Thanksgiving Leftovers

When you score 30 points and have ZERO turnovers in a game against a 4-7 team, you should win with no problems. But this is LSU’s defense we are talking about.

For all the criticism heaped on Jarrett Lee, LSU’s biggest problem has been its atrocious defense. This is the worst defensive group LSU has had since Lou Tepper. It is now up to Miles to get this right and clean house on that side of the ball. In my opinion, Mallory, Peveto and Earl Lane need to get pink slips. The promotion of these guys has blown up on Miles and the only way to SAVE HIMSELF is to bring in new faces.

There are a number of quality defensive coordinators out there including John Chavis from Tennessee, John Tenuta from Notre Dame or Greg Robinson from Syracuse. LSU has the prestige and money to get a top-level guy. In my opinion, if Miles fails to make these changes, he is going to get his own pink slip. He is one of the highest paid coaches in the country at a school that has won two national titles in the past six years. It is clear that LSU can get top players and coaches. The facilities are top notch and the fan base is very supportive.

Let’s be clear. I DO NOT want Miles to get run. I do want him to fix the problem and get LSU back on track. This is easily the biggest challenge Miles has yet to face. From everything I have read, it looks clear that LSU will have a new defensive coordinator. I expect him to be on board soon to begin preparations for Georgia Tech.

A few observations about the alleged LSU fans:

Many LSU fans are stupid. The calls for Miles’ head and the gnashing of teeth have been way over the top. You cannot just dismiss his 34-6 record in his first three years. I agree that 7-5 is unacceptable at this point in LSU’s program. But to FIRE the head coach after one sub-par season is dumb. LSU is going to a bowl game unlike Auburn and Tennessee. Plus, who are you going to get that you can guarantee me will be more successful than Miles? You only make a move when you honestly believe there are candidates that can be MORE successful than who you currently have. Miles has done a very good job recruiting and until this year made all the right moves as to personnel. Admittedly, he looked a little shell-shocked after the Arkansas game. I can only hope that LSU’s awful defensive performance will provoke him to make a move. Fans forget that god…er…Saban had an 8-5 season in 2002, his third year at LSU.

Also with the fans, all the venom towards Saban is dumb. You look like the loser ex-boyfriend/ex-girlfriend who can’t get over the fact that the relationship is over. Now I root against him, but I hated Bama long before he got there and will do so long after he is gone. Plus for all of Alabama’s success this season, all they have to show for it is an SEC West title and a trip to the Sugar Bowl to face Utah. That is nothing to sneeze at for sure, but also proof that the SEC is a tough and unforgiving league.

Finally, I have to call out an absolute moron who called in to a radio show after the Ole Miss game and said the following: “I got a real bad feeling after the Florida game. I had offers to go to games after that but turned them down. I quit watching because they are so bad.”

OK. I have a few terms for you…Loser, bandwagoner, crybaby, fair weather fan, quitter. For these types I have no love, only disgust. Just to make it clear, when things get tough, we shouldn’t count on you. When we face adversity you will be at home crying in your pillow and calling talk radio shows. But when things get better you will be right there in the front row cheering. Don’t bother. LSU will have plenty of real fans at that point.

Geaux Tigers. FOREVER LSU.

The Great Debate...

Recently I have engaged in an extended e-mail debate with a close friend of mine regarding Les Miles. To protect the innocent I will just call him “JC.” JC is a very knowledgeable football fan and quite reasonable. No crazy talk (for the most part) and all of his ideas are well thought out.

That doesn’t mean I agree with him.

But he does raise a number of valid points. What follows is our exchange. Rather than paraphrase or edit, I’ve posted the e-mails verbatim.

Ultimately, the question we are debating can be phrased in two ways:

Is the 2008 season an aberration or an indication of things to come?

OR

Is Les Miles the right person to lead the LSU football program forward?

JC: les miles = larry coker

Prowler: you mean JC = assclown

JC: you want to edit that prior comment? at some point last night [vs. Troy] while watching the game you had to have some thoughts about it.

i feel vindicated! haha...

come on, dude. seriously, where do you think he ranks in SEC coaches? i put him behind richt, meyer, spurrier, saban. at best he is 5th in the SEC. i bet most of the experts would even put nutt above him, which is debatable. be realistic and try to be unbiased and tell me where you would rank him.

how do you feel about the ole miss game next weekend?

Prowler: If I could hire any one of these guys to run my program, this would be it...

Saban
Miles
Meyer
Spurrier
Richt
Tuberville
Nutt
Brooks
Petrino
Johnson
Croom

Seriously.

I know some will never warm to Miles and that is fine. But I like the dude. I think he will be good for LSU for a long time. LSU will be in good shape next season and this recruiting class looks AWESOME. After the '09 and'10 seasons, we will take a look and compare the numbers.

LSU was hung over from last week [loss to Alabama] but the COACHES were able to get these guys in the right direction in the second half. I think that is a direct reflection of Miles. I know he could win 5 titles in a row and some people would still want to get rid of him.

As for Ole Miss...I think this win may bring these guys together. Sure LSU could go 0-3 down the stretch, but they could also go 3-0.

But you have to know where I am coming from, I am one of the 15 people left in the stands at the end of the game Saturday. (when we went down 31-3, the coker comparison came to mind) But notice that LSU beat down Miami and they quit. LSU under Miles just doesn't quit. I am not a fair weather fan or a bandwagoner. So maybe that is my bias, i don't know. But if I thought he was in over his head I would say so.

JC: i like him too. i think he is great at recruiting, which is a big part of college football. but, one of the good things about him in the past was that he hired good coordinators, which i think he did a poor job of this year. i don't think he is good at the X's and O's, so as long as he hires good coordinators, i think he is fine, especially because players want to play for him.

one thing about me is that i am not a band waggoner. i always said i didn't agree with the hire (i truly believed after that Tennessee game the first year that he was not our guy). 28-21 at OSU is not good, although most people pointed to that as a selling point. Gundy is doing better than miles did. people also pointed to his 3 wins against OU in 4 years there. that says a lot to me. how can you be good enough to beat OU 3 times, yet still have 28-21 record? so, he is able to get his team prepared for the OU game, but can't get them fired up against the other teams? is this considered good coaching?

i do agree that the fact they came back was big. however, this was troy. freeking troy. we were down 31-3 to TROY!!!! and, as much as you give the coaches credit for the last 25 minutes, you have to blame them for the first 35 minutes. so again, the coaching sucked for the first 35 minutes. you know troy should have won the game. why they continued passing in the second half is a mystery.

every team lays an egg periodically. i think we have laid 3 eggs this year (florida, georgia, and troy). but, to be down 31-3 to troy is inexcusable. i don't care that we came back and beat them. you can point to the UAB loss a couple of years ago, and i am sure there are plenty more. those losses were bad, and like i said, all teams lay eggs periodically. however, to be down 31-3 to troy? extremely poor coaching.

i still hope i am wrong. i want to win championships with miles. i disagree though that next year's team will be in good shape. i continually hear people talk about that. next year we have the same QB who you think should improve (although he appears to have regressed this season). but, we potentially lose our entire o-line other than barksdale. i don't see us being better next season. where are we going to be better? and defensively, we won't be better unless changes are made. who knows if that is going to happen.

