Don't everyone freak out. I'm sure the "drama
queen" section of the LSU contingent is saying we may not win another game
this season. The more pessimistic of Tiger Nation sees LSU at 8-4 by
season's end. I happen to think 9-3 more likely. Let's not forget,
LSU has an elite defense which will keep every game close this season. So
what happened Saturday?
*LSU got beat by a better team. LSU was outcoached by Florida's defensive
staff and outplayed in the trenches. Florida put the bye week to good use
in its preparation for LSU beating the Tigers at their own game, hanging around
and wearing out the opposition in the second half.
*The offensive play calling was predictable and uninspiring throughout the game.
Late in the first half, LSU had first and goal at the 6 and we couldn't punch
the ball in. The play calling was an absolute embarrassment. First
down: run. This was mistake #1. This is a perfect spot to throw a
fade or go play action. Mettenberger is much more effective throwing on
first down. A fade is a low risk play that could reap big rewards. Second
down: a one man route with Mettenberger rolling out. What could go
wrong? The ONLY option on the play got tackled in the back field and
Mettenberger was lucky to get rid of it. After having to TAKE 2 TIMEOUTS
IN A ROW, we try to run another ONE MAN ROUTE trick play that didn't fool
anyone. Terrible, terrible, terrible.
*On LSU's last offensive drive, Gary Danielson commented that,
"you can't hide your quarterback anymore." He was dead on in
his alluding to LSU's super conservative play calling. LSU did run and
pass 25 times each, but there was no attempt at misdirection or using Ford's
speed on the outside. The coaching staff didn't make any adjustments in
the second half to try and get the offense moving.
* This may be the worst receiving corps I have ever seen at LSU. The wide
outs don't get open and when they do they drop the ball. After the Auburn
game I was touting Kadrone Boone as LSU's most reliable receiver, so what's he
do on his return to his home state, drop two catchable passes in critical
situations. The first drop was on LSU's first drive at the Florida
21. The second came later in the first half. Had he caught that
pass LSU would have had a first down and kept the sticks moving. But
Mettenberger was then faced with a third and ten and threw his only
interception of the game trying to make a play.
*The offensive line has been a huge problem since Chris Faulk went down.
They just don't move the pile and pass protection is completely hit and miss.
*The Tigers turned to ball over three times, the second one after Mettenberger
made his best throw of the game. LSU amassed 8 penalties during the game
as well.
*2 SEC road games, a total of 18 points.
*It's 2009 all over again. The defense is on the field all game because
the offense can't get a first down. It reminded me of the LSU v. Florida game in 2009. In that game LSU managed only 162 yards. It felt that
the game could have gone on for about 10 more quarters and the Tigers would not
have scored.
*The defense was on the field 37 minutes and only gave up 14 points. They
were in the backfield for much of the first half but the offense could never
capitalize.
*Wing had a fine game averaging 45.6 yards a punt on 7 kicks. But he
didn't get off any bombs and was not as effective as he has been in the past
pinning the other team inside the 10.
*I will never question Beckham's effort, but I imagine he is frustrated and
trying to do too much. He fielded two punts inside the 10 when he should
have let them go and he fumbled after making that big catch from Mettenberger.
Again, I think he may be pushing trying to "make something happen" because
of LSU's offensive ineptitude.
Where does LSU go from here?
In the long term Miles needs to clean house on the offensive side of the ball
as he did back at the end of 2008 with the defense. LSU needs a young
talented offensive coordinator that can craft a functional passing game. However,
my fear is that whoever is calling the plays in the booth, Miles is down on the
field keeping the OC's hands tied. Offensive dysfunction has been a staple
of LSU football since 2008. The players, plays and assistants have
changed, but Miles has been the constant. It is very likely LSU's head
coach is at the root of the offensive problems.
