Strike up the Band

I hit the Chimes after work on Tuesday and was fortunate enough to hear the band practicing. The bands are a critical part of what makes college football special. Although everyone loves the nan-na-nan-nant of LSU, I think USC has one of the best fight songs in America.

Here is the link to download it. Fanfare, Tribute to Troy and Fight On

Just a few comments on the depth chart, it looks like Darren Parquet may get red-shirted this year as he has not been listed on the RB chart. This will give him a year to get stronger and faster, similar to the situation with Rondel Mealy. I also noticed the staff moved Norman LeJeune to Free Safety. This guy was an excellent hitter last year so I look for him to possibly get more playing time as the nickel back. I think Saban wants a BIG hitter at Strong Safety so LeJeune got caught up in a size game. Abram Booty looks to be the 4th receiver, which is about where he should be. Demetrius Hookfin evidently impressed at CB and has bumped Robert Davis as starting Right Corner. Hookfin is young and presents a big upside to LSU, as he will grow into the position, hopefully. I was really surprise Dom Davis got bumped from starting RB. He was impressive last year in the limited duty he played. Toefield was not impressive last summer in the scrimmages I saw him. Obviously the knee is healed and he is ready to run over some folks this year. I still can’t get over his stats from his junior year in high school, 2,800 yards and 45 touchdowns. That is obscene.

Don’t expect to get much out of the first game. It will give the coaches an opportunity to look at everyone but that’s about it. It will be the most beneficial to the young guys as they can get some jitters out and find some sort of comfort zone playing to a big audience. I love a blowout as much as the next guy and this should be an offensive exhibition for the Tigers.

Good...Bad

Good…Only 6 days left until LSU kicks off the 2000 football season.

Bad…. 6 long and excruciating days until LSU kicks off the 2000 football season.

Good…Michigan State is 22 in the pre season coaches poll and 25 in the AP poll

Bad…. Is Michigan State an institute for higher learning or reformatory school for wayward youngsters?

Good…Tailgating at an LSU football game

Bad…Sweating like the proverbial “whore in church” while tailgating at an LSU football game

Good…The NFL exhibition season is over

Bad…. The NFL exhibition season is a joke. Someone get rid of this crap.

Good…Bruce Snyder, head coach at Arizona State, takes the high road and boots his
starting QB off the team after an off the field incident.

Bad… Jo Pa, how can you let Casey play? He beat up a cop.

Good…The bands at college football games.

Bad… The piped in music at most NFL games.

Good…Melissa Stark

Bad… Eric “the dick” Dickerson

The Best…All of the feelings, emotion and fun that comes with the college football season. Every year millions of fans get geared up to root for their alma mater, state school or favorite program. There’s no salary cap, your favorite player won’t get traded, your team won’t move and you don’t have to pay for pre-season games when buying season tickets. You gotta love it.

The Worst...I’m not even going there.

2000 SEC Preview

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.

Can You Feel It?

It’s there. Imperceptibly at first, but as the dog days of August wind down, the feeling gets stronger. You know what I’m talking about.

Can you feel it?

Coon Asses from around the state are experiencing the excitement that is the beginning of another LSU football campaign. Hope abounds as new head coach Nick Saban leads LSU into what will hopefully be a rebirth of LSU football glory.

Can you feel it?

From the Golden Band from Tigerland to LSU’s Golden Girls, from drunk frat boys to little old ladies, from the woman who sat next to me and read a book during an entire LSU game last season to the most rabid of foul mouthed LSU fans, they are all eagerly anticipating the upcoming season.

Can you feel it?

The New Coach

I think LSU made a terrific move for two reasons. One, Nick Saban is a very good coach. Two, and even more important in the long run, LSU has ended the perception that it is a backwoods watering hole unwilling to pay a top notch coach. The Curleys and DiNardos of the world will no longer be “prime candidates” for the LSU head coaching position. Top coaches will look at LSU as a place to win championships, not a place use as leverage in seeking a pay raise with their present employer. I understand that just because LSU spent a great deal of money, wins are not guaranteed to follow. But with the financial commitment, LSU shows the fans, supporters and others around the country that LSU is serious about the football program.

As to Saban specifically, I like the hire. Yes his record is only slightly better than DiNardo’s, but let’s dig deeper into those numbers. After 5 years with Saban, MSU is playing in the Citrus Bowl. After 5 years with DiNardo, LSU was on the verge of matching its WORST season record in the 106 year history of LSU football. When DiNardo took over at LSU, the cubord was hardly bare. LSU had the #1 rated defense in the SEC in ’94 and a number of seniors on the ’95 squad. MSU was in a different position. Coming off NCAA probation, MSU was not loaded with talent, yet Saban brought that squad to the Independence Bowl.

Another important factor is recruiting base. MSU and LSU are on totally different planes. MSU has to compete with Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State and Notre Dame for prospects. The big hurdle being that MSU is viewed as the second best school in the state behind UM. LSU owns Louisiana. Yes, some schools come in to raid the state, but LSU’s head coach should be able to keep many of those players here. I think DiNardo did a decent job of recruiting, as there are many talented players on the squad. His problem was one of attrition, either grades or guys getting so deep in the dog house they decided to leave. According to ESPN’s recruiting expert, MSU was on the verge of landing a top 10 recruiting class. If he can do that at MSU, he can do it at LSU.

Will he stay? I’m not terribly worried about Saban leaving. He has moved around a bit, but LSU has set the bar extremely high for another program to entice him to leave. The NFL? If he was going to leave, why didn’t he take the Colts job? It was right down the street from where he was, the Colts GM is believed by many to be one of the best people in the NFL, and you know the money was there. I think Saban wants to be the complete boss. He wants to be in charge of coaching and player personnel. There are only 6 coaches in the NFL who have that power. However, a college coach is lord of his realm. He brings in his players and decides who stays and who plays. If he is hired away by someone else, then it means LSU will have won a lot of football games.

I am a bit biased as I think Morris Watt is a terrific coach. I hope he comes back down with Saban. The one thing it shows me is that Saban has an eye for coaching talent and when DiNardo ran Watts off, Saban picked him up for the MSU staff. In only his first year running the offense, Watts had MSU scoring 31 points a game. The only question left is who the coordinator is if Watts does not return.

A few other numbers are interesting to look at. DiNardo’s record against Florida, Alabama, Georgia and Ole Miss is 4-13. On the plus side he was 3-0 in bowl games. Admittedly three smaller bowls, but LSU was well prepared for those games.

Saban was 9-7 versus Michigan, Penn State, Ohio State and Notre Dame. Currently, MSU has a three game winning streak against Notre Dame and a two game winning streak against OSU. Unfortunately, he was also 0-3 in his bowl games which is troubling, but I don’t think it is cause for alarm. What does all this mean? Saban can obviously get his team up for big games during the regular season, (remember OSU from last year). I think with more depth and better talent consistency will follow. I think this year was a great example of that. I have always believed that one key to a winning season is winning when you play poorly. FSU is a good example of this. Some of their games were lackluster, yet they have so much talent, they can win even if they are not “up” for the game.