuerffel. But losing by 43?!

4. 2008: UF 51 – LSU 21. LSU rolled into the Swamp undefeated at 5-0 ranked #3 in the country. Starting with this game, the Tigers imploded down the stretch going 3-5 in Miles’ worst season at LSU.

3. 2000: UF 41 –LSU 9. The “Brook Trout Look” game. Saban is much funnier when he loses and this was a serious beating coming one week after the big home win over Tennessee. He used the phrase “Brook Trout Look” to describe the LSU players who were outplayed all afternoon.

2. 2001: UF 44 – LSU 15. This LSU team won the Western Division and the SEC Title Game. Yet the Tigers were utterly destroyed at home by the Spurrier led Gators.

1. 1993: UF 58 – LSU 3. Representing the largest margin of victory in the series and possibly the worst loss in LSU history, this game showed how far LSU had fallen under Curley Hallman. I’m proud to say I sat through the entire debacle in the student section getting up to leave only after the clock had struck 0:00. There is a scene in the movie Fight Club that sensors deemed too brutal to be left in the movie, so instead of showing Ed Norton beat one of his followers near to death, the director presented the faces of the witnesses as they viewed the carnage. That was this game in a nutshell. Hide the women and children and burn the game tapes.

The Mental Game

I wasn't going to comment on the game, but after that dismal performance I feel compelled to say a few words.

* The LSU football team was bored last night. The players didn't want to be there and the fans didn't want to be there either as evidenced by the 40,000 no-shows. That "boredom" by the players shows up in the mental part of the game. LSU is ranked 108th nationally in the penalty department. The Tigers turned the ball over 10 times all of last season. This season they have fumble six times and thrown two interceptions already.  Unlike last season, this team is not nearly as focused and sharp.  Whatever Miles is doing to correct the problems is not work as of yet.

* LSU's offensive problems start up front. The Tigers are giving up over two sacks a game. While some of these are on Mettenberger, the O-line has to take a great deal of blame. Missed assignments and missed blocks are holding the passing game back. Losing Faulk and now J.C. Copeland is a big problem for that group.

* On the positive side, through five games, LSU is averaging over 200 yards passing per game and 400 total yards per game for the first time since 2008. Mettenberger was off last night, but he didn't hang his head and threw some nice deep passes that resulted in TD's in the second half.  Beckham also played very well catching two TD's and gaining 128 yards.

*Jordan Jefferson was on the sidelines for the game Saturday.  LSU has worst offensive performance all season.  Coincidence?  I don't think so.

* LSU's first five opponents are a combined 8-14. LSU's next five oppenents are a combined 21-1.

* The big question going into this weekend is: Are these mistakes mentioned earlier systemic or just a function of "boredom?" We will know a lot more about this team next week. Florida is by far the best team the Tigers will have faced this season. The Swamp is as tough a place to play as anywhere in the country. We embarrassed Florida last year so look for the Gators tro be highly motivated.

LSU's defense will be lights out and I'm not sold on Jeff Driskel running that offense. But can LSU get out of its own way on offense? IF the Tigers hold on to the ball and cut down on penalities they can certainly win the game. But execution and play calling must get better. LSU's offensive line is not good enough to just blow people off the ball. The staff MUST insert some plays that will slow down Florida's pass rush and help Mettenberger out. This game is terribly difficultto pick and I expect a close game throughout.  As of this writing LSU is a 2-3 point favorite.  I hope I'm wrong, but I just don't see a championship team in the making with this group.

UF 23 - LSU 17

Survive and Advance

Before everyone freaks out, let's try and keep this game in perspective. A little history: Auburn's Jordan-Hare Stadium has been a house of horrors over the years. As good as Nick Saban was in his time at LSU, he was 0-3 at Auburn. In LSU's last seven visits, including Saturday’s game, the Tigers are only averaging 13 points per game. 13!! Since divisional play started in 1992, LSU is now 4-7 at Auburn; the average margin of victory in those four wins is 5 points. This was a desperate Auburn team. This is the first time in the history of the program that they have ever lost three games before October 1st. The Tigers are 0-2 in SEC play for the first time since 1980.

Most importantly, LSU won the game. All of the Tigers’ goals are still on the table. Obviously they need to play better with the upcoming trip to Florida on October 6. If LSU can cut out the turnovers and penalties there will be plenty more victories this season.