In the short term, the offense just needs to keep plugging away. It's
obvious that this line is not going to be able to sustain long drives so LSU
needs to look for bigger plays in the passing game, high risk, high
reward. The problem is LSU faces what may turn out to be the best South
Carolina team in the history of the program. SC's defensive line is every
bit as good as LSU's if not better. The offense has a number of
playmakers and Connor Shaw has been playing lights out this season.
Les Miles is 17-1 after a loss and 22-6 in SEC home games in his time at
LSU. His only back to back losses came in 2008 when the Tigers lost to
Ole Miss and Arkansas to close out the regular season. LSU has won 21
straight games at home dating back to the previously mentioned 2009 setback
versus Florida. While the trend favors LSU, these appear to be two teams
heading in opposite directions. This is a trap game for the
Gamecocks as they have Florida coming up next week. This is a must win
for the Tigers if they want to stay in contention for the Western
Division. Everything says South Carolina should come into Tiger Stadium
and get a win. But it won't be easy. For all his shortcomings,
Miles excels in these situations. I just think LSU’s offensive problems
will not be solved any time soon.
South Carolina 17 – LSU 16
Sunday, October 07, 2012
Wednesday, October 03, 2012
Florida Week
Going into this season, I would speculate that many LSU fans looked at the Tiger’s schedule and scrolled down to the titanic battle with Alabama University of Florida
5. 1996: UF 56 – LSU 13. This was a good LSU team that went 10-2 that season. The Gators did win a National Title that season with Heisman trophy winner Danny Wuerffel. But losing by 43?!
4. 2008: UF 51 – LSU 21. LSU rolled into the Swamp undefeated at 5-0 ranked #3 in the country. Starting with this game, the Tigers imploded down the stretch going 3-5 in Miles’ worst season at LSU.
3. 2000: UF 41 –LSU 9. The “Brook Trout Look” game. Saban is much funnier when he loses and this was a serious beating coming one week after the big home win over Tennessee. He used the phrase “Brook Trout Look” to describe the LSU players who were outplayed all afternoon.
2. 2001: UF 44 – LSU 15. This LSU team won the Western Division and the SEC Title Game. Yet the Tigers were utterly destroyed at home by the Spurrier led Gators.
1. 1993: UF 58 – LSU 3. Representing the largest margin of victory in the series and possibly the worst loss in LSU history, this game showed how far LSU had fallen under Curley Hallman. I’m proud to say I sat through the entire debacle in the student section getting up to leave only after the clock had struck 0:00. There is a scene in the movie Fight Club that sensors deemed too brutal to be left in the movie, so instead of showing Ed Norton beat one of his followers near to death, the director presented the faces of the witnesses as they viewed the carnage. That was this game in a nutshell. Hide the women and children and burn the game tapes.
5. 1996: UF 56 – LSU 13. This was a good LSU team that went 10-2 that season. The Gators did win a National Title that season with Heisman trophy winner Danny Wuerffel. But losing by 43?!
4. 2008: UF 51 – LSU 21. LSU rolled into the Swamp undefeated at 5-0 ranked #3 in the country. Starting with this game, the Tigers imploded down the stretch going 3-5 in Miles’ worst season at LSU.
3. 2000: UF 41 –LSU 9. The “Brook Trout Look” game. Saban is much funnier when he loses and this was a serious beating coming one week after the big home win over Tennessee. He used the phrase “Brook Trout Look” to describe the LSU players who were outplayed all afternoon.
2. 2001: UF 44 – LSU 15. This LSU team won the Western Division and the SEC Title Game. Yet the Tigers were utterly destroyed at home by the Spurrier led Gators.
1. 1993: UF 58 – LSU 3. Representing the largest margin of victory in the series and possibly the worst loss in LSU history, this game showed how far LSU had fallen under Curley Hallman. I’m proud to say I sat through the entire debacle in the student section getting up to leave only after the clock had struck 0:00. There is a scene in the movie Fight Club that sensors deemed too brutal to be left in the movie, so instead of showing Ed Norton beat one of his followers near to death, the director presented the faces of the witnesses as they viewed the carnage. That was this game in a nutshell. Hide the women and children and burn the game tapes.