Prowler: I hear you.

But don't you think there is something to be said about losing to the #1 team in the country in a OT game that was really physical? The players and coaches had a hangover no doubt. The fans and talking heads are saying, "the season is over." You think the players don't hear that stuff?

Miles admitted that the game plan on offense in the first half was designed to "protect" Lee from screwing up. At the half they realized that wasn't going to work and went back to a normal game plan. Plus they won. Isin't it about winning? Is winning not enough, must we win with style for it to count?

If you want to gut the defensive staff I am with you. But I'll take Miles any day of the week.

You say we "laid an egg" versus UF and UGA. WHAT? Florida has killed EVERYONE after that loss to Ole Miss. You look at the games, LSU was the MOST competitive of all. The Score was 20-14 before the Gators took over with 20 minutes left in the game. That is not "laying an egg."

As for Georgia, Lee really stuggled. Two pick sixes is tough to overcome for any team. LSU has lost to 11-0 Bama (#1 in polls), 9-1 (Florida, probably best team in the country), and 9-2 Georgia (those two losses came to bama and UF). That is nothing to be ashamed of. those teams are combined 29-3.

Last season LSU had the highest scoring offense in school history, so we know Crowton can coach. We have a freshman who is struggling. Do you think Stafford at Geogia is a bad player or poorly coached? He threw 3 picks vs. Florida.

How bout Spurrier, he got beat by 50!!! 50!!!

I know Florida has better players...but 50? Florida is a POWERFUL TEAM.

Speaking of Florida...if Urban is so good, how come he went 9-4 last season WITH THE HEISMAN WINNER?

Saban is awesome i agree, but that team quit on him last season. No doubt.

As for Miles time at OSU, let us review the time before he got there....

In 2003, he got OSU to a New Years' Day bowl for the first time since 1946....1946 dude, before Miles got there, that was the last New Years Day Bowl.

28-21 not good? Are you kidding me??

http://www.okstate.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=200&KEY=&ATCLID=157313&SPID=143&SPSID=1423

that is the link to the OSU record book....you show me where OSU is some tremendous program...they have a lifetime losing record in football...yes, in the 100+ years of cowboy football they have lost more than they have won.

Miles still has a better winning % than Gundy, but by all means, don't let the facts get in the way of your argument. (Gundy needs to go 10-2 this season to TIE Miles 4 year record of 28-21.)

I get that some don't like Miles.

But don't throw numbers or facts at me b/c the argument won't stand up.

he's 41-9 overall, BCS Champ, SEC Champ, 2 SEC West Titles, 3-0 in bowl games, 2-0 in BCS games. 23-9 in SEC games, (11-4 in SEC road games), 18-0 in non-conference games.

If you don't like his style or think he is a goof ball or don't like the X's and O's strategy, I get that. But as for productivity, don't go there.

JC: i am going to address your points in order as below:

1) yes, teams have let downs. every week, teams have let downs. but, for us to have a let down to the point where we are down 31-3 is inexcusable. troy is not bad, but come on.

2) looking back at florida and UGA, i still think we laid an egg. for florida we have as much talent as them except at the QB position. i know they are good, but not 51-21 good over us. if we lined up and they just beat us because they were better, that would be one thing. but, we just sucked against them pure and simple. as for UGA, we are better than them, so yes, we laid an egg against them at home. as for bama, i don't think we laid an egg against them. we matched up against them well. i was less concerned about that game than any other of the losses going into the game. but, i still think we are a better team than them.

3) yes, it is about winning. but, there are warning signs. when most of your wins are coming down to the wire against average to below average teams, you need to recognize that coaching is a problem. which game would you say we played a complete game from beginning to end? i don't see one all year.

4) as for Urban, you really want to discuss this? he won a championship and came back 9-4 with a new full time QB. we are in a similar position. however, florida is the best team in the country right now and the favorite to win the national championship. for your argument to hold water, we would have to be that good next year. you think we will be in the same position as florida next year? NO!!!

5) as for miles taking OSU to a new year's bowl, that doesn't mean as much any more. there are so many bowls, and more new year's day bowls that the accomplishment isn't what it once was. besides, those were also the years that the BIG 12 was down.

6) yes, miles has a better winning percentage than gundy. miles was 28-21 and gundy is 26-20 i believe. that is nearly identical. if gundy goes 2-1 the rest of the year, then identical. so, don't throw that winning percentage thing out there. besides, i would argue that gundy's performance is better seeing as how strong the Big 12 is. 26-20 over the past 4 years is more impressive to me than 28-21 over the previous 4. can you really argue with that. so, is 28-21 good? it's average.

Prowler: These are all good points. I think the difference we have is in perception and expectation. Was I pissed that we were down 4 TD's? ABSOLUTELY. But I stayed at the game. I didn't give up and I didn't quit like so many other fans. Maybe my dedication makes me a little biased. These things happen, but the bottom line was Miles got them right and they won. I look around college football and I see quirky things all the time.

Michigan losing to App State...WVU losing to Pitt...John Cooper can't beat Michigan...USC loses to 41 point dog Stanford...Gators lose at home to Ole Piss...Bama loses to UL Monroe....Give me your analysis of those loses...Clearly Miles has never had a loss as horrific as UL Monroe or Stanford. I think Pete Carroll is a great coach...so how do you reconcile that loss? Miles has never lost to a team with a losing record.

Obviously we disagree on the issue, but I think it has to do with perception and expectations. I think he's an excellent coach, and he has exceeded all expections I had. If he never wins another SEC title, then you can say to me "i told you so." (See, I didn't say National Title b/c I don't think you can EXPECT one of those...very tough. But I think you can expect an SEC title every 5 or 6 years)

JC: i generally agree with you. there are always quirky things going on. as i mentioned, teams lay eggs every week. but to address the ones you listed below:

michigan losing to app st. - very bad loss and as a result lloyd carr had to be replaced. fans wanted him out long before that, and that just really solidified it.

USC losing to stanford - very bad loss, but at least it was to a PAC-10 team. still inexcusable, but week in and week out USC destroys all their other opponents. they play complete games every week generally, but always seem to have that one bad loss. we seldom appear to play a complete game.

WVU losing to Pitt - pitt was not a bad team.

Florida losing to ole miss - ole miss is not bad. we have a decent chance of losing to them.

Bama losing to ULM - bad loss that should never happen. saban's first year with shula's recruits. bad loss, but now he has #1 team in nation.

also, all of those losses were competitive. yes, we won and in the end you can say it was a competitive game, but i don't recall in any of those losses you mentioned the teams getting manhandled for 40 minutes. that to me is the difference.

i do like miles personality. i like having him as a coach. i just worry about what might happen. right now, i know that if we had saban or meyer, we would never slip back into mediocrity. i can't say the same with miles. i have seen too much mediocrity in games with him as coach (with some flashes of great). that's what worries me. i can't say with 100% confidence that we won't end up an average team. with coaches like saban or meyer, i would have 100% confidence that we would not end up an average team. that right there defines my issue with miles.

