Alabama Owns LSU

While walking back to my car after the game I was literally ready to quit LSU football.  I asked myself, why am I dumping so much time, energy and emotion into an activity that so frequently sucks the life out of me.  I’m putting all this effort into a hobby with a coach that I don’t believe in leading a bunch of college kids playing a game.  Maybe Alabama brings out the worst me.  Just this past Friday I told myself I was beyond the old cliché, “losing hurts more than winning feels good.”  Nope, it is now Monday and I am still deeply bothered by this one.

A few thoughts:

1. The defense was lights out.  Sure I was frustrated by the game tying FG with :03 seconds left, but giving up only 13 points in regulation to a team that was averaging 36.5 points per game was a winning effort.  Simms and Co. deserve some credit for executing when everything was on the line.
2. Jennings was extremely poor...again.  Sure there were drops, but he finished 8 of 26 for 76 yards with 1 TD and 1 INT. (QB rating of 60.32)   His per attempt average was 2.9 yards for the game.  Harris needs to come off the bench this week and get some meaningful snaps.  The season is “essentially done,” the coaches have three games to see what Harris can do in some limited spots.
3. I’m not going to dwell on it, but the refs did us no favors.  The unsportsmanlike call on Alexander was questionable, but why are you putting yourself in that situation?  You have the game on the line and you lose your composure at the worst possible moment?  Why are you giving the refs an opportunity to affect the game?  That’s why you have lost 4 in a row to Alabama.  Remember 2012? A second quarter run by Jeremy Hill gets LSU to the Alabama 13.  JC Copeland gets called for unnecessary roughness and moves the ball back to the 28.  LSU ends up trying a fake FG and getting nothing on the drive.  That’s not winning football.
4. Kickoffs were terrible all night culminating in the final kickoff going out of bounds.  Again, that's not winning football.
5. What’s most frustrating is that the game played out in LSU’s favor and the Tigers STILL couldn’t close the deal.  It’s painful to say, but Saban and Alabama own Miles and LSU.  More deeply troubling is this simple truth.  If a recruit with no particular allegiance to LSU or Alabama narrows down his choice between the schools, why would he choose the Tigers?  It’s clear championships are NOT coming to Baton Rouge any time soon.  The coaches aren’t good enough and the QB situation has never been solved.  Is LSU a college football program or an NFL prep school?

Hopefully the Tigers can bounce back this weekend on the road in Fayetteville.  Arkansas is 4-5 and still in bowl contention.  Miles is 25-1 after a loss, the only blemish a two game losing streak to end the 2008 regular season.  Defensively, the Hogs are giving up 438 yards and 31 points a game in 5 SEC contests. Offensively, Arkansas is averaging about 43 yards more a game than the Tigers in conference play.  LSU is 6-5 at Arkansas since the beginning of divisional play in 1992.  Expect another close game Saturday.  LSU’s defense should contain Arkansas, but LSU’s anemic passing attack will keep the Tigers from pulling away.  Vegas has LSU a 2.5 point underdog.  Does the smart money know something?

LSU 24 – Hogs 20

 

 

Final Four: Week 11

Each week I will be posting my Final Four based a combination of games played thus far and predictions about the eventual participants.  My four is a combination of what has actually happened on the field and my evaluations projecting out to the end of the season.

Semi-Finals

(1)   FSU v. (4) TCU
(2)   Alabama v. (3) Oregon

National Championship

FSU v. Alabama