Monday, October 01, 2012
The Mental Game
I wasn't going to comment on the game, but after that dismal performance I feel compelled to say a few words.
* The LSU football team was bored last night. The players didn't want to be there and the fans didn't want to be there either as evidenced by the 40,000 no-shows. That "boredom" by the players shows up in the mental part of the game. LSU is ranked 108th nationally in the penalty department. The Tigers turned the ball over 10 times all of last season. This season they have fumble six times and thrown two interceptions already. Unlike last season, this team is not nearly as focused and sharp. Whatever Miles is doing to correct the problems is not work as of yet.
* LSU's offensive problems start up front. The Tigers are giving up over two sacks a game. While some of these are on Mettenberger, the O-line has to take a great deal of blame. Missed assignments and missed blocks are holding the passing game back. Losing Faulk and now J.C. Copeland is a big problem for that group.
* On the positive side, through five games, LSU is averaging over 200 yards passing per game and 400 total yards per game for the first time since 2008. Mettenberger was off last night, but he didn't hang his head and threw some nice deep passes that resulted in TD's in the second half. Beckham also played very well catching two TD's and gaining 128 yards.
*Jordan Jefferson was on the sidelines for the game Saturday. LSU has worst offensive performance all season. Coincidence? I don't think so.
* LSU's first five opponents are a combined 8-14. LSU's next five oppenents are a combined 21-1.
* The big question going into this weekend is: Are these mistakes mentioned earlier systemic or just a function of "boredom?" We will know a lot more about this team next week. Florida is by far the best team the Tigers will have faced this season. The Swamp is as tough a place to play as anywhere in the country. We embarrassed Florida last year so look for the Gators tro be highly motivated.
LSU's defense will be lights out and I'm not sold on Jeff Driskel running that offense. But can LSU get out of its own way on offense? IF the Tigers hold on to the ball and cut down on penalities they can certainly win the game. But execution and play calling must get better. LSU's offensive line is not good enough to just blow people off the ball. The staff MUST insert some plays that will slow down Florida's pass rush and help Mettenberger out. This game is terribly difficultto pick and I expect a close game throughout. As of this writing LSU is a 2-3 point favorite. I hope I'm wrong, but I just don't see a championship team in the making with this group.
UF 23 - LSU 17
* The LSU football team was bored last night. The players didn't want to be there and the fans didn't want to be there either as evidenced by the 40,000 no-shows. That "boredom" by the players shows up in the mental part of the game. LSU is ranked 108th nationally in the penalty department. The Tigers turned the ball over 10 times all of last season. This season they have fumble six times and thrown two interceptions already. Unlike last season, this team is not nearly as focused and sharp. Whatever Miles is doing to correct the problems is not work as of yet.
* LSU's offensive problems start up front. The Tigers are giving up over two sacks a game. While some of these are on Mettenberger, the O-line has to take a great deal of blame. Missed assignments and missed blocks are holding the passing game back. Losing Faulk and now J.C. Copeland is a big problem for that group.
* On the positive side, through five games, LSU is averaging over 200 yards passing per game and 400 total yards per game for the first time since 2008. Mettenberger was off last night, but he didn't hang his head and threw some nice deep passes that resulted in TD's in the second half. Beckham also played very well catching two TD's and gaining 128 yards.
*Jordan Jefferson was on the sidelines for the game Saturday. LSU has worst offensive performance all season. Coincidence? I don't think so.
* LSU's first five opponents are a combined 8-14. LSU's next five oppenents are a combined 21-1.
* The big question going into this weekend is: Are these mistakes mentioned earlier systemic or just a function of "boredom?" We will know a lot more about this team next week. Florida is by far the best team the Tigers will have faced this season. The Swamp is as tough a place to play as anywhere in the country. We embarrassed Florida last year so look for the Gators tro be highly motivated.