Feel free to chime in with your thoughts…

Eat Mor Chikin

Usually you wait until the body is dead before doing a post-mortem autopsy. But in this case, I think the patient is essentially brain dead anyways.

* When Miles kicked Perrillioux off this team, the Tigers hopes for a 10 win season and possible West title took a severe hit. The guy needed to go, but his dismissal really hurt this team. I think LSU still had a chance in this game before Lee went down. Jefferson is way too raw to lead the Tigers from down two scores.

* Miles failed to replace Pelini with a strong defensive coordinator. I have heard that Miles was unable to secure someone from outside the program and thus gave the job to Mallory almost in default.

* The senior leadership on this team has been really poor. This group of seniors hasn’t been the “glue” which creates chemistry on a team. Outside of Quinn Johnson and Colt David, whom are you going to miss from this graduating class?

* The fourth year players on this team are from Miles first recruiting class. Given the fact that LSU was limited in scholarships that year and Miles had less than a month to recruit, it should not be a big surprise that LSU would suffer a dip this season.

* The players lost heart after the Alabama game. The loss itself was draining, but it also eliminated any chance LSU had to win the SEC West. The intensity hasn’t been there the last two weeks as the Tigers have gone down 31-3 and 21-3 to begin the games. With many fans and talking heads saying, “the season is over” after the loss to Bama, it shouldn’t be any surprise that the players felt this as well.

* On the field, I have been the most disappointed in the defensive line, receivers and kick returns. None of these areas have lived up to pre-season expectations. If I can digress a moment, I heard a talking head say after the game that LSU has the most “talented” set of receivers in the SEC. Then he goes on to say that they dropped a lot of passes. I get sick of this blanket statement of, “we have the most talent…blah…blah…blah.” Football is more than just 40 times and bench presses and vertical leaps. The mental aspect of the game is so often ignored you would think the players are mere robots programmed by coaches. The players’ ability (or inability) to focus on the task at hand is critical to success. Let’s not confuse physical ability with football “talent.”

*As bad as things are, at least LSU has not done the following this season:

Lose at home to a 2-8 team that just fired its coach and is playing out the string. (Notre Dame)

Suffer the most defeats in school history. (Michigan)

Enter a nationally televised game ranked #2 in the country and get beat by 40+. (Texas Tech)

Go winless for the first time in since 1908. (Washington)

Play in the Rose Bowl last season and have a losing record this season. (Illinois)

With Thanksgiving around the corner, let’s be thankful for what LSU has accomplished and look forward to finishing the season in Atlanta at the Peach Bowl...er...Fast Food Bowl...er...whatever.

Bama...I give you the one finger salute!

Where to begin?

The defense looked great. Alabama scored 14 offensive points and one of those TD drives was set up by a Lee interception. Bama’s running game was held in check for the most part as the defensive line clogged holes and guys actually made tackles. I think all the talk of firing defensive coaches (from talking heads on the radio, more on that below) needs to be set aside as clearly things are clicking at this point. Curtis Taylor’s injury may be a case of addition by subtraction. Danny McCray has looked very good in the back and LSU has not had a blown coverage (at least as far as I could tell) in the past two weeks.

Offensively, Lee killed LSU. No way around it. Four picks against the #1 team in the country are too much for anyone to overcome. Lee had a few nice passes, but for the most part he struggled. As I have said repeatedly, this is frustrating process that fans will have to deal with. I know there are calls for Jordan Jefferson to get in there but you have to ask yourself one question, do you trust LSU’s staff to make the right personnel decisions? I guarantee they know way more than anyone in the public about Jefferson’s ability to lead this team on offense. Now if you ask them if they would have done things differently from day 1, I’m sure you would get a few heads nodding. Miles stated it clearly in his post game comments:

“We kind of know what we’re doing with our quarterbacks, LSU coach Les Miles said. “We kind of think we don’t want to put him [Jefferson] in a tough situation just yet. He’s coming. We like him, and we talked about it several times in the game. There’s a lot to it. There’s a lot to that spot … to put a guy in there who may not be ready…”

I have total faith in Miles that he DOES know what he is doing with his quarterbacks. Jefferson will be an excellent player down the road, just not this season. Lee is LSU’s quarterback. He’s unconscious and fits the gunslinger mode. He’s also been an interception machine. Miles put it best when he said:

“I can tell you that when you’re a young quarterback and a dropped ball here and a dropped ball there and a ball that maybe should have been caught is a pick, and just everything that could possibly go wrong does, it’s hard to rebound. It’s hard for him to continue to fight, but he does. He comes back onto the field with the opportunity to win the game, and again, it’s a throw that he does not need to make. His view was, ‘I hit this one, we win it.’ What a great view. I’ve just got to coach him some more, love him and support him and make him better.”

It’s all about the love.

LSU ran the ball for over 200 yards against the #2 rush defense in the country. Bama was giving up only 65 yards a game on the ground before Saturday. Props go out to Scott, Williams and the O-Line. I am looking for that productivity to continue as the season closes out.

I’ve heard a little talk on the radio from fans and some talking heads that Miles is not a good coach, he won with Saban’s players, LSU is going into the tank…blah, blah, blah. This sort of stupidity infuriates me. But I guess you must look at the source and ask, who calls into a radio show after a game? Is your life so devoid of meaning that you are willing to sit on hold on a Saturday night so you can make some asinine comments over the public airways?

Everyone needs to get a grip.

That’s not to say that Jarrett Lee did not stink Saturday night. He did. That’s not to say that he did not cost LSU the game Saturday night. He did. But step back a moment and look at the game. The player at the most important position on LSU’s team looked like crap all afternoon and LSU was still able to push the #1 team in the country, led by a 5th year senior and coached by one of the top guys in the business, to overtime. In my mind, LSU is close to being a very good team. Obviously the QB position is what is holding the Tigers back.

I think LSU fans need to get a little perspective on what the program is going thru this season. Looking back at the previous 16 years, I don’t think one freshman has ever led his team to the SEC Title game. I think many fans felt like anything less than a division championship would be a disappointment. The problem is, that was never going to happen once Perriloux was booted off the team. You want to be pissed at someone, be pissed at that clown. Once he committed to LSU in 2005, a number of other guys stopped looking at the Tigers. In 2006, the Tigers were loaded with Russell, Flynn and Perriloux. What elite QB wants to come into that situation? Even in 2007, LSU had Flynn and Perriloux, which most recruits viewed as a situation where the earliest they would see the field would be the 2010 season.

You want more perspective, look at the records of these SEC teams following their championship seasons and subsequent loss of their starting QB.