A few observations:

* Does Mettenberger need to play better? Absolutely, but we must be fair in evaluating his play. He's started a grand total of four games in his career. I've been to Auburn twice; the stadium is as intimidating as any place in the country. He is a true junior and still has much to learn. He is very effective on first down completing 75% of his passes. He is very accurate and poised in the pocket. He needs to work on his field awareness when scrambling as he came up inches short twice versus Auburn. He also needs to improve on throwing on the run and most importantly, ball security. Mettenberger will continue to improve each week; fans just need to have patience.

* LSU's offensive line really struggled at times. Even though the run game ground out 182 yards, poor blocking lead to some minimal gains or Mettenberger being pressured. The sack and fumble in the second quarter was a direct result of poor blocking on the defensive end.

* LSU's defense is suffocating. Auburn was held to 183 yards, its lowest output all season. LSU had 14 tackles for loss. Auburn had only 52 offensive plays, thus over a quarter of those were for negative yards. Auburn was only 2 of 12 on third down conversions. LSU forced Auburn into five three and out possessions. An in game stat showed Auburn averaging 0.9 yards per play on 1st down deep into the fourth quarter. The defense will keep LSU in every game this season.

* The play calling in the second half was very conservative. On 13 first downs, LSU ran 10 times and passed 3. No screens or draws to try and slow down that pass rush.

* This goes to what I have said before about the offense, we do not stretch the field or try and get mismatches. We threw deep twice with only a few intermediate passes in 27 attempts. I’m convinced that LSU is the easiest team in the league to play call against in respect to the offense, very few formations, deep throws or misdirection.

* The "Bad Game Manager Miles" came out late in the game as LSU attempted a FG with about 40 seconds left. Alleman had to rush on the field with only seconds to go, rushed the kick and pushed it wide right. LSU had just called a timeout before 3rd down. The FG unit should have been ready to go on the field immediately after third down, yet they barely got the snap off. You could see Miles just standing on the sidelines and all of the sudden he realizes what's going on and hurries the team out on the field. Inexcusable.

* Penalites! 9 for 80 yards. Lack of poise. I counted at least 3 false starts. Those are killer.

* Kadrone Boone needs to play more. He is LSU's most reliable receiver. Miles insists on playing Sheppard even though he is probably LSU's weakest receiver. Folks want to criticize Mettenberger, but the drops by the receivers are killer in the style of offense we play.

* Fans should probably temper their expectations for this team. The 2011 squad was an all-time great in LSU history. Had they beaten Alabama the second time around we would be talking about one of the greatest teams in the history of college football. Let’s look at what this 2012 team actually is and not what we want it to be. LSU lost one of its best offensive linemen for the season. The QB is talented but inexperienced. The receiving corps is average at best. Special teams and defense are lights out. The Tigers have played as many freshmen as anyone on the country. Miles and his staff do a great job of preparation during the week, but poor game day management will occur again during the season.

Looking Back...Looking Ahead

Definitive: having its fixed and final form; providing a solution or final answer; satisfying all criteria

- Dictionary.com

*Alabama is an excellent football team. But to say that they are definitively the #1 team in the country, as many media folks have done, is off base. I see a great deal of group think in the media’s evaluation of games and teams. Alabama is definitively better than LSU because what? They have beaten 3 teams with a combined record of 5-4? LSU has been just as suffocating on defense and offensively explosive. You may notice that I have Bama #1 in the Super 7. They are defending National Champs and will stay there until someone beats them. But given that LSU would only be a two point underdog should the teams play at a neutral site this weekend, I would hardly call the Tide the definitive best team in the country.

*Did you notice that the 63 points put up by the Tigers were the most in the Miles era? You think it was a coincidence that Alabama won by 52 while LSU won by 49? Expect the shadowboxing to continue all season.

* I am personally glad USC lost so we don’t have to listen to the “suckfest” on ESPN for the next few months. The Trojans are good, but not elite. They rank 95th in the country in rushing. If you cannot run the ball, you will not win the biggest prizes.

*Speaking of USC, Lane Kiffin continues to embarrass himself and his school. His most recent temper tantrum has him walking out of a post practice presser after 30 seconds because a reporter asked about an injured player. Nick Saban and Urban Meyer, with five national titles between them, can act an ass all day and get away with it. A second rate coach with a 27-14 career record, zero conference titles and zero bowl wins should be careful.

*The Big 10 is just awful this year. The best team in the league is on probation and any chance of a National Title contender went out the window with Sparty’s ugly loss to ND. Someone for the Big 10 will play in the Rose Bowl…and get thoroughly beaten by an excellent Pac-12 squad.

This Weekend:

Clemson at Florida State: I had this marked down as one of my biggest five games of the season. Winner has the inside track to the ACC Title game and keeps National Title hopes alive. Put up or shut up for Noles.