LSU's defense will be lights out and I'm not sold on Jeff Driskel running that offense. But can LSU get out of its own way on offense? IF the Tigers hold on to the ball and cut down on penalities they can certainly win the game. But execution and play calling must get better. LSU's offensive line is not good enough to just blow people off the ball. The staff MUST insert some plays that will slow down Florida's pass rush and help Mettenberger out. This game is terribly difficultto pick and I expect a close game throughout. As of this writing LSU is a 2-3 point favorite. I hope I'm wrong, but I just don't see a championship team in the making with this group.
UF 23 - LSU 17
Monday, September 24, 2012
Survive and Advance
Before everyone freaks out, let's try and keep this game in perspective. A little history: Auburn's Jordan-Hare Stadium has been a house of horrors over the years. As good as Nick Saban was in his time at LSU, he was 0-3 at Auburn. In LSU's last seven visits, including Saturday’s game, the Tigers are only averaging 13 points per game. 13!! Since divisional play started in 1992, LSU is now 4-7 at Auburn; the average margin of victory in those four wins is 5 points. This was a desperate Auburn team. This is the first time in the history of the program that they have ever lost three games before October 1st. The Tigers are 0-2 in SEC play for the first time since 1980.
Most importantly, LSU won the game. All of the Tigers’ goals are still on the table. Obviously they need to play better with the upcoming trip to Florida on October 6. If LSU can cut out the turnovers and penalties there will be plenty more victories this season.
A few observations:
* Does Mettenberger need to play better? Absolutely, but we must be fair in evaluating his play. He's started a grand total of four games in his career. I've been to Auburn twice; the stadium is as intimidating as any place in the country. He is a true junior and still has much to learn. He is very effective on first down completing 75% of his passes. He is very accurate and poised in the pocket. He needs to work on his field awareness when scrambling as he came up inches short twice versus Auburn. He also needs to improve on throwing on the run and most importantly, ball security. Mettenberger will continue to improve each week; fans just need to have patience.
* LSU's defense is suffocating. Auburn was held to 183 yards, its lowest output all season. LSU had 14 tackles for loss. Auburn had only 52 offensive plays, thus over a quarter of those were for negative yards. Auburn was only 2 of 12 on third down conversions. LSU forced Auburn into five three and out possessions. An in game stat showed Auburn averaging 0.9 yards per play on 1st down deep into the fourth quarter. The defense will keep LSU in every game this season.
* The play calling in the second half was very conservative. On 13 first downs, LSU ran 10 times and passed 3. No screens or draws to try and slow down that pass rush.
* This goes to what I have said before about the offense, we do not stretch the field or try and get mismatches. We threw deep twice with only a few intermediate passes in 27 attempts. I’m convinced that LSU is the easiest team in the league to play call against in respect to the offense, very few formations, deep throws or misdirection.
* The "Bad Game Manager Miles" came out late in the game as LSU attempted a FG with about 40 seconds left. Alleman had to rush on the field with only seconds to go, rushed the kick and pushed it wide right. LSU had just called a timeout before 3rd down. The FG unit should have been ready to go on the field immediately after third down, yet they barely got the snap off. You could see Miles just standing on the sidelines and all of the sudden he realizes what's going on and hurries the team out on the field. Inexcusable.
* Penalites! 9 for 80 yards. Lack of poise. I counted at least 3 false starts. Those are killer.
* Kadrone Boone needs to play more. He is LSU's most reliable receiver. Miles insists on playing Sheppard even though he is probably LSU's weakest receiver. Folks want to criticize Mettenberger, but the drops by the receivers are killer in the style of offense we play.
* Fans should probably temper their expectations for this team. The 2011 squad was an all-time great in LSU history. Had they beaten Alabama the second time around we would be talking about one of the greatest teams in the history of college football. Let’s look at what this 2012 team actually is and not what we want it to be. LSU lost one of its best offensive linemen for the season. The QB is talented but inexperienced. The receiving corps is average at best. Special teams and defense are lights out. The Tigers have played as many freshmen as anyone on the country. Miles and his staff do a great job of preparation during the week, but poor game day management will occur again during the season.
