Boo Birds Unite...

While I would like to stick to the football this week, the “hysteria” over the booing of Jordan Jefferson has really got me worked up.

I admit it, I booed. I actually booed twice. I don’t feel any guilt and don’t wish to take my boo back. I booed Jefferson. He got the loudest part of my boo. Miles got the residual as my boo began to fade as my lungs ran out of air. The second boo was shorter and was confined strictly to Jefferson.

I’m not bothered that many people disagree with the booing. Everyone has a right to their own thoughts. It bothers me that some of these people are so sanctimonious and self righteous. It bothers me that not only do they disagree with a person’s choice to boo, but that they are willing to lash out at those who booed with blanket personal attacks.

Think about it, thousands of people booed a person that ENGAGED IN VIOLENT CRIMINAL CONDUCT, yet the people that booed are “not real LSU fans, morons or idiots.” People at the game booed a person that has testified before a Grand Jury on his own behalf and the Grand Jury sent back an indictment against him. That tells me the Grand Jury DID NOT BELIEVE HIM. We know for a fact that he has lied to police about what happened and has changed his story. He has never publicly denied kicking someone in the face during that bar fight. He has hidden behind his attorney throughout.

This is the guy the “true LSU fans” want to stick up for? Obviously all these folks are OK with Jefferson’s return. Obviously all these folk are OK with a person who ENGAGED IN VIOLENT CRIMINAL CONDUCT wearing the purple and gold and representing LSU. Obviously these folks are more concerned about Jordan Jefferson’s well being and winning football games than they are about players being involved in off the field criminal conduct. I have a sneaking suspicion that if it was their brother or friend that Jefferson kicked, they would feel a good deal different about the entire situation.

Jefferson did not make a mistake. A mistake is leaving your keys in the car or forgetting to stop at the store to pick up the milk. He did wrong. He wasn’t drunk. It wasn’t an accident. He did wrong. And to tell me I don’t have the right to express myself is…well…just plain un-American.

This is my 30^th season watching LSU football. I’ve got two degrees from LSU and an LSU tattoo on my right leg to boot. I was here long before Miles and long before Jefferson was even born. I’ve seen a lot of good LSU teams and plenty of bad LSU teams. But I’ve never wavered and never failed to support LSU. So I’ll be damned if someone is going to tell me or others like me that we are not “real LSU fans.” Coaches and players come and go, but the institution is where my loyalty lies, and always will.

That’s all I got this week. Thanks to my loyal readers, even the ones that didn’t boo.

By the way, Tyrann Mathieu is really, really good.

Numbers that Count

Now that Jefferson is back on the team, let me make my argument why he should NEVER see the field.

1. 11th rated passer in SEC last season. Second to last.

2. 92nd rated passer in NCAA last season.

3. 10th in the SEC in yards per attempt.

4. 83rd in the country in completion percentage.

5. For a "QB that makes plays with his feet" he averaged a paltry 3.66 per carry in 2010. Take out the 83 yard run against Tennessee and he only averaged THREE yards a carry on the other 122 rushes.

6. He ranked OUTSIDE the top 100 in passing yards per game. I can't even tell you his rank out of the 120 FBS schools because the rankings don't post beyond 100.

7. Of the 19 SEC QB's rated for 4th quarter efficiency in 2010, Jefferson was 16th.

8. Of the 15 SEC QB's rated for 3rd down efficiency in 2010, Jefferson was rated 13th.

9. Amongst QB's, Jefferson was ranked 9th in the SEC in yards per play at 5.6.

So tell me what this guy brings to the table...

Misty Mountain Beat Down

Another road trip. Another beat down.

LSU essentially blew out WVU twice, once in the the first half which ended 27-7. Then again in the second half, after the Mountaineers cut the lead to 21-27, LSU ran off three straight TD's starting off with Mo Claiborne's 99 yard KOI return.

Lee was fantastic again. His QB rating is 30 points higher than Jefferson's mark last year and with one more TD pass ties Jefferson's total from ALL of last season. This offense is fun to watch which I haven't been able to say for years.

The defense OVERALL was nothing special Saturday. There were way too many missed tackles and Smith passed for over 400 yards. However, Tyrann Mathieu did say after the game that the field was very slippery which may explain some of the poor tackling. WVU was going almost exclusively to three step drops which makes it very difficult to pressure the QB. Regardless, LSU kept the WVU recievers in front of them and didn't give up many big plays against a very good offense. Remember, WVU is ranked 3rd nationally in passing offense, 24th in total offense. Geno Smith is very talented and the Mountaineers were playing at home.

The one thing the defense did do was make big plays, none bigger than Mathieu's leaping tip of a Smith pass which he then grabbed out of the air and returned to the 1. The Tigers were +4 in the turnover department picking off Smith twice. The run defense was also stout as usual giving up only 70 yards on 22 carries.

The Tigers get Kentucky at home this weekend for the first meeting between the schools since LSU's triple OT loss in 2007. Expect another efficient performance on offense and a defense looking to improve off last week's effort. Bad news for the Wildcats.

LSU 45 - UK 13

A Plea for the Status Quo

Regardless of what happens in the Grand Jury hearing the Jordan Jefferson case, I don't want the guy back. I know, that's not very PC or very nice. If he's innocent why should he be off the team? If he didn't do anything wrong, why should he be punished?

Because it's not about him, it's about the LSU football program. Ask yourself, would it be in the best interest of the LSU football program for Jefferson to be reinstated?

In my opinion, no it would not.

This team has performed very well thus far and has stayed focused on the task at hand. Lee has done a good job of running the offense and minimizing negative plays. He is the clear cut starter at the most important position on the team. How many times did we hear last season, "LSU is a very good team, but Jordan Jefferson is the quarterback..."?

Bringing Jefferson back would bring a plethora of distractions and internal divisions. If he came back the first question for Miles would be, "who is starting at QB?" No matter the answer to the question, there would be some negativity, externally and internally. Fairly or not, Jefferson has been a lightening rod for criticism on this team. Were he to be put back on the field I have no doubt many fans would have a negative reaction. Last season a caller to Miles' radio show asked the coach if Jefferson had naked pictures of him. Cat calls and general disgust would only increase. There would also be locker room division, some players and coaches supporting Lee and others Jefferson.