Michigan at Notre Dame: The Golden Doomers win this one and they will crack the Super 7. Michigan can erase some of the stigma from the opening game beat down with a win in South Bend.

Kansas State at Oklahoma: This was THE GAME in the Big 12 for a few years in the early ‘00’s. KSU is very good this year, but Oklahoma just doesn’t lose in Norman. Stoops is 77-3 at home since taking over in 1999.

LSU at Auburn: Since the inception of divisional play in 1992, LSU is only 3-7 when playing at Auburn, the wins coming in 1996, 1998 and 2008. The average margin of victory in those three games was 7 points. Since 2000, LSU has managed only 13 points per game on the Plains. Yet, LSU is an 18 point favorite going into Saturday. I think this is one of those games you can throw out the numbers. Miles wants to keep pace with Alabama so I expect his foot to stay on the gas all game.

LSU 38 – Auburn 10

Prowler Poop

* Good for UL-Monroe. In a Milesque display, ULM was 6 for 7 on 4th downs against the Hogs! They get my vote for 3rd best team in the SEC West. The Warhawks travel to Auburn next week. Can they make it two in a row?

* The Big 10 has 5 undefeated teams, Michigan State, Ohio State (probation), Northwestern, Minnesota and Indiana. I think it is safe to say that outside of a long shot MSU, the Big 10 will not have a team in the BCS Title game. Jeez, it’s only September 9th!

* In the pre-season I picked Wisconsin to make it to the BCS Title Game…OOPS!!! The Badgers looked terrible against Oregon State losing 10-7.

* Auburn looked awful versus State on Saturday. At one point I even thought Jordan Jefferson could actually help AU if he was playing for them. (Did I really just type that?!) Looking down the road, there is a legitimate chance the other Tigers finish with a losing record.

* Among the three “biggest” games of the weekend, ND v. MSU, USC v. Stanford and UT v. UF, ESPN Game Day is traveling to Knoxville. This will be the third week in a row that Game Day will cover an SEC game. The USC game will be broadcast on FOX while ND is on ABC. ESPN is broadcasting the Florida game. Given ESPN’s investment in the SEC and reluctance to promote games on rival networks, look for Game Day to rarely stray from the south going forward.

* Air Force was driving on Michigan for the go ahead score late in the game when they were stopped on downs near midfield. Alabama’s “Big” win last week isn’t looking like such a “Big” deal.

* Speaking of Alabama, Nick Saban’s lecture to the media last week was pathetic. No one wants to hear a coach with three national titles and another great team crying about what the media is writing about his team. Just shut up and go bully your players, assistant coaches and the Alabama administration. What a whiny little bitch. Oh, and AJ McCarron has been sacked 8 times this year already. Sam Montgomery and Kiki Mingo are already planning a sack party in the Bama backfield.

Looking to the weekend:

* Florida at Tennessee: For a few years in the late ‘90’s this was THE GAME OF THE YEAR. Dooley and Muschamp will be under the microscope for this one. SEC East elimination game.

* Notre Dame at Michigan State: Sparty is very good at home winning 15 in a row in Spartan Stadium. ND looking for respect while MSU looking to keep dark horse national title campaign on track.

* USC at Stanford: Stanford won last year at USC in triple OT. Expect it to be close throughout. USC needs to win to set up the titanic November matchup with Oregon.

39 in a row...and counting

This may be one of the shortest write-ups on an LSU game I ever do. The Tigers were dominant all night. Take away Beckham’s fumble on the opening kickoff and the Huskies could have been shut out. The offense moved right along putting up 437 yards and 41 points while the defense gave up a measly 183. LSU ran the ball 52 times and passed only 19, exactly as Miles likes it. The Tigers are ranked 5^th nationally in total defense and 8^th in rushing defense and scoring defense. Interestingly enough, LSU is 12^th in passing offense but second in rushing offense in the conference. I would like the Tigers to be more balanced, but as long as we can run as we have, Miles won’t let it happen.

The only real complaint about the performance would be the dropped passes. Beckham had a terrible night Saturday. In addition to the fumble, he dropped three passes that hit him right in the hands. I am sure he will be very focused on next week. The other drops came from Wright and Sheppard.

I think we can say with confidence that the Russell Sheppard experience at LSU has been extremely disappointing. He has more drops this season than catches and really shows no signs of real improvement. In retrospect, it probably would have been to his benefit to redshirt and switch to wide receiver the day he got on campus. Possibly the extra time and focus would have allowed him to develop. Truthfully, he never really fit into LSU’s offensive scheme, he may have been better served going to another school that could better utilize his talents.