Most importantly, LSU won the game. All of the Tigers’ goals are still on the table. Obviously they need to play better with the upcoming trip to Florida on October 6. If LSU can cut out the turnovers and penalties there will be plenty more victories this season.
A few observations:
* Does Mettenberger need to play better? Absolutely, but we must be fair in evaluating his play. He's started a grand total of four games in his career. I've been to Auburn twice; the stadium is as intimidating as any place in the country. He is a true junior and still has much to learn. He is very effective on first down completing 75% of his passes. He is very accurate and poised in the pocket. He needs to work on his field awareness when scrambling as he came up inches short twice versus Auburn. He also needs to improve on throwing on the run and most importantly, ball security. Mettenberger will continue to improve each week; fans just need to have patience.
* LSU's offensive line really struggled at times. Even though the run game ground out 182 yards, poor blocking lead to some minimal gains or Mettenberger being pressured. The sack and fumble in the second quarter was a direct result of poor blocking on the defensive end.
* LSU's defense is suffocating. Auburn was held to 183 yards, its lowest output all season. LSU had 14 tackles for loss. Auburn had only 52 offensive plays, thus over a quarter of those were for negative yards. Auburn was only 2 of 12 on third down conversions. LSU forced Auburn into five three and out possessions. An in game stat showed Auburn averaging 0.9 yards per play on 1st down deep into the fourth quarter. The defense will keep LSU in every game this season.
* The play calling in the second half was very conservative. On 13 first downs, LSU ran 10 times and passed 3. No screens or draws to try and slow down that pass rush.
* This goes to what I have said before about the offense, we do not stretch the field or try and get mismatches. We threw deep twice with only a few intermediate passes in 27 attempts. I’m convinced that LSU is the easiest team in the league to play call against in respect to the offense, very few formations, deep throws or misdirection.
* The "Bad Game Manager Miles" came out late in the game as LSU attempted a FG with about 40 seconds left. Alleman had to rush on the field with only seconds to go, rushed the kick and pushed it wide right. LSU had just called a timeout before 3rd down. The FG unit should have been ready to go on the field immediately after third down, yet they barely got the snap off. You could see Miles just standing on the sidelines and all of the sudden he realizes what's going on and hurries the team out on the field. Inexcusable.
* Penalites! 9 for 80 yards. Lack of poise. I counted at least 3 false starts. Those are killer.
* Kadrone Boone needs to play more. He is LSU's most reliable receiver. Miles insists on playing Sheppard even though he is probably LSU's weakest receiver. Folks want to criticize Mettenberger, but the drops by the receivers are killer in the style of offense we play.
* Fans should probably temper their expectations for this team. The 2011 squad was an all-time great in LSU history. Had they beaten Alabama the second time around we would be talking about one of the greatest teams in the history of college football. Let’s look at what this 2012 team actually is and not what we want it to be. LSU lost one of its best offensive linemen for the season. The QB is talented but inexperienced. The receiving corps is average at best. Special teams and defense are lights out. The Tigers have played as many freshmen as anyone on the country. Miles and his staff do a great job of preparation during the week, but poor game day management will occur again during the season.
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Looking Back...Looking Ahead
Definitive: having its fixed and final form; providing a solution or final answer; satisfying all criteria
- Dictionary.com
*Alabama is an excellent football team. But to say that they are definitively the #1 team in the country, as many media folks have done, is off base. I see a great deal of group think in the media’s evaluation of games and teams. Alabama is definitively better than LSU because what? They have beaten 3 teams with a combined record of 5-4? LSU has been just as suffocating on defense and offensively explosive. You may notice that I have Bama #1 in the Super 7. They are defending National Champs and will stay there until someone beats them. But given that LSU would only be a two point underdog should the teams play at a neutral site this weekend, I would hardly call the Tide the definitive best team in the country.