2008 LSU – 6-3 (losses to Florida, Bama and Georgia)
2007 Florida – 9-4 (losses to Auburn, Georgia, LSU and Michigan)
2006 Georgia – 9-4 (losses to Tennessee, Vandy, Florida and Kentucky)
2005 Auburn – 9-3 (losses to Georgia Tech, LSU, Wisconsin)
2004 LSU – 9-3 (losses to Auburn, Georgia and Iowa)
2002 LSU – 8-5 (losses to Virginia Tech, Auburn, Bama, Arkansas and Texas)

I present this not to justify or excuse Lee’s poor play, but rather to provide perspective and a comparison to other SEC teams in the past that have faced a similar situation to LSU. Not only did those teams lose a few games, none of them were even able to win their division. By the way, lest you forgot, the 2002 and 2004 Tigers were coached by God…er…Nick Saban. The 2008 Tigers look right in line with recent history.

Surely if America can overcome it’s past racial history and put a black man in the Whitehouse, Lee can overcome his tendency to throw back breaking pick sixes, right?

We don't Rebuild, we Reload

Since 2003, LSU has finished every season in the top three nationally in total defense. Think about it, for five consecutive years, the Tiger’s defense was statistically one of the best in the nation.

Oh how we have stumbled. LSU now ranks 35th in the country and has given up 50 points twice in the same season for the first time in 115 years of football. LSU’s opponents’ scoring average is 25.9 points a game and is the highest since the Curly Hallman years. Admittedly, the number is a bit skewed by Lee’s ability to throw pick 6’s, but even taking those scores away the Tigers are giving up over 21 points a game.

So what’s the problem?

In my humble opinion, a combination of poor coaching, poor execution and a lack of leadership are to blame.

With respect to the coaches, based on the seven games we have seen so far, Miles made a mistake in failing to look outside of his staff for a defensive coordinator. Players look out of position at times and coverages are getting blown with alarming frequency. The defense only has seven take aways and big plays have been very rare.

The defensive line is not the rock it has been the last few seasons as the loss of Dorsey and Alexander’s inability to return to pre injury form have hurt the Tigers. Throw in François’ injury to the mix as well and the lack of productivity is not surprising.

At the linebacker position, Beckwith may still be battling a knee injury and Kelvin Shepard is really struggling to make plays. There is no real depth so the staff is a bit hamstrung, but I would like to see Ryan Baker get a little playing time. This group is extremely weak in comparison to past years.

The secondary has struggled all season. We have seen very few interceptions or big plays out of the group. Craig Steltz was a real leader in the back and a guy who had a great feel for the position. He regularly laid guys out and had a knack for picking off passes.

LSU misses Dorsey, Steltz, Highsmith, Zenon and Jackson on the defensive side of the ball. These were great players and more importantly great leaders. I think it is fair to say that LSU has an average defense this season. They are certainly good enough to compete with most of the SEC, but not nearly good enough to compete for 60 minutes with the likes of Florida or Georgia.

The last six games of the season will be telling. If Mallory is able to right the ship, Miles would be justified in giving him another season handling the defense. But if LSU doesn’t improve on that side of the ball, Miles will have to make some changes on that staff if he hopes to maintain LSU’s status as an elite program. I’m not ready to throw Mallory under the bus, but the engine is running.

A few other observations:

*The officiating left a lot to be desired. A face mask no call and a no call on a pass interference that was deemed a tip at the line in the first half did not help at all.

*Georgia’s #9, Reshad Jones (S) is going to see Charles Scott in his sleep. Scott ran over and around Jones numerous times on Saturday.

*After watching the game on TV I feel a little better about how LSU played. Georgia is an excellent team and LSU refused to go away. I am optimistic about the continued development of the offense.

*I still like Lee as LSU’s quarterback. But it is not as if LSU has a lot of choices. Hatch is not going to win you many football games. He is limited in so many ways that at this point, I don’t see any meaningful benefit in playing him. Jefferson is too inexperienced to start, but now may be the time to get him in the game. He can do the running that Hatch can do and with his athleticism, he has plenty of potential.

*On Saturday, Georgia’s quarterback, Matthew Stafford, was fantastic, but in his freshman season he threw seven TD’s and 13 INT’s. Keep that in mind in evaluating Lee. He has been essentially thrown to the wolves and has shown signs of bumping up against the SEC’s steep learning curve. The coaches need to work with him and craft a passing regime that works to his strength and keeps him away from any more pick 6’s. If he can master the mental side of the game, he can become a very special player.

*I’ve harped on this before, but you cannot understate the importance of senior leadership at the quarterback position. Look at the SEC’s Champions since the inception of the title game:

2007 – LSU – senior Matt Flynn
2006 – Florida – senior Chris Leak
2005 – Georgia – senior DJ Shockley
2004 – Auburn – senior Jason Campbell
2001 – LSU – senior Rohan Davey
1998 – Tennessee – senior Tee Martin
1997 – Tennessee – senior Peyton Manning
1996 – Florida – senior Danny Wuerffel
1992 – Alabama – senior Jay Barker

This season, Alabama is lead by senior John Parker Wilson. Would you bet against Saban in the SEC Championship?

Tigers get Cocky

This was a huge win.

I know South Carolina is not one of the elite teams in the SEC, but winning at their place was a giant boost for the Tigers. Now at 5-1, the Tigers will play Georgia to keep pace with Alabama in the West.

A few observations from Saturday:

*Defense looked much better. Not great, but much, much better. The Tigers sacked Garcia six times, picked up two fumbles and Curtis Taylor came up with a great pick after the Tigers went up late. Tyson Jackson looked like an NFL first rounder as LSU’s “Express” package gave South Carolina fits. Reminded me a bit of the “Bandit” package LSU used against Florida in ’97 by then defensive coordinator Carl Reese. Part of this may have been due to injuries as François and Alexander were out and Nevis hurt his ankle in the first half. Blitzes were coming from a number of directions as the hits on Garcia wore him down and created big plays for LSU. Kudos go out to Coach Mallory. The Tigers held the Gamecocks to 42 yards in the second half as the play calling was more aggressive than it has been all year. That’s about as impressive a performance as you are going to see.

*Lee made some very nice throws, but he has got to stay away from these killer interceptions. His completion percentage is strong and will continue to get better. He now has five straight home games after cutting his teeth in some of the toughest stadiums in the country. I think Lee is doing just fine.

*The “local village idiot,” also more commonly known as Richard Condon, has been showing his ass on the radio. He rips Lee and supports his argument by asking with a skeptical tone, “do you believe if LSU was down with two minutes left that he can move down the field and win the game?” Uh, you mean like when he threw the game winning pass on the road at Auburn with 1:03 left on the clock? Idiot.

*Hats off to Coach Miles. I think he is underrated and unappreciated by the national media. You don’t hear his name mentioned with some other upper echelon coaches, but just look at what he has done at Oklahoma State and now LSU. He has an 84.8% winning record at LSU with two appearances in the SEC title game, an SEC title, two BCS Bowl wins and a National Championship. He is now 7-0 after a loss while at LSU and has a gaudy 11-4 record in SEC road games.