If Lee loses a game, no one will be saying, "had Jefferson been playing, we would have won that game." But should Jefferson come in and play poorly leading to an LSU defeat, you can be assured EVERYONE, LSU fans, the media and the players would be second guessing Miles decision.

Finally, the Shady's incident won't go away. There will be a civil suit that keeps this story alive throughout the season. Jefferson's presence will keep that cloud hovering over this team.

Maybe I'm not as worried about Jefferson being on the team as I am about him actually seeing the field. Maybe i just don't trust Miles' to make the right calls on this. I just don't think I could stand to watch Jefferson in all his incompetence run that option play one more time.

Addition by Subtraction

Not since 2007 have I left a "body bag" game feeling so good about the Tigers.  LSU took care of business with crisp execution and smart play, no flopping around, no struggling with a clearly inferior opponent.  Versus McNeese last season, Jefferson finished with a QB rating of 91.  Last night, Lee went 9 for 10 with 133 yards and a TD.  Lee had a QB rating of 234.  Lights out!!  No way LSU is so efficient with Jefferson.

The past two weeks, the offense has shown a clear identity and solid productivity.  How many times over the last few seasons have we seen delay of game penalties? Last second time outs to avoid a delay of game? Substitution violations? LSU's QB looking lost?  None of that this season.  Lee is on his way to having a very good season.

Did Mettenberger look great?  I know it was Northwestern State, but good players come out and execute against inferior opponents.  I was really pleased that the staff allowed Mettenberger to throw the ball.  He finished 8 for 11 with 92 yards and 1 very nice TD pass to Kadrone Boone.

The defense was fantastic.  LSU held the Demons to -4 yards rushing and 95 yards of total offense.  LSU rotated guys in all night yet was suffocating throughout.

Next Week

Mississippi State lost a heart breaker Saturday at Auburn.  MSU's QB, Chris Relf, was stuffed at the 1 yard line as time ran out.  Now the Bulldogs must turn around on a short week and host LSU on Thursday night.  The Tigers were able to rest key players and get plenty of reps for some younger players.  Spencer Ware, who I expect to get 20 plus carries against MSU, only toted the ball 6 times against NWSU. 

This will be another big test for Lee.  Thursday will be his first true road game start since October 18, 2008 at South Carolina.  I think his confidence will continue to grow as the Tigers get victory number three this season.  Expect plenty of Ware and Ford and enough Lee to keep the chains moving.  LSU's defense will match up well against State.  The Bulldogs only managed 7 points against LSU last season.

LSU 33 - MSU17

Duck Hunt

Searching the web, I was hard pressed to find anyone picking the Tigers to win this weekend.  As usual, the bloggers, writers and talking heads all fall in love with flashy QB’s, speedy running backs and flavor of the month coaches.  But once again, line play dictated the outcome of a matchup of heavy weights.

Oregon’s vaunted running game racked up only 95 yards on 28 carries.  The Ducks averaged 286 yards a game last season.  But with three new starters versus LSU’s extremely talented defensive front, Oregon could not run the ball with any consistency.  On the other side, LSU’s offensive line gradually began exerting itself eventually leading to three rushing touchdowns and 175 yards.  Again the Ducks only returned two of the defensive front seven.

Turnovers certainly played a role in the game with LSU finishing plus three in that category.  But the Tigers were able to convert behind a solid and experienced offensive line.

Jarrett Lee didn’t play great, but he did what the coaches asked of him.  He converted on some key plays and didn’t kill LSU.  There were a number of drops and he had a really nice deep completion to Beckham called back by a penalty.  The big thing was no interceptions.  (Here is a great link on Lee if you are a stats geek like me.)  Hopefully as he season progresses he will become more confident and grow under Kragthorpe’s tutelage.  With Jefferson out of the picture, Lee will get the vast majority of reps and work.

Tyrann Mathieu is a flat out ‘Balla.’  He just makes plays.

What you saw Saturday in Dallas is Miles’ vision of LSU football, running out of the I-formation, play action passes, three wides sprinkled in and plenty of action for the tight-ends.  LSU’s goal is probably to have 180 yards passing and 220 yards rushing per game.  With a fantastic defense and good special teams, the Tigers can win a lot of games with that formula.

Pre-Season Random Mussings

*Would love to comment on The Jefferson Thing but can't.

*I like Florida State and Alabama in the National Title game. Noles are ready in their second year under Jimbo and Alabama returns so many linemen on both sides of the ball.

*Surprise Team: West Virginia

*Flop Team: Stanford

*The Heisman Trophy is the most over hyped and overrated award in sports.

*Three games I most want to watch this season: LSU v. Alabama, Oklahoma v. Florida State, Nebraska v. Penn State.

*TV analyst I like the least: Craig James (I'm not alone either)

*TV analyst I like the most: Chris Spielman

*TV Play by Play guy I like the most: Sean McDonough

*Three things I am most interested in this upcoming season:

1. How does the fallout from scandals at USC, UNC, Ohio State and Miami affect these team's seasons?
2. Can the SEC make it 6 straight?
3.  Will Les Miles ever learn that his use of the word, "want" is dramatically incorrect and makes him look like a boob?

"Now, in terms of the issue of clocking it, certainly there was every want to win that game."

- LSUSports.net Nov 23, 2009

SEC East

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

*Cocky and the Bulldogs mix it up in Athens the second week of the season. Obviously the winner will have a huge leg up on the East race. South Carolina gets a nice warm up in week one against East Carolina while Georgia will play a tough opponent in Boise State. It will be tough for Georgia to maintain that emotional intensity two weeks in a row. BTW: Marcus Lattimore is a stud.

*Florida is extremely young on the offensive line. Expect trouble against the tougher teams on the schedule.

*Tennessee is going to play a number of close games this season. Don't be surprised to see a few upsets.