*Did you notice that the 63 points put up by the Tigers were the most in the Miles era? You think it was a coincidence that Alabama won by 52 while LSU won by 49? Expect the shadowboxing to continue all season.
* I am personally glad USC lost so we don’t have to listen to the “suckfest” on ESPN for the next few months. The Trojans are good, but not elite. They rank 95th in the country in rushing. If you cannot run the ball, you will not win the biggest prizes.
*Speaking of USC, Lane Kiffin continues to embarrass himself and his school. His most recent temper tantrum has him walking out of a post practice presser after 30 seconds because a reporter asked about an injured player. Nick Saban and Urban Meyer, with five national titles between them, can act an ass all day and get away with it. A second rate coach with a 27-14 career record, zero conference titles and zero bowl wins should be careful.
*The Big 10 is just awful this year. The best team in the league is on probation and any chance of a National Title contender went out the window with Sparty’s ugly loss to ND. Someone for the Big 10 will play in the Rose Bowl…and get thoroughly beaten by an excellent Pac-12 squad.
This Weekend:
Clemson at Florida State: I had this marked down as one of my biggest five games of the season. Winner has the inside track to the ACC Title game and keeps National Title hopes alive. Put up or shut up for Noles.
Michigan at Notre Dame: The Golden Doomers win this one and they will crack the Super 7. Michigan can erase some of the stigma from the opening game beat down with a win in South Bend.
Kansas State at Oklahoma: This was THE GAME in the Big 12 for a few years in the early ‘00’s. KSU is very good this year, but Oklahoma just doesn’t lose in Norman. Stoops is 77-3 at home since taking over in 1999.
LSU at Auburn: Since the inception of divisional play in 1992, LSU is only 3-7 when playing at Auburn, the wins coming in 1996, 1998 and 2008. The average margin of victory in those three games was 7 points. Since 2000, LSU has managed only 13 points per game on the Plains. Yet, LSU is an 18 point favorite going into Saturday. I think this is one of those games you can throw out the numbers. Miles wants to keep pace with Alabama so I expect his foot to stay on the gas all game.
LSU 38 – Auburn 10
- Dictionary.com
*Alabama is an excellent football team. But to say that they are definitively the #1 team in the country, as many media folks have done, is off base. I see a great deal of group think in the media’s evaluation of games and teams. Alabama is definitively better than LSU because what? They have beaten 3 teams with a combined record of 5-4? LSU has been just as suffocating on defense and offensively explosive. You may notice that I have Bama #1 in the Super 7. They are defending National Champs and will stay there until someone beats them. But given that LSU would only be a two point underdog should the teams play at a neutral site this weekend, I would hardly call the Tide the definitive best team in the country.
*Did you notice that the 63 points put up by the Tigers were the most in the Miles era? You think it was a coincidence that Alabama won by 52 while LSU won by 49? Expect the shadowboxing to continue all season.
* I am personally glad USC lost so we don’t have to listen to the “suckfest” on ESPN for the next few months. The Trojans are good, but not elite. They rank 95th in the country in rushing. If you cannot run the ball, you will not win the biggest prizes.
*Speaking of USC, Lane Kiffin continues to embarrass himself and his school. His most recent temper tantrum has him walking out of a post practice presser after 30 seconds because a reporter asked about an injured player. Nick Saban and Urban Meyer, with five national titles between them, can act an ass all day and get away with it. A second rate coach with a 27-14 career record, zero conference titles and zero bowl wins should be careful.
*The Big 10 is just awful this year. The best team in the league is on probation and any chance of a National Title contender went out the window with Sparty’s ugly loss to ND. Someone for the Big 10 will play in the Rose Bowl…and get thoroughly beaten by an excellent Pac-12 squad.
This Weekend:
Clemson at Florida State: I had this marked down as one of my biggest five games of the season. Winner has the inside track to the ACC Title game and keeps National Title hopes alive. Put up or shut up for Noles.
Michigan at Notre Dame: The Golden Doomers win this one and they will crack the Super 7. Michigan can erase some of the stigma from the opening game beat down with a win in South Bend.