*The BCS…Fear not Tiger fans, LSU comes in at #13 in the BCS standings but there is plenty of time and plenty of games for the Tigers to climb the polls. LSU plays Georgia and Alabama and would get a rematch with Florida (most likely) in the SEC Championship game. The Tigers would probably leap frog a one loss Ohio State or Penn State. Texas, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech and Oklahoma play a series of games against each other that will create spots above LSU. I don’t know if the Tigers are good enough to win out, but if the Tigers can win this weekend, they will enter November with a legitimate shot to defend their title.

The Perfect Storm

These things happen.

A confluence of events creates what can best be described as a devastating football tsunami.

LSU got swept away by such a storm in the “Swamp” in Gainesville.

A few observations:

* LSU’s defense couldn’t get a stop. A harbinger of the night was Florida’s first third down. Gators are at their own 30 with a third and 12, next thing you know, Percy Harvin is in the endzone. Later in the first quarter, Florida had a third and goal at the LSU seven, and the Tiger secondary let Harvin run free underneath for an EASY TD catch.

*Where are the safeties? None of these guys are in the same league as LaRon Landry or Craig Steltz. After five games LSU has three picks. Last season the Tigers nabbed 23.

*Both lines got dominated. I know a few weeks ago I gushed about the O-line. But they did absolutely NOTHING. Scott had nowhere to run and Lee was under duress for much of the night. The defensive line was awful. The Gators ran for 280 yards while the front four failed to generate any sort of pass rush.

*I thought Lee did well. He is currently third in the SEC in passing efficiency. I know amongst the fans there is some grumbling but let’s be reasonable. Lee has started TWO games. TWO!! Considering LSU generated nothing on the ground, Lee was able to make a few plays after shaking off a slow start. He’s learning. Be patient. The guy can play.

*I liked how LSU fought back from 20 points down to get within six early in the third quarter. Florida took back control, but it is obvious LSU didn’t quit.

*The BIG question bubbling to the surface for me is in regards to the defense. Is it the players, or is it the absence of Bo Pelini? LSU has been giving up way to many yards and points this season. I don’t see any creativity in our blitz packages. Plus some of the match-ups we have defensively are curious to say the least. On Harvin’s TD’s, he was matched up on McCray and Beckwith respectively. Why not put a corner on him? He’s the Gator’s best player outside of Tebow and a definite go to guy. Les better figure it out fast or the Tigers will be in for a few more losses this season. Looking at the big picture, Miles has done very well with his coordinators thus far. I would like to think that he would look to bring someone in on the defensive side at the end of the year IF LSU does not improve as the season goes along.

*Florida came out and played their best game of the season on Saturday. The Gators are just as talented as LSU and are extremely tough at home. Meyer is 22-2 in the “Swamp.” (The two losses were by a combined four points.) The game had to be circled on the Gator’s calendar after last year’s heartbreaker in Tiger Stadium. Tebow has even said publicly that the loss at LSU last season was the toughest of his career. And just for a little perspective, Saban was only 2-3 versus Florida with the first two of the games in 2000 and 2001, ending in 32 and 29 point beat downs respectively. (Remember the “brook trout look” game?) Florida is only two years removed from a National Championship, has the defending Heisman Trophy winner, and with one loss already, in a must win situation.

And there you have a perfect storm, or in LSU’s case – a giant ass whipping.

On to next week.

The Tigers have not lost back-to-back games since the end of the 2002 season. (Arkansas to end the regular season and Texas in the Cotton Bowl) With Saturday’s loss, the Tigers are now 60-11 since 2003. What I am getting at is there is no reason to panic. Everyone needs to be patient and look for improvement. LSU lost a championship caliber core of leaders from last year’s squad, including Steltz, Dorsey, Flynn and Hester. Guys like that are not easily replaced.

South Carolina is every bit as good on defense as Florida, currently ranking third in the nation in total defense. But the Gamecocks offense is not even on the same planet as the Gators, currently ranking 74th in total offense. South Carolina has turned the ball over 20 times this season, nearly three a game. The LSU defense needs to keep that trend going and make a few big plays to help out the offense. Lee needs to take better care of the ball while the offensive line needs to open up a few running lanes. If LSU can run the ball, they will win. If they struggle on the ground as they did last week, no telling what will happen.

In 2003, the Tigers followed up a home loss to the Gators with a resounding thumping of the Gamecocks in Columbia. The Tigers reeled off eight straight and won it all that season. I doubt LSU duplicates that feat. But with games against Georgia and Alabama still to play, this is a must win if LSU hopes to make a return trip to Atlanta and a possible rematch against Saturday’s perfect storm.

LSU 27 – South Carolina 23

LSU v. Florida

I like how things are shaping up in the media for the LSU v. Florida game. No one is picking the Tigers to win and the spread is currently Florida by four. Please, tell the Tigers they have no chance. Talk about the unstoppable Tim Tebow. Gush about the scary and loud “Swamp.” While the talking heads may get this one right, the lack of meaningful analysis by the Sports MSM (main stream media) does fans a disservice. But that’s why you are here in the first place, to get the real story.

Lets look at a few numbers.

0 – the number of 4th quarter comebacks by Tim Tebow.

1- the number of 4th quarter comebacks by Jarrett Lee. Think about that for a moment. Tebow has won the Heisman, yet has never led his team to a 4th quarter comeback. Isn’t a comeback in a tight game with the pressure mounting on each play the epitome of “clutch?”

2 – The number of wins Les Miles has over Urban Meyer

3- Miles is 3-1 in games after the bye week with the only loss coming at the hands of Tennessee after Katrina

6 – In games decided by 6 points or less, Miles is an astounding 11-4 while Meyer comes in at a much more modest 5-4.

75.5 – Tebow’s efficiency rating from last year’s LSU game, the lowest of the season for him and nearly 100 points below his season average.

133.75 – Yards per game rushing for Charles Scott.

140.5 – Average yards rushing given up by the Gators in their last two games.

The match ups on the offensive and defensive line seem to favor LSU. Florida’s defensive line is solid, but LSU may have one of the best lines in the 115 years of the program. These guys have been road graters so far and look stronger every week. On the opposite side, Florida is banged up and has not been consistent protecting Tebow and generating a running game (UF is 41st in rushing offense). LSU’s defensive line has been very strong against the run (LSU is 8th in rushing defense) and their depth allows fresh players to take over in the 4th quarter.

Charles Scott has been an absolute stud and is looking for his 5th consecutive 100 yard game. He is the first LSU player since Charles Alexander in 1978 to start the season with four consecutive 100 yard games. If he is able to make it five and LSU comes out with a win, he will definitely move up the Heisman list.