*Between UK and Vandy, look for one to get to 6 wins and a bowl game.

SEC West

Here are my predictions for the upcoming season.  Take them with a grain of salt.  Of the 12 participants in the SEC Title game over the last six years, I have only correctly picked four. (LSU in ’05 and ’07, UT in ’07 and Florida in ’09)

SEC West

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

*Here is a break down of the 20 starting quarterbacks that have led their teams to the SEC Title game since 2001.

Class	#	Record
Senior	7	5-2
Junior	8	4-4
Sophomore	5	1-4
Freshman	0	0-0

* Obviously having an upperclassman at the helm greatly increases a team's chances to win the division.  Once you actually get to Atlanta, having an upperclassman at QB is critical to victory.  The only sophomore to win in the last ten years was Georgia's David Greene in 2002.  Greene was a special player finishing his career with 42 victories, second most in NCAA history behind Colt McCoy.  By the time he started the 2002 SEC Title Game, he had 24 starts under his belt.

* Alabama has one sophomore, A.J. McCarron who has thrown 48 passes in his career, and three freshman on the roster at the quarterback position.  Sure the defense will be lights out, but is Alabama good enough to buck history and win with an untested quarterback?

* I have LSU second for two reasons.  Number one, LSU's schedule is rough and the Alabama game is on the road.  Two, while I am happy for Jarrett Lee that he is going to finally get his shot after a tough freshman season, it is unclear whether he can lead LSU to a title.  There was no way Jefferson was good enough to bring LSU a title.  But could this be a dream season for Lee?  I hope so.

* Auburn’s offensive linemen have a combined 15 starts between them, that ranks 118^th in the nation.  Auburn is going to really struggle this season.  The talking heads never appreciate the importance of an experienced offensive line.

* The Knile Davis injury really hurts Arkansas.  His loss could possibly the difference between winning the division and finishing third.

AP Poll Top 10 Busts

Could LSU end up on this list?

Miles by the Numbers

Here is an interesting article on Miles' tenure at LSU.  Coaches By the Numbers

SEC Previews

Sports Illustrated

College Football News

ESPN

Pay for Play, part III

GREED: excessive desire, as for wealth or power

-World English Dictionary

There is a school of thought that openly paying players through a stipend would reduce cheating and end the hypocrisy that surrounds college football.  The cheating being $100 handshakes, under the table payments, extra benefits etc. and the hypocrisy of all the money involved in college football and the view of college football as a “semi-professional” football league.

The argument just doesn’t hold up under scrutiny.  Some coaches and programs are going to cheat regardless of what the players get paid.  The theory is that if the athletes get enough money to cover their school expenses, then they will turn down the cash or benefits being offered from boosters/agents/hangers on.  Get real.  You think Donald Trump with his empire is going to turn down a $100 no strings attached gift?  These athletes are still going to have their hands out NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU GIVE THEM.

As for the issue of inequality, there is something to be said for coaches getting paid millions of dollars while the athletes are limited to NCAA regulated scholarships.  But I’ve got a news flash for you; inequality has been around since the beginning of humanity.  When the first two people on earth lived next to each other, by definition, one had to be “rich” and the other “poor.”  Again it goes back to market factors.  There are very few Nick Saban/ Bob Stoops class head coaches out there.  There are plenty of guys that can run 4.5 second 40-yard dashes and can tackle in space.  Forcing equality in a situation that a market does not demand such is inefficient and a misguided attempt at social engineering.

Dirty Ducks?

Did Oregon pay $25,000 to land Lache Seastrunk?

Oregon and LSU meet in the premier game of the first weekend of the 2011 college football season; and just like LSU’s 2010 opening opponent, Oregon will be under NCAA investigation.  If you recall, last season UNC was under investigation for a number of allegations involving the football team.  Now it appears Oregon is in the middle of a very suspicious set of facts which, to speak plainly, “stink to high heaven.”

The basic facts are as follows: On February 3, 2010, two high school players based in south Texas, Lache Seastrunk (5 star, rated #3 RB in country) and Dontae Williams (4 star, rated #12 RB in country) sign with Oregon.  It is well known that a man named Willie Lyles is a “mentor/confidant” of both players.   One month later, Oregon pays Lyles $25,000 for recruiting information on the 2011 recruiting class.  It turns out that NOT ONE player profiled in Lyles booklet was a member of the 2011 class.  Most were from the 2009 class, making the “information” Lyles provided virtually worthless.  Oregon’s current starting RB is LaMichael James.  James is from south Texas as well and was also “mentored” by Lyles.

Thus far Oregon has not made any substantive comments regarding the facts that have come to light.  Not surprising since the NCAA is digging deep into the Oregon program.  Apologist would have you believe that the unscrupulous Lyles duped Oregon and the signings of James, Seastrunk and Williams are merely a coincidence.  No way I buy that.  Oregon’s head coach Chip Kelly is one of the sharpest guys in the business and college football head coaches are notorious control freaks.  Did I mention that even after Lyles delivered the virtually worthless 2011 packet, Oregon continued to do business with him?  The NCAA is going to slap Oregon for this; the only questions are how serious will the penalties be and who gets pink slipped.

Play for Pay, part II

“Forty thousand dollars-plus a year to play, that's a pretty good salary for an 18-year-old that has no college education, if you think about it that way.” 

-Matt Howard, Butler basketball player

According to an article appearing in USA Today, the average basketball scholarship is worth $120,000.  You can argue about the methodology of arriving at this number, but certainly there is no dispute that college athletes are compensated in some form for their athletic performances.  The question asked by many, are these college athletes getting enough?

I would answer with a resounding YES!

For me, the most compelling argument is based on the nature of the system. Meaning that no one is forced to participate in college athletics.  No one has a gun put to his or her head.  No one is forced to sign with a school under duress.  The system is completely voluntary.  As with any job opportunity, if you don’t like the compensation package, don’t take the job.