Kansas State at Oklahoma: This was THE GAME in the Big 12 for a few years in the early ‘00’s. KSU is very good this year, but Oklahoma just doesn’t lose in Norman. Stoops is 77-3 at home since taking over in 1999.
LSU at Auburn: Since the inception of divisional play in 1992, LSU is only 3-7 when playing at Auburn, the wins coming in 1996, 1998 and 2008. The average margin of victory in those three games was 7 points. Since 2000, LSU has managed only 13 points per game on the Plains. Yet, LSU is an 18 point favorite going into Saturday. I think this is one of those games you can throw out the numbers. Miles wants to keep pace with Alabama so I expect his foot to stay on the gas all game.
LSU 38 – Auburn 10
Sunday, September 09, 2012
Prowler Poop
* Good for UL-Monroe. In a Milesque display, ULM was 6 for 7 on 4th downs against the Hogs! They get my vote for 3rd best team in the SEC West. The Warhawks travel to Auburn next week. Can they make it two in a row?
* The Big 10 has 5 undefeated teams, Michigan State, Ohio State (probation), Northwestern, Minnesota and Indiana. I think it is safe to say that outside of a long shot MSU, the Big 10 will not have a team in the BCS Title game. Jeez, it’s only September 9th!
* In the pre-season I picked Wisconsin to make it to the BCS Title Game…OOPS!!! The Badgers looked terrible against Oregon State losing 10-7.
* Auburn looked awful versus State on Saturday. At one point I even thought Jordan Jefferson could actually help AU if he was playing for them. (Did I really just type that?!) Looking down the road, there is a legitimate chance the other Tigers finish with a losing record.
* Among the three “biggest” games of the weekend, ND v. MSU, USC v. Stanford and UT v. UF, ESPN Game Day is traveling to Knoxville. This will be the third week in a row that Game Day will cover an SEC game. The USC game will be broadcast on FOX while ND is on ABC. ESPN is broadcasting the Florida game. Given ESPN’s investment in the SEC and reluctance to promote games on rival networks, look for Game Day to rarely stray from the south going forward.
* Air Force was driving on Michigan for the go ahead score late in the game when they were stopped on downs near midfield. Alabama’s “Big” win last week isn’t looking like such a “Big” deal.
* Speaking of Alabama, Nick Saban’s lecture to the media last week was pathetic. No one wants to hear a coach with three national titles and another great team crying about what the media is writing about his team. Just shut up and go bully your players, assistant coaches and the Alabama administration. What a whiny little bitch. Oh, and AJ McCarron has been sacked 8 times this year already. Sam Montgomery and Kiki Mingo are already planning a sack party in the Bama backfield.
Looking to the weekend:
* Florida at Tennessee: For a few years in the late ‘90’s this was THE GAME OF THE YEAR. Dooley and Muschamp will be under the microscope for this one. SEC East elimination game.
* Notre Dame at Michigan State: Sparty is very good at home winning 15 in a row in Spartan Stadium. ND looking for respect while MSU looking to keep dark horse national title campaign on track.
* USC at Stanford: Stanford won last year at USC in triple OT. Expect it to be close throughout. USC needs to win to set up the titanic November matchup with Oregon.
39 in a row...and counting
This may be one of the shortest write-ups on an LSU game I ever do. The Tigers were dominant all night. Take away Beckham’s fumble on the opening kickoff and the Huskies could have been shut out. The offense moved right along putting up 437 yards and 41 points while the defense gave up a measly 183. LSU ran the ball 52 times and passed only 19, exactly as Miles likes it. The Tigers are ranked 5th nationally in total defense and 8th in rushing defense and scoring defense. Interestingly enough, LSU is 12th in passing offense but second in rushing offense in the conference. I would like the Tigers to be more balanced, but as long as we can run as we have, Miles won’t let it happen.