LSU’s questions are at QB and the back seven of the defense. Lee has looked great the last six quarters, but he’s the same guy that looked very shaky in his first 10. My thought is this, if you can play as well as he did in the second half at Auburn, you can play ANYWHERE. It will be his first road start and I am sure he will be nervous. But with Scott and that offensive line leading the way, I think Crowton will come up with plenty of plays to keep Lee from making any killer mistakes.

As for the LB’s and secondary, look for a lot of crossing routes with Harvin matched up on a LB and a few deep throws by Tebow. I expect more blitzing in this game than we have seen from the Tigers because teams have had some success at getting after Tebow. The blown coverages by LSU's secondary have to end or Florida will put up big numbers.

At the beginning of the season, I picked this game as one of LSU’s two losses, the other being the Auburn game. As I look at the match ups and all the numbers I really, really like LSU this weekend. But the X factor is how well Lee holds up under pressure. He is a redshirt freshman in his first start on the road in a big conference showdown. For this reason alone, reluctantly, I am sticking with my thoughts from the pre-season.

LSU 20 – Florida 24


(Let’s all hope I get this one wrong as well. Geaux Tigers!!)

Tigers better wrap up just as they did last season.

Good...Bad

Good…The Contenders – Oklahoma, Missouri, Texas, Alabama, Penn State, UConn, Northwestern, LSU, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, South Florida, Ball State, BYU, Utah, Vanderbilt, Tulsa and Boise State.

Bad…Poser Material – USC, Florida, Colorado, Minnesota, Weak Forest, Nebraska, Georgia, Wisconsin, and TCU

Good…LSU is now 8-3 versus Top 10 teams under Les Miles. The Tigers have now won six in a row versus the Top 10.

Bad…Coaches in for a Long Season – (1) Sylvester Croom at MSU is now 1-4 and looking at the possibility of a three or four win season. (2) Greg Robinson at Syracuse will probably get the boot at the end of the season. (3) Mike Sherman at A&M will be lucky to win five games. (4) Spur Dog at South Carolina may want to hang up his visor by the time the season ends. (5) Fat Phil Fulmer is 14-14 in his last 28 SEC games. And this decade, the Vols are just 1-8 at home against Top 10 teams and 17-24 against all nationally ranked teams.

Good…JoePa has taken the lead in all time wins with 377.

Bad…Bobby Bowden’s star is quickly fading. The only question is how low will the Noles sink.

Good…You heard it here before the season started, the Mighty Spartans would contend in the Big 11. Javon Ringer is a STUD.

Bad…Big reality check for Notre Dame. The Domers schedule is putrid so six wins is not unrealistic. (Strength of schedule currently ranks 71st)

Good…The Shield is in its final season and it fantastic as ever.

Bad…The Wire (from HBO) ended after five seasons. One of the best cop shows EVER.

Good…Upset City. Makes Saturdays fun because you NEVER know what is going to happen.

Bad…Mentally weak teams…I’m talking to you USC. Winning championships begins with mental toughness and focus. Something the Trojans have lacked against less talented teams the past few years.

First Quarter Grades

First quarter grades are out and a few students have moved to the head of the class leaving others hoping we grade on a curve.

SEC West

Alabama

Grade (A+) – After crushing Georgia in Athens there is no doubt that Bama has moved to the head of the class.

Arkansas

Grade (D) – Two last minute wins over bad teams and two absolute beat downs at the hands of Bama and Texas.

Auburn

Grade (B+) – Auburn’s defense is fantastic, but the offense has a way to go.

LSU

Grade (A) – The only reason not an A+ is the QB position and secondary are works in progress.

MSU

Grade (D) - The Bulldogs have been TERRIBLE this season. 1-4 and not much hope for many more wins.

Ole Miss

Grade (C+) – This may be a little harsh as the Rebels failed a big test at home versus Vanderbilt but came back the next week and won in the Swamp. Go figure.


SEC East

Florida

Grade (B) – Dominant on both sides of the ball until Saturday. This team has a way to go to win the SEC East.

Georgia

Grade (B-) – Bulldogs were down 31-0 at half at home. Elite teams don’t let that happen.

Tennessee

Grade (D) – Lost to a terrible UCLA team and looked helpless and sloppy against the Gators and Tigers.

Kentucky

Grade (A-) – Hard to argue with being 4-0.

South Carolina

Grade (C) – Looked respectable against Georgia, but unimpressive otherwise.

Vanderbilt

Grade (A-) – Probably to best Vandy team in 25 years. Dores ranked last in SEC in total offense and total defense but first in the nation in turnover margin.

A Star is Born

Wow! Of all the comebacks we’ve seen from the Tigers over the years, this one seemed the most unlikely.

At the end of the first half I had uncharacteristically given up hope. LSU had a grand total of 16 yards passing and Lee looked completely overwhelmed. The pick six he threw had me jumping out of my chair despite my limited mobility. The offensive play calling had me baffled. LSU had 13 first down plays in the half and ran 13 times. Trindon Holliday fumbled two punts and ended up getting pulled. On the positive side, the defense looked great and the punting game was solid.

Ah…but what a second half. Hatch gets knocked out and all the sudden A STAR IS BORN. Lee was brilliant in the second half. He was 11 for 17, 183 yards and 2 TD’s in the final 23 minutes of the game. Amazing. I’ll admit, at half time I was saying all sorts of nasty things about Lee and was convinced he shouldn’t see the field again. But Lee showed real maturity and grit. He should start next week. He has shown he can play in one of the toughest environments in the country and thrive. He has earned his right to start.

As sketchy as the play calling was in the first half, the second half was fantastic. The onside kick, the half back pass and the clincher, the short pass to LaFell for the go ahead touchdown were brilliant. As always, Miles is playing to win, and fans cannot ask for any more.

I think LSU has also found an identity on offense. The Tigers are a power running team that can pass the ball effectively enough to avoid being one dimensional. LSU’s defense is as strong as anyone in the country and special teams are really rounding into form. The defensive line is extremely deep and that freshness shows in the fourth quarter. The overall speed in the defense is amazing as well. After Saturday’s performance, LSU must be considered a legitimate National Title contender.

House of Horrors (Redux)

Since the inception of divisional play, LSU is 2-6 when playing at Auburn. The Tigers have dropped the last 4 dating back to 2000. In those four games, the Tigers are averaging 9 points a contest. Most of the losses have been of the gut wrenching type.

1992: LSU rallies from a deep deficit on the arm of Jamie Howard to take a 28-27 lead. Curley plays prevent defense and Auburn moves down the field and kicks a game winning FG. Au 30 – LSU 28

1994: The Interception Game. Jamie Howard throws 3 pick-6’s as LSU blows a game they dominated all afternoon. AU 30 – LSU 26

2000: Rudy Johnson pounds on LSU. AU 34 – LSU 17

2002: Auburn dominates LSU as Marcus Randall struggles. AU 31 – LSU 7

2004: Classic game decided by a missed XP and a bogus penalty on LSU. Auburn converted on a 4th and long on the game winning drive. Then missed the XP after tying the score at 9-9. But a flag was thrown on LSU for landing on another player and Auburn was allowed to re-kick. I have NEVER seen that penalty called in 25 years of watching football. AU 10 – LSU 9

2006: Another classic marred by the officials. Down 7-3, LSU throws deep on 4th and long. Early Doucet is mugged around the goal line and the ball is tipped away. The ref closest to the play throws a flag but is overruled in an absolutely TERRIBLE call. AU 7 – LSU 3.