But what about the poor kids that don’t have money and an athletic scholarship is their only way to college?  My answer to that is the following question, “since when is it the role of a college athletics department to engage in social engineering and welfare programs?”  This question is especially poignant in light of all of the financial assistance that is offered to ALL students.  Low interest loans, grants and many other sources are available to student athletes.  Why should these athletes be GIVEN more benefits that fans pay for when these other resources exist?

College football is a business, a billion dollar business.  Thus basic economic concepts can be applied to college football’s business model.  When it comes to labor, an analysis of simple supply and demand argues against any additional compensation to athletes.  Every year an enormous pool of seniors graduate from high school looking to take advantage of athletic scholarships.  The supply of potential talent, especially available to BCS schools far outnumbers the available scholarships offered each year.  From a strictly financial view, why would a person pay $10 for something they could get for $6?

Finally, looking at the issue in broader terms, how do we want to view our college athletes?  Does it bother you if they become true semi-professionals?  What message do we send to non-athlete students and young high schoolers growing up?  What exactly is the mission of the university in respect to the athletic department?

This is Our Starting Quarterback

Jordan Jefferson Confuses Thomas and George Jefferson

 LSU will NOT be "Moving on Up" this fall with this guy under center...

Play for Pay, Part I

This is the first of four posts regarding the issue of paying college athletes where I will attempt to address the main arguments of proponents of a Play for Pay system. 

1. Schools are making millions off athletes.

Currently there are 120 teams in Division I (FBS) football.  NCAA data from 2009 shows that only 14 of the 120 teams finished in the black for that fiscal year.  The median “net generated negative revenue” (loss) among the 106 teams that lost money was $10 million dollars.  88% of all athletic departments finished in the red, yet some advocates of stipends want to spend MORE MONEY.

Lets go even deeper into this argument.  The naïve and uninformed want to treat football as a separate entity of an athletic department.  It’s not.  Football by itself generally does well.  But an athletic department must manage all of the intercollegiate sports a school supports and comply with Title IX requirements regarding gender equity.  At many schools, football covers for sports that generate a loss, be they men’s or women’s teams.

There is no way a school could pay football players exclusively without running afoul of the Title IX gender requirements that students be treated equally and have the same opportunities.  So we are not talking about just paying football players, but paying EVERY SINGLE ATHLETE ON CAMPUS.  Where are these funds going to come from?

Which leads to my final point on the issue.  Who is going to pay for these stipends?  As in any business, when production costs rises, this is passed on to the consumer.  Why would college athletics be any different?  Tickets to the LSU v. Bama game are $70 face value.  For a family of four it would cost over $300 to attend the game with snacks and souvenirs.  Alabama can get away with that, but what about Tulane, UL Monroe or Southern Miss?  No one is going to pay that kind of money to see those schools.

Proponents of a pay system only look at the "star" athletes and giant programs without looking at the system as a whole.  Athletic departments must be looked at broadly to appreciate all the responsibilities these entities have.  The bottom line is that the funding is just not there to pay college athletes in addition to the scholarships they receive.  

The bigger question I will address in a later post will go beyond the practical issues and cut right to the heart of the matter.  What is the mission of college athletics?  Where do they fit in the mission of higher education as a whole?  Going forward, what do we want college athletics to look like?

Play for Pay

Recently, a BCS conference commissioner openly discussed the idea of adding a stipend to the scholarships now offered in college football. Steve Spurrier has even offered to pay from his own pocket. These ideas are nothing new. The idea of play for pay in college has been kicked around for years. What the idea needs is to be kicked to the curb.

The play for pay guys will tell you that these “poor student athletes” are making millions of dollars for their schools yet are not being compensated appropriately. Why should State U get all this cash when the players only get a lousy tuition and room and board scholarship? Plus the players are getting paid under the table, so lets put all above board and stop the hypocrisy and the cheating.

In my mind, all of the reasoning above is total bunk. I will be posting my thoughts in three parts over the next few days.

LSU Preview on ESPN

Spring Football

I know it’s only May, but with spring practice wrapped up I’m ready to roll out a few bold predictions and few no brainers. As always, I love mail so feel free to write me at prowler257@aol.com.

* Jordan Jefferson is still garbage. Let me be more specific, he plays football like garbage. I don’t know if he’s a good guy, good teammate or hard worker. I don’t know if he understands the playbook or how high he would score on an IQ test. But after watching him play QB for 2 plus seasons, I’m confident in putting him in the garbage category. The numbers back me up. The following stats are from 2010 conference games only. (Courtesy of cfbstats.com)

Statistic		SEC Rank
QB Rating	114.91	9th
Comp. %	57.4	8th
TD Passes	2	13th
INT's	6	6th
Yards/Game	118	11th
4th Qtr Efficiency	115.56	16th
Yards/Play	6.2	8th

* This time last year I was defending Jefferson with the expectation (hope?) that he would produce. In 2011 I agree with these guys.

* The 4th quarter efficiency rating is an interesting stat. LSU played a number of tight games in 2010 and being clutch in the final stanza was key. Guess who finished second in the league in that category. Jarett Lee. The only player statistically better won the Heisman trophy. LSU doesn’t beat Tennessee, Florida or Alabama without Lee. Tell me again why he doesn’t play more.

* Spencer Ware is the real deal. He looked great in the Cotton Bowl and shined at LSU’s Spring game.

*LSU will NOT win the division much less the SEC with Jefferson. At some point in the season we will need the QB to make plays and Jefferson does not have it in him.

*LSU’s defense will be very good once again. They will have to be because the offense will only be marginally better with Jefferson under center.

*I like the Tigers to go 10-2 this season. LSU will split these four games, Oregon, West Virginia, Alabama and Tennessee.

*LSU will go 6-0 at home and end the season with a 17 game home winning streak. The longest in the history of LSU football (?)

Sweet Pete

2011 Cotton Bowl

After a 15 year hiatus, LSU and Texas A&M renew a long standing rivalry. LSU’s history with A&M dates back to 1899.  In fact, LSU has played the Aggies 49 times, the third most frequent non-conference opponent in Tiger history.

A&M finished 9-3 defeating Oklahoma, Texas and Nebraska down the stretch.   