The only real complaint about the performance would be the dropped passes. Beckham had a terrible night Saturday. In addition to the fumble, he dropped three passes that hit him right in the hands. I am sure he will be very focused on next week. The other drops came from Wright and Sheppard.
I think we can say with confidence that the Russell Sheppard experience at LSU has been extremely disappointing. He has more drops this season than catches and really shows no signs of real improvement. In retrospect, it probably would have been to his benefit to redshirt and switch to wide receiver the day he got on campus. Possibly the extra time and focus would have allowed him to develop. Truthfully, he never really fit into LSU’s offensive scheme, he may have been better served going to another school that could better utilize his talents.
The Tigers play Idaho next week in what will be another “scrimmage.” LSU will play sharply for about 20 minutes then look to get out of there. Hopefully Mettenberger can get more work with the wide receivers and the young guys can get valuable experience.
LSU 45 – Idaho 3
Thursday, September 06, 2012
Prowler Poop
Just a few thoughts from last week:
* Auburn will probably finish 8-5 again and get trounced by Alabama. I don’t really care for Gene Chizik and I found it interesting that in his 14-0 National Title season his peers declined to vote for him as SEC coach of the year. Mark it down, Auburn will be looking for a new coach December of 2013.
* Up 43-10 over Navy, Notre Dame had the ball at Navy’s 9 yard line at 2nd and 1 with 40 seconds left. Instead of showing some class and taking a knee, Brain Kelly ran it in creating the final score 50-10. I know Brian Kelly and Notre Dame take a lot of criticism and thus want to show the sceptics they are still relevant and it is always nice to beat up on a rival, but there was an opportunity to do a small thing the right way. A BIG thumbs down on anyone that runs it up on a service academy.
* All these games against Division I-AA teams are a joke. The Criminoles are playing TWO games against lower division opponents. If the Noles are in the hunt for the BCS Title game at the end of the season, I hope voters take into account that weak non-conference schedule.
* Penn State might go 2-10 this year. They are 10 point dogs this week and I can only see them favored in two, maybe three games the rest of the way.
Looking ahead:
* Florida at A&M and UGA at Mizzu should be very interesting games. I’m glad the schedule makers left the new guys at home for the openers. I have no idea who wins either of these games, but we should know a lot more about all four teams after Saturday.
* Can Dan Mullen and Mississippi State get another signature win and make this year special. Auburn has barely escaped the Bulldogs the last few seasons winning by 7 last year on the last play of the game and by three in 2010. I personally hope its MSU’s day.
* The rest of the schedule is pretty much crap. Conference games can’t get here soon enough.
* Auburn will probably finish 8-5 again and get trounced by Alabama. I don’t really care for Gene Chizik and I found it interesting that in his 14-0 National Title season his peers declined to vote for him as SEC coach of the year. Mark it down, Auburn will be looking for a new coach December of 2013.
* Up 43-10 over Navy, Notre Dame had the ball at Navy’s 9 yard line at 2nd and 1 with 40 seconds left. Instead of showing some class and taking a knee, Brain Kelly ran it in creating the final score 50-10. I know Brian Kelly and Notre Dame take a lot of criticism and thus want to show the sceptics they are still relevant and it is always nice to beat up on a rival, but there was an opportunity to do a small thing the right way. A BIG thumbs down on anyone that runs it up on a service academy.
* All these games against Division I-AA teams are a joke. The Criminoles are playing TWO games against lower division opponents. If the Noles are in the hunt for the BCS Title game at the end of the season, I hope voters take into account that weak non-conference schedule.
Looking ahead:
* Florida at A&M and UGA at Mizzu should be very interesting games. I’m glad the schedule makers left the new guys at home for the openers. I have no idea who wins either of these games, but we should know a lot more about all four teams after Saturday.
* Can Dan Mullen and Mississippi State get another signature win and make this year special. Auburn has barely escaped the Bulldogs the last few seasons winning by 7 last year on the last play of the game and by three in 2010. I personally hope its MSU’s day.
* The rest of the schedule is pretty much crap. Conference games can