At the beginning of the season, I picked Auburn to win the SEC West on the strength of this particular game being played in Jordan-Hare Stadium. As mentioned above, LSU has struggled mightily at Auburn with the only wins in ’96 (A Barn Burner – literally- the barn next to the stadium burned down as huge clouds of smoked billowed up throughout most of the game) and ’98 (Bowden was fired a few games later as Auburn finished 3-8 that season).

Auburn’s offense is putrid, but LSU’s QB’s are a giant question mark. Jordan-Hare can get just as loud as Tiger Stadium and I guarantee the place will be crazy all night.Miles has said that both Hatch and Lee will play. He’s looked erratic while playing in the friendly and calm confines of Tiger Stadium against seriously outmatched opponents. In Marcus Randall’s first road start in ’02 (at Auburn) he threw four picks.I don’t think you will see as many mistakes from Hatch and Lee, but the difference in these games has been razor thin. The last four games have been decided by a total of 14 points.

LSU’s running game and special teams will be the key. If Charles Scott and company can pound the ball and Holliday can come up with one great return, LSU can get their first road win in this series in 10 years.

I hope I am wrong, but I think Auburn will do just enough to squeak by LSU 13-12.

Random Musings

*Part of the problem with the 24/7 sports news cycle is the constant overreaction to whatever is happening right now. For instance, Tom Brady goes out and the Patriots season is OVER. They have no hope and there really is no need to play the rest of the season. We’ve seen this in college football in multiple forms. The biggest one so far is:

“THE ACC IS TERRIBLE. THERE IS NO HOPE FOR THE CONFERENCE. THEY MIGHT AS WELL STOP PLAYING FOOTBALL ALL TOGETHER.”

This “irrefutable” fact was clear after only two weeks.

Oh but wait. Maybe the talking heads got it wrong. Just this weekend, Maryland hammered Cal, UNC destroyed Rutgers and even lowly Duke beat Navy. Everyone, especially the media, needs to cool out and let the season progress just a little before making blanket generalizations.

*Having said that, is there any doubt that USC will win its seventh consecutive Pac-10 title? The rest of the league with the exception of USC, Oregon and Oregon State went out this week and laid an egg. Cal lost at Maryland, Wazzu lost at Baylor, Arizona lost at New Mexico, Stanford lost at TCU, Arizona State lost at home to UNLV, and Washington was bombed out at home by Oklahoma. Did I mention that UCLA lost 59-0 to BYU? All the talk about a resurgent Pac-10 may be a little premature.

*What can you make of Auburn’s thrilling 3-2 win over Mississippi State? I think it is fair to say that both offenses are putrid. If LSU can get to 17 points they can win. The problem is the Tigers have scored a grand total of 19 points in their last three trips to the Plains.

*I think the Big 11 is wide open this season. Ohio State is the most talented team, but without Beanie Wells the Suckeyes are missing a key cog to Tressel Ball, i.e., a strong ground game, solid defense and special teams. Penn State has crushed three outmatched teams so far, Wisconsin passed a major road test winning at Fresno State, Northwestern is 3-0 (seriously!) and the Mighty Spartans are looking good. Plus OSU lost to Illinois last season.

*Mizzu and Oklahoma are cruising toward a titanic showdown in the Big 12 Championship. I know there are a ton of games to play, but both of these schools look overwhelming on offense. The Big 12 and SEC will be a lot of fun to watch this season.

*Don’t look now, but Butch Davis has UNC on the right track. It will only be a matter of time before the Tar Heels become a dominant force in the ACC.

*Vandy baby!! 3-0 with a legitimate shot to make a bowl this season.

*All the Notre Dame loonies will put way too much stock in the Domers 2-0 start. If not for SIX Michigan turnovers, the game would probably have been much different. Reality check this weekend, if ND beats the Spartans in East Lansing, I will publicly flog myself for being such a hater.

*Based strictly on winning percentages, Georgia’s schedule is ranked 2nd toughest in the country. LSU logs in at 37th.

Week 2 with no LSU

With LSU off I got to see a lot of football this Saturday. A few observations:

· Notre Dame is only marginally better than last season. Good thing the schedule is so weak. Six wins would be an accomplishment.

· Ole Miss looked very good at Wake Forest. They will be tough all season. Having said that, I was glad they got beat late. My loyalty to the SEC only goes so far.

· The unsportsmanlike penalty after Washington scored with :02 seconds left in the game may be the WORST call I have ever seen. I’m not exaggerating about this. Washington’s QB Jake Locker had just scored on a QB draw and threw the ball up over his shoulder. Penalty. The XP was essentially a 34 yard FG which BYU blocked.

· BYU, Utah, East Carolina and possibly Fresno State may make the BCS Buster race the most competitive since the inception of the BCS 10 years ago.

· Ohio State was TOTALLY looking ahead to USC next week. The Suckeyes will bring a much stronger effort next week. Just watch.

· Tyrone Willingham and Greg Robinson will be fired this season. Bank on it.

· Look at Vandy. Great win at home versus South Carolina. If the Dores can go 4-6 the rest of the season they will make a bowl game.

· Hmmm….Bama had a total of 38 yards of offense in the first half against Tulane. 172 yards for the entire game. Let’s hold off on the SEC Title talk.

· Georgia better get ready for that trip to the desert in a few weeks. Arizona State is going to give the Dawgs a real challenge.

· Michigan State looks strong. I know Spartan Brian isn’t drinking the Kool-Aid yet. But he will be by the end of the season.

I'll have my thoughts on LSU later this week. See you then.

-Prowler

Ugly Loses from Week 1

There were a few UGLY loses last weekend that will make some coaching seats even hotter.

· Pitt losing at home to Bowling Green. Are you kidding me? This was a team that was going to contend for the Big East title?
· Texas A&M loses at home to Arkansas State. Oh my. Notice the trend? Two former NFL coaches lay eggs in the season opener. I’m not sure which loss is worse.
· Washington gets beat by 34 at Oregon. It looks like Willingham is done.
· Mississippi State loses in Ruston to Louisiana Tech. So much for the Bulldogs turning the corner.
· Virginia Tech goes down to East Carolina by five, ironically enough after giving up a blocked punt late in the fourth quarter.

Battle of Champions

LSU looked very sharp to start the 2008 season. The half time score was 31-0 and LSU could have won 60-0 had they kept their foot on the pedal. But the Tigers treated the second half as a scrimmage and worked on a passing game that is still developing. The same could be said about the defense. LSU completely dominated Armanti Edwards and the ASU offense. Only after multiple substitutions which resulted in a few blown coverages in LSU’s secondary did ASU move the ball in the second half.