In my eyes, the only “better” match-up for LSU’s bowl game would have been against Nebraska.  I am still waiting for the Tigers to avenge the series of loses to the Cornhuskers that occurred in the 80’s.  But the invitation to the Cotton Bowl resonates more than a credit card bowl game or a game named after a mediocre chain restaurant.  Of course Sugar would be sweeter, but a prime time match-up the Friday before the Championship game is a nice consolation present.

The Year in Review

If Les Miles can lead LSU to a win in the bowl game, he will join Bear Bryant and Phil Fulmer as the only SEC coaches to have four 11 win seasons, quite an accomplishment.  Looking at the season as a whole, the Tigers accomplished a great deal and won 10 games.  Wins over UNC, West Virginia, Mississippi State, Tennessee, Florida and Alabama should not be undervalued.  LSU’s only loses were to Auburn and Arkansas.  Those 8 teams are a combined 65-22 not counting their games against LSU.  For comparison, let us look at the top 8 games for these teams:

Team	Opp. Record	Teams w/ Winning Record
LSU	65-22	7
Oregon	50-34	3
Stanford	50-31	4
TCU	54-33	5
Wisconsin	56-31	5
Ohio State	53-34	6
Boise State	59-26	5

It could be argued that LSU actually overachieved considering the lack of a legitimate quarterback on the team. The Tigers finished 107th in the nation in passing. Dead last in the SEC. Jefferson had to be graded out with a ‘D’ for the season. He passed for only 1253 yards and FOUR touchdowns. FOUR! He also threw 9 INT’s and multiple fumbles. Miles says he likes Jefferson because he can run. Well, on 111 carries he only averaged 3.5 yards a carry with six TD’s. Take away the 83 yard TD versus Tennessee and it goes down to 2.7 yards a carry. In total, Jefferson ranked 10th in the SEC in yards per play amongst the league’s QB’s. He accounted for only 10 TD’s while turning the ball over at least 11 times.

After Lee’s strong showing in the Tennessee game and his brilliant display in the Swamp, I did not understand the insistence on going back to Jefferson. Certainly Lee is flawed, but Jefferson will NEVER win anything of consequence for the Tigers. He is not a leader and frankly, I am just tired of his crappiness. However, unless something drastic occurs in the off season, look for more of the same from the LSU offense.

This leads to a valid criticism of Miles. In six seasons as the LSU head coach, Miles has yet to bring in a QB that would rank in the top half of the league. In 2005, the Tigers signed Ryan Perrilloux. We all know how that turned out as he was kicked off the team before the 2008 season. In 2006 the Tigers did not sign a single QB. In 2007 Miles only signed Jarrett Lee. In 2008 the only QB to sign was Jordan Jefferson. In 2009 Chris Garrett and Russell Shepard signed with LSU. Garrett transferred at the beginning of 2010 and Shepard moved to WR in is second tear on campus. In 2010, LSU again only signed one QB, Zach Lee. Lee signed with the LA Dodgers and never played a down with the Tigers.

Considering how important a QB is to the success of a football team, Miles has been GROSSLY negligent in recruiting the position. In six seasons, Miles’ “star” QB recruit is Jordan Jefferson, probably the WORST regular starter at the position in LSU history.

The offensive play calling left so much to be desired this season. LSU only scored TD’s on 52% of their drives in the red zone. Contrast that with Auburn (68%), Arkansas (71%) and South Carolina (68%). I understand that LSU’s QB’s can hamstring the play calls, but LSU’s inability to put teams away stems from the conservative play calling inside the 20. LSU tied with Army and Middle Tennessee State for DEAD LAST in the nation in red zone passing TD’s with TWO!! TWO!!

This year’s defense was solid, but not elite. The loss of DE Sam Montgomery to injury half way through the season really hurt LSU. Brandon Taylor’s absence was really felt in the Ole Miss and Arkansas games. The Tigers finished 9th nationally in scoring defense, total defense and pass defense. LSU was 17th nationally in sacks and tackles for loss. The real weakness was in the run stopping, the Tigers finished 37th in the nation and 6th in the SEC in rushing defense. Guess who finished 1st and 2nd in the league against the run. It is not a coincidence that South Carolina (1st) and Auburn (2nd) are playing in the SEC title game. Since 2002, the eventually SEC Champ has ranked no worse than 4th in the SEC in rush defense in every season except 2005. Regardless of who wins this Saturday, 6 of the last 8 SEC champs will have finished 1st or 2nd in the SEC in rushing defense. For LSU to return to the SEC Title game, the Tigers are going to have to do a better job up front.

Drake Nevis and Pep Levingston will play their final games in LSU upcoming bowl. The Tigers have recruited well, thus it will be up to the defensive coaches to make the transition seamless. Kelvin Sheppard and Patrick Peterson are also gone but again, LSU has recruited well so there are players who can step up. My hope is that there is more depth at the LB position next season.

I expect the offensive line to get better as LSU only loses one starter. At WR, the Tigers lose Terrance Tolliver, but Randle will be back, and I expect Shepard to improve and one of Chris Tolliver, Kadrone Boone or Jarrett Fobbs to step up. At RB, the Tigers are loaded starting with Stevan Ridley. Although not a game breaker, he is great between the tackles and runs as if his life depends upon it.

10-2 is solid, but if the Tigers had an actual college level QB, who knows how special this season could have been.

192...in a row?!

A streak is going to end today.  It is not a well known streak or all that important to many people outside of the Traylor Clan.  But my dad, William Traylor, has attended every LSU home game since October 23, 1982.  Ironically enough, that was the first game I ever attended.

Last week’s victory over Alabama was a landmark win by Les Miles.  With so many questions looming over the program after two disappointing season, Miles needed this win to show the LSU faithful that the program was heading in the right direction and on sound footing.  In season six, with all his own players, LSU and Miles out played and outcoached the Crimson Tide. 

LSU will be 9-1 after this week.  Miles needs to finish strong and build off the good will he has generated this season.  If the Tigers win out they will play in a BCS bowl for the third time under Miles.  Considering how poor the offense has been, that would be an amazing accomplishment.