The Tigers play Idaho next week in what will be another “scrimmage.” LSU will play sharply for about 20 minutes then look to get out of there. Hopefully Mettenberger can get more work with the wide receivers and the young guys can get valuable experience.

LSU 45 – Idaho 3

Prowler Poop

Just a few thoughts from last week:

* Auburn will probably finish 8-5 again and get trounced by Alabama. I don’t really care for Gene Chizik and I found it interesting that in his 14-0 National Title season his peers declined to vote for him as SEC coach of the year. Mark it down, Auburn will be looking for a new coach December of 2013.

* Up 43-10 over Navy, Notre Dame had the ball at Navy’s 9 yard line at 2nd and 1 with 40 seconds left. Instead of showing some class and taking a knee, Brain Kelly ran it in creating the final score 50-10. I know Brian Kelly and Notre Dame take a lot of criticism and thus want to show the sceptics they are still relevant and it is always nice to beat up on a rival, but there was an opportunity to do a small thing the right way. A BIG thumbs down on anyone that runs it up on a service academy.

* All these games against Division I-AA teams are a joke. The Criminoles are playing TWO games against lower division opponents. If the Noles are in the hunt for the BCS Title game at the end of the season, I hope voters take into account that weak non-conference schedule.

* Penn State might go 2-10 this year. They are 10 point dogs this week and I can only see them favored in two, maybe three games the rest of the way.


Looking ahead:

* Florida at A&M and UGA at Mizzu should be very interesting games. I’m glad the schedule makers left the new guys at home for the openers. I have no idea who wins either of these games, but we should know a lot more about all four teams after Saturday.

* Can Dan Mullen and Mississippi State get another signature win and make this year special. Auburn has barely escaped the Bulldogs the last few seasons winning by 7 last year on the last play of the game and by three in 2010. I personally hope its MSU’s day.

* The rest of the schedule is pretty much crap. Conference games can’t get here soon enough.

Bubble Screen Me To Death

Nothing really unexpected occurred this weekend.  LSU was never in trouble, the team occasionally lost focus and lots of guys played.  After watching the replay I felt even better about how the game played out.  A few observations:

* If you thought after seven seasons that Miles was going to “open up the offense,” you need to stop deluding yourself.   This is who Miles is and this is what he wants LSU to be: run the ball, strong defense, solid special teams, and a conservative passing game.  Miles could have Joe Montana or Drew Brees back there, it doesn’t make a difference.  He’s not going to change his fundamental approach to the game.

* Given the play calling, I thought Zach Mettenberger played well.  He wasn’t really allowed to go downfield that much and the pass protection was questionable at times. Mettenberger completed 73% of his passes and threw one TD.  The interception was the only poor throw of the game.  Some clown on facebook commented that Mettenberger was not impressive at all.  Has this guy been watching the QB play since 2008?

* The running game was tremendous.  I think LSU fans may take the Tiger’s ability to run for granted, but that performance was impressive.  We have seen LSU struggle at times in the past to run the ball against lesser teams or sustain long drives.  The Tigers had 5 scoring drives over 65 yards on Saturday, more than in any game last season.

* This game marked the first time since 1982 that two Tigers, Kenny Hilliard and Alfred Blue, rushed for over 100 yards in a season opener.  Dalton Hilliard and Gary James accomplished the feat back 30 years ago.  You may recall that LSU finished that season playing in the Orange Bowl in Miami.  This year’s National Title game will be played in…Miami.  Just saying.

* Tyrann Mathieu will be missed in the secondary, but “ODB,” Odell Beckham Jr. can more than carry his own on special teams.

* Don’t expect the defense to dominate like it did last year.  Losing Brockers (DT), Mathieu (CB), Claiborne (CB) and Taylor (S) is going to put the Tigers back a bit.

LSU gets Washington at home this week.  The Huskies won on Saturday in unconvincing fashion over San Diego State 21-12 in Seattle.  Washington is obviously better than North Texas and their QB, Keith Price is very talented.  UW averaged 255 yards a game thru the air last season.  This will be an excellent test for the young secondary.

On the flip side, Washington ranked 108 in scoring defense last season, giving up 35.9 points a game.  LSU’s offensive line will outweigh UW’s front four by about 60 pounds per man.  Look for LSU to rotate the backs and pound the running game.  Expect a little more diversity in the passing game as I “hope” the coaches attempt to introduce a few new plays each week.

It will be close for a half, but look for the heat and LSU’s offensive line to wear down UW.

LSU 40 – Washington 17