A few other observations:

· Both lines looked VERY GOOD. But we won’t REALLY know anything for sure until after the Auburn game.

· CB Patrick Peterson is the real deal. Rated the #1 CB coming out of high school last season, he looked ready for the big time.

· I liked Hatch. He doesn’t have a gun, but he’s not going to kill you and his decision making looked good.

· I thought Lee struggled a bit. At times he looked a little confused and he threw an ugly pick which led to three points by ASU. He looked like a red-shirt freshman playing in his first college game.

· LSU came out ready to play which is a credit to the staff. The Tigers were focused and put the game out of reach by halftime.

· Did you notice that Jordan Jefferson didn’t see the field? All the talk about him playing amounts to a bunch of nothing.

· I liked the blitzing by the defense. But the mental errors need to stop. WAY too many blown coverages when LSU blitzed.

I listened to the radio briefly on the ride home. Jimmy Ott uttered the dumbest line of the day in saying, “there’s no need to press the panic button yet, but…” He was referencing the QB play in his comment. Say what?! Panic button? Then he went on to lament the loss of Ryan Perillioux. As most of you know, I can’t stand Ott. Stupid comments like that just reinforce my opinion.

Needless to say, there is no panic in the Hit Parade camp. The Tigers look to improve in week two against a Troy team that managed only 300 yards of offense against Middle Tennessee State in week one. LSU will roll once again and get plenty of playing time for the young guys.

LSU 37 - Troy 10

Fan Day

Two of the finest minds in Baton Rouge...

A Few Random Off Season Thoughts

While sitting at home battling a stomach bug acquired from my oldest son, I had a chance to catch the season premier of ESPN’s College Football Live. Not to be petty, but during the opening highlights of the show, the defending National Champions appeared only ONCE for a grand total of half a second. On top of that, LSU was only mentioned once, during a segment on…Ohio State. Furthermore, ESPN has an on-line voting bracket for the “best college helmet.” LSU did not even make it into the contest. (click here)

Here is a nice composite of the preseason polls.

The three biggest things I look at in the preseason are schedule, returning offensive and defensive linemen and quarterback, in that order. I don’t think it is any mystery why LSU has won the SEC West in every odd numbered year since 2001.

You have got to wonder how long JoePa will be around. Things are looking pretty ugly. (click here)

With every new arrest and suspension, I’m wondering more and more about Georgia’s chances this season. (click here)

I think the Olympics should be divided into to two categories, Natural Humans and Chemically Enhanced Superhumans. That way if you want to use HGH or Roids or whatever, have at it. If you want to stay clean, you can compete in the group with the non-juiced athletes. As it is now, I’m more curious about who gets busted than who wins.

I am SOOOOOO sick of the slobbering over Brett Favre. ESPN was WAY over the top in the coverage.

I like Ohio State and Oklahoma in the BCS title game. I think the Buckeyes will win at USC and Oklahoma is going to lose only one game at most. Georgia's schedule is too tough and USC will lose one other game.

Some readers have expressed to me their doubts about Georgia in the SEC East. I understand the hesitancy, but Florida's defense wasn't very good last year and with Florida TE Ingram gone for the season with a torn ACL, all the pressure goes back to Tebow and Percy Harvin.

2008 SEC Preview

For four years in a row, senior quarterbacks have led their teams to the SEC title. (2007 - Matt Flynn, LSU; 2006 - Chris Leak, Florida; 2005 - DJ Shockley, Georgia; 2004 - Jason Campbell, Auburn) But things will be different this year. Only three teams, Alabama, Arkansas and Vanderbilt have senior signal callers. Of that trio, only Bama has a realistic shot of even making the SEC Title game. So which young buck is going to break the streak and bring home a title?


SEC West

1. Auburn
2. LSU
3. Alabama
4. Mississippi State
5. Ole Miss
6. Arkansas


The only reason I like Auburn this season is the annual Tiger Tussle will be played on the Plains of Auburn. The home team has won every game in the series since 2000. (that’s 8 in a row for our mathematically challenged readers) Young quarterbacks, in this case most probably LSU's freshman Jarrett Lee, can expect to struggle on the road. The last four games have been decided by a total of 14 points and this should be another close contest. Since the inception of the championship game, the loser of this game has NEVER gone on to play for the SEC Title.

Alabama is a big wild card this season. John Parker Wilson is their senior quarterback and we all know what Saban can do on the defensive side of the ball. The problem is the schedule. The Tide play road games at Arkansas, at Georgia, at Tennessee and at LSU. Plus Alabama has lost six in a row against Auburn. Alabama will be better this season, but the tough schedule will keep them out of the title game.

The bottom of the West is full of questions.

Did Mississippi State turn the corner?

Can Houston Nutt take advantage of Ole Miss’ talent?

How will the Hogs adjust to a new coach and different philosophy on offense?

I like MSU’s chance to make it two bowl games in a row. Also look out for Ole Miss, Nutt will win six games or more this season.


SEC East

1. Georgia
2. Florida
3. Tennessee
4. South Carolina
5. Kentucky
6. Vanderbilt



Say it with me.

“Hunker down you hairy Dawg!”

Georgia is in a similar position as LSU was last season. Blow out BCS win in the Sugar Bowl to end the season, lots of guys returning on both sides of the ball and a manageable if not challenging schedule. 9 guys return on defense and 7 on offense. Georgia gets Alabama and Tennessee at home but must travel to LSU and Auburn. The East will be decided at the Cocktail Party when the Bulldogs face off against the Florida Gators.

Florida has been picked pre-season #1 by a few publications entering 2008. As usual, much of the media loves offense, which the Gators have plenty. Tebow will again be a beast teaming up with Percy Harvin. But until a running back and wide out emerge, the Gators will remain a two-man operation. Florida’s biggest problem is on defense. Last year the Gators only held two opponents to under 20 points. The front line is young and the secondary had plenty of problems throughout last season.

Many folks criticize Phil Fulmer. I’m not one of them. During his 16 seasons, he’s won over 76% of his games, 10 or more games nine times, a National Title, two SEC Titles and has been to the SEC Championship five times. It is possible this year’s team could be even better than the 2007 group. Four of the five starters on the offensive line return. The defense should be better especially in the secondary. The biggest hurdle is the schedule, which includes road games at Auburn, at Georgia and at South Carolina. The Vols are good enough to win the East, but getting past Georgia and Florida will be a tall task.

Anyone who has read this page knows I am a fan of Steve Spurrier. But you have got to wonder if the challenge at South Carolina is too much for him to overcome. He is 21-16 overall with a 1-1 bowl record in three years with the Gamecocks. He has beaten Georgia, Florida and Tennessee once each but is only 3-6 overall against the Eastern big boys. The schedule plays out very well as SC gets Georgia, LSU, Tennessee and Arkansas at home. The only real road test is Florida. A New Years Day bowl is not out of reach.

Kentucky and Vandy lost a number of players and will be battling for the basement, again, this season.