LSU v. Alabama

I wish I could be more optimistic, but I don’t give LSU much of a chance this weekend against Alabama.  I expect a close game, but ultimately a Tide victory.

Do you trust Jefferson to protect the ball?

Do you think Jefferson will generate any points on his drives?

Do you think Les Miles and staff will make better adjustments than Saban and his staff at halftime?

Raise your hand if just answered “NO” to all the questions above.  I have ZERO faith in Jefferson.  LSU's offensive staff has struggled all season and Alabama is not the type of team to get things turned around against.

LSU can win this game, but they must do the following:

*Generate at least 10 points from the defense and special teams, be it long returns or a defensive score.

*Win the turnover battle.

*Jarrett Lee needs to duplicate his game at Florida.

*Defense must bounce back to regular form.  

Les Miles is 4-5 in November over the last two seasons.  Despite the strong 7-1 start, Miles needs to make sure this season doesn’t unravel.  The last two years, the Tigers have noticeably slump after getting knocked out of the SEC West race.  This is not a must win for Miles, but knocking off Saban and ending Bama’s National Title hopes would be an enormous boost for “The Hat.”  Miles is 14-1 after a loss in his time at LSU, make it 15-1 and the LSU faithful will be all smiles, for one week at least.

The Mad Hatter

“It’s just a hat and I’m not mad at anybody.”

-Les Miles

You can’t make this stuff up.  If I didn’t know any better, I would think that Miles planned on the game going down to the wire to prove to the naysayers that, in fact, he can manage late game situations.  Miles pushed all the right buttons and called the fake FG which eventually led to the game winning touchdown.

I’m not going to go into Miles’ long term future or whether he is a good coach, lucky or has made a deal with Satan.  Bottom line, he’s got the 5^th most wins since 2005 among active coaches.  He’s 20-7 in games decided by 7 points or less.  His players give a tremendous amount of effort throughout the season.  He can make the most patient of fans pull their hair out.  He uses poor syntax and can speak in the most confusing manner. (The Quotable Les Miles)  But he wins.  He’s 6-0 and will be 7-0 going into Auburn next week.  The Tigers could finish the season anywhere between 14-0 and 8-5.  Miles can quiet a lot of detractors over the next 6 games.

Jarrett Lee has kept LSU undefeated this season.  He has led two game winning TD drives the last two weeks.  This last week was his best performance as a Tiger.  He started five drives against Florida and led the offense to four TD’s.  Jefferson started six drives and garnered a grand total of…..6 points.  Lee got more playing time in the second half and I believe it is inevitable that he eventually gets the large majority of snaps as the season moves along.

The defense played well versus Florida but the final drive by the Gators was frustrating.  Given the defensive excellence through six games, fans can hardly complain.

Given the perceptions of the media, LSU has not gotten much credit for their 6-0 start.  Any discussion of the Tigers includes references of clock mismanagement, luck or their formerly inept passing game.  Urban Meyer was 36-2 at the Swamp going into this game, the only losses coming to Auburn in 2007 and Ole Miss in 2008.  Despite Florida being a little down this year, this was a great win for LSU.  But all you hear about is Lucky Les and how mediocre UF has been this season.

LSU will handle McNeese this weekend, but the big test will be against Auburn in two weeks.  Enjoy the build up and savor the soon to be 7-0 start.   

Hi. My name is Les Miles, and I'm an idiot

Absurd - ridiculously unreasonable, unsound, or incongruous.  (Merriam Webster Dictionary)

The term that repeatedly comes to mind is “absurd.”  The stupidity and poor coaching at the end of that game goes beyond comprehension.  Whoever made the decision to try and sub players at the end of that game should be fired, Miles, Crowton, whoever.  For a group of people that make collectively over $4 million per season, the fiasco which will forever define this game is completely inexcusable.

1. Which phrase best describes the end of the LSU v. Tennessee?
1. A Chinese fire drill
2. A bunch of monkeys trying to f*ck a football
3. The Mad Hatter strikes again
4. All of the above

To begin with, it took the staff 20 seconds to run Jefferson in the game for the second down play.  Why was he in there?  Lee was doing a GREAT job on that drive?  Jefferson barely got the play off.  After getting tackled, instead of immediately spiking the ball, he looks to the sideline.  He was tackled with 26 seconds left to go.  With 14 seconds left, Tolliver, Shepard and Randall are run in.  Jefferson does not move to get under center until 7 seconds are left.  T-Bob snaps the ball with only 3 seconds left.  Of course Jefferson mishandles the snap.  Tennessee bailed LSU out by having too many players on the field.

Only a few people probably know the truth, but it is my guess that Miles called for the substitution.  He has no concept of time and this smacks of his disorganized mind.  Why weren’t two plays called?  Was Jefferson told to spike the ball if he didn’t make it and he panicked?  Regardless, I also blame Jefferson; he has NO CONCEPT of game situations or clock awareness.  He should have immediately taken charge and gathered the team up to spike the ball.  I cannot say how tired I am of Jefferson’s shortcomings.  He was 3 of 10 for 30 yards and 2 INT’s.  His passing efficiency rating was 15.2, possibly the lowest in LSU history for a player making at least 10 pass attempts.

Miles is now 56-15 at LSU.  He is 31-14 in SEC games.  His record defies logic.  How does someone who is so incompetent at managing late game situations compile such a record?  It’s almost too easy to say he’s dumb, a moron or a fool.  If it was simple as that, he would not be where he is or have had the success he has enjoyed.  Could he be called the village idiot that continually falls in shit and comes out smelling of roses?  Maybe he is incredibly lucky.  I think it is fair to say that he is one of the worst game day coaches out there.  After the game he said he was embarrassed about the chaos at the end of the game.  He should be.  He’s a joke and LSU fans deserve better.  At this point, Miles has absolutely no good will remaining and every game will be a referendum on whether he should be fired.  Miles has no one to blame but himself for the perception that the media and fans hold of him.

Les Miles, you’re an idiot.

Earlier this season I discussed Miles’ magic number.  At this point I think 9 wins is a must.  I am pretty confident there will be a big turnover on the offensive side of the ball if Miles is invited back next season.

On the positive side, Lee looked great relative to what we have seen from Jefferson thus far.  He threw downfield effectively and went 7 for 9 in the game winning drive.  Is he the savior? Nope.  But at this point he is the best LSU has to offer.  He took command of the team and made clutch throws down the stretch.

The defense was also terrific.  The Tigers gave up only 14 points and 217 yards to Tennessee.  LSU sacked Sims 5 times and stuffed the Vols on fourth down triggering LSU’s game winning drive.  LSU is now ranked 6^th in total defense, 6^th in rushing defense and 5^th in scoring defense nationally.  It is a shame this defense will be wasted by Miles’ stupidity.   

It seems inconceivable to me to be this frustrated with a 5-0 team.  Like most fans, I realize LSU and Les Miles are living on borrowed time.  With upcoming games versus Florida, Auburn, Alabama, Ole Miss and Arkansas, LSU’s season may get very ugly before it’s over.

Florida is up next. The Gators were destroyed by Alabama Saturday.  I expect LSU’s defense to continue to carry the day in Gainesville.  The question is what will we get from the offense. Can Lee be “the guy” on offense?  Will Miles insist on Jefferson’s participation?  Can the defense generate some turnovers?  Can the offense stop committing turnovers?

LSU’s defense is too good to get blown out and Florida’s offense is too weak to dominate the Tigers.  Florida will make a few more plays than LSU and win by ten.  But don't be surprised if LSU comes out and plays very well.  Effort has NEVER been a question under Miles.  Don't be stunned if LSU pulls the upset.

Gators 23 – LSU 13 

Frustration Mounts

"It will only be a championship season, and that’s the only point and direction of this program. That’s where we’re headed."

-Les Miles

For Miles to deliver a championship in 2010, the offense must play better, particularly, Jordan Jefferson.  Among Tiger fans (and probably Tiger coaches) there is a tremendous amount of frustration with the offense.  LSU is currently ranked 115^th out of 120 teams in passing offense.  Jefferson is ranked 113^th in the country and dead last in the SEC in passing efficiency.  It appears that for some reason he has regressed from last season.  This is even more troubling when you consider the improvement by the offensive line and the running game.  Herb Tyler, where have you gone?

It seems clear that Jefferson is Miles’ guy.  Otherwise we would have seen Lee play a few meaningful snaps.  Miles believes that Jefferson gives LSU the best chance to win.  Having said that, it is also clear that the staff has VERY LITTLE faith in Jefferson.  The play calling is not fancy or diverse.  LSU must ‘out execute’ other teams because clearly they will not ‘out scheme’ any one.  Think about it, when was the last time you said, wow, that was a really great play call by LSU?

Miles’ plays Jefferson because unlike Lee, Jefferson is generally good at protecting the ball.  He had only 7 INT’s last season but is now on pace to finish this season with 12.  I assume Miles is willing to accept Jefferson’s shortcomings as long as he doesn’t kill LSU with turnovers.  Jefferson was sacked 37 times last season.  This year he is on pace for 12.  Again, Jefferson does not give up ‘negative’ plays.  I am not trying to justify Miles’ thought process, rather I am trying to explore the most likely scenario for why Lee remains firmly rooted to the bench.

The boos came cascading down last night as Jefferson’s play got worse as the game went along.  After starting 6 for 7, Jefferson went 4 for 15 finishing the game at 10 for 22 for 75 yards and 2 INT’s.  He still stares down receivers and can be terribly inaccurate. 

Last season, many of the talking heads on the local radio and in the nation media asked the question, “What is LSU’s identity?”  I think after four games that question has been answered in 2010.  LSU is going to play great defense, be excellent in special teams play and do just enough on offense to win the game.  The Tigers are going to run the ball and pass just enough to get by.  I believe the staff wants to shorten the game and reduce the number of drives by each team to cover up the offensive deficiencies.

The ultimate question then becomes, can LSU win with this philosophy?  More specifically, can LSU overtake Alabama and Florida in search of an SEC Title?  LSU has a national title worthy defense and special teams the envy of most teams in America.  But the offense may be the worst LSU has produced in the last 50 years.  In the age of spread offenses and with all the supposed talent on this team, the pathetic output of the offense is unacceptable.  I’m not saying Lee will be any better, but until he is given a chance, expect the booing to increase with every poor throw and missed wide receiver.

Let's Dumb it Down

From Miles' press conference on Monday.

On wanting QB Jordan Jefferson to be more aggressive…

“Well, we just want him to play, have some fun, smile and maybe do some things that he’s more comfortable with. Maybe it’s simplifying the game plan, or maybe it’s giving him the checks that he’s most comfortable with and really let him have some input on it. We know he can run the team. We know he has leadership ability. We just want to make him most productive. I just think we need to let him play.”

 Are you kidding me?  From what I can see, the game plan is not very sophisticated as it is.  Jefferson has been in the program three years and you are still having to simplify the game plan?  That's just great.

Time for a Change?

Please raise your hand if you have had about enough of Jordan Jefferson. The junior signal caller played his worst game in a Tiger uniform going 8 for 20 with only 96 yards and one INT. His QB rating for the game was an atrocious 70.32. By comparison, Auburn’s Cameron Newton rated out at 142.23 in his most recent game at MSU on Thursday night. Jefferson also ran the ball 13 times for a grand total of 13 yards. Jefferson was directly involved in 33 plays with a per play average of 3.3 yards. Garbage. I was in Jefferson’s camp and believed that this would be a break out season for him. While he played well versus UNC, he was abysmal this Saturday against the worst team in the SEC.

So what happens now? I hope Jefferson bounces back with a very good game against MSU. But I think Lee deserves a drive or two each half this weekend. You have to wonder about the level of confidence in Jefferson inside the LSU camp amongst coaches and players. LSU’s offensive line is playing better this season in pass protection and run blocking. Yet LSU is still ranked 107th in the nation is passing offense. Jefferson has had ample opportunity to make plays and hasn’t excelled, as you would expect from a player with his experience.

The defense is nasty. The Tigers are #2 nationally in sacks, #4 in tackles for loss and #4 in rushing defense giving up a paltry 44 yards a game on the ground. Through two games, the Tigers are only allowing opponents to convert on 20% of third down conversions. Drake Nevis has been a beast in the middle. IF the linebacker corps matures and the secondary rounds into shape, this looks to be a championship caliber defense.

A few other observations:

* What’s up with Michael Ford? He only got in the game at garbage time while true freshman Alfred Blue got a number of meaningful carries.

* Miles takes a lot of criticism but give him credit for sticking to his guns regarding the team’s offensive identity. LSU ran the ball 50 times for 280 yards. LSU ran a lot of two tight end sets looking to establish the ground game.

* LSU is averaging 5.17 yards a carry this season. Take out Jefferson’s 23 attempts and it moves to 6.73.

* Why are we still running the option?

LSU v.MSU

LSU gets State in the home opener this Saturday. The Bulldogs let a number of opportunities get away in their 17-14 loss to Auburn last week. MSU looked pedestrian on offense racking up only 117 rushing yards and 129 yards passing. I expect the game to be close in the first half with the Tigers pulling away late in the third quarter. I have it on a fairly reliable source that Lee will get an opportunity to play some meaningful snaps on Saturday. Let’s hope he comes out sharp and pushes for more playing time.

LSU 27 – MSU 13

1-0

I can say that almost without exception, it is better to give yourself 24 hours before writing about the Tigers. Be it a win or a loss, a little time to reflect and evaluate is invaluable.

I think it is fair to say that this was probably one of the more disheartening wins I’ve ever sat through. If you view the game standing alone, LSU’s performance could be explained away by any number of factors unique to that particular game. It was a season opener. It was at a neutral site. LSU has a number of new players on defense. UNC played with a great deal of determination. LSU let down after getting up by 20 in the first half.

But viewed in the light of Les Miles’ regime in Baton Rouge, the game was extremely troubling. How many times have we seen LSU fail to close out opponents? In three of LSU’s losses last season, the Tigers held leads going into the fourth quarter only to fade down the stretch. Against a team missing seven defensive starters, LSU’s offense mirrored last years’ unit. An inability to move the ball with any consistency and very questionable play calling were all too reminiscent of 2009. Did I also mention the sloppiness and lack of focus? Let’s start there.

* 8 penalties.
* The roughing the kicker penalty gave UNC the ball back and led to their first TD drive.
* The holding call on Hebert which brought back a nice TD run by Ridley.
* 5 turnovers.
* Speaking of Ridley, his two fumbles nearly cost LSU the game. With LSU driving for the clinching score early in the third quarter, Ridley fumbles at the UNC 12. Then late in the game with only a minute left he coughs it up again.
* 1 missed FG
* The secondary looked lost at times giving up over 400 yards passing.

On the plus side, Patrick Peterson is fantastic. His 244 return yards through 30 minutes allowed LSU to score 30 first half points. Minus the missed FG, special teams were fantastic.

The run defense was stellar giving up only 24 yards the entire game. Yates was sacked 4 times and the Tigers accumulated 11 tackles for loss.

Russell Shepard and Rueben Randall looked great.

Jordan Jefferson was fairly efficient but two bone headed plays left many fans (myself included) questioning whether he has progressed from last season.

I think it foolish to make any definitive statements about this team thus far. It is clear they have tremendously talented playmakers, but do they have the mental focus and proper coaching to win a championship? I’ve been a believer in Miles but I am getting more and more frustrated with LSU’s tendency to play to the level of the competition. I am curious to see how LSU plays this weekend against Vanderbilt. The Tigers should win this game comfortably. But I expect it to be a much tighter affair until late.

LSU 27 - Vandy 10

Predictions

SEC East

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

SEC West

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

A few thoughts:

* Alabama and Florida are still the two best teams in the SEC until proven otherwise.  The October 2^nd game in Tuscaloosa should be titanic.

* I’m not buying the hype on the Hogs.   Sure, they will put up a lot of points, but the defense is atrocious.  Even with a plus 15 turnover margin, Arkansas finished dead last in the league in total defense.

* No one will go undefeated in the league this year.  Florida and Alabama are 31-1 in the SEC the past two seasons.

* Georgia is a huge question mark this season.  One poll has them ranked third while others leave the Bulldogs unranked.  The September 11 game at South Carolina will be an elimination game for the chance to challenge the Gators for the East title.

*As usual, the media loves offense and thus gave a nod to Auburn over LSU in the West.  The problem is Auburn's defense stunk last season finishing 11^th in the SEC in total defense and 12^th in scoring defense.  What has changed to give the defense a boost?

The Magic Number is...?

I was recently asked how many wins Miles needs to keep his job.  This is a legitimate question that I will address.  However, I am frustrated by the fact that this question seems to be the primary interest for many LSU fans.  Not whether Jordan Jefferson will become the QB everyone wants him to be.  Not whether LSU will be able to run the ball this season.  Not even whether LSU’s defense can become the dominating unit it has been in the past.  The questions that raise the most interest involve Miles’ future (or lack there of) at LSU.

To answer the initial question, I think Miles needs to go 8-4 to retain his job.  If he goes 8-4 and the four loses are competitive, I could see him being given an ultimatum for the 2011 season, SEC Title, BCS game or 10 wins…or the door.  Miles looks to have a tremendous recruiting class coming in for 2011 and the team will be poised to make a strong run based on the 2011 schedule and the number of returning starters.  Those factors weigh in his favor.  Could they fire him if he goes 8-4, sure.  I just think he would be given one more year to try and recapture the success of his first three years at LSU. 

Give me your thoughts.  How many wins do you think Miles needs?

The Over Signing Issue

Miles is taking a lot of heat on the over signing issue.  My thought is this is well deserved but a little unfair as Saban is the worst offender.  The SEC or NCAA should step in and stop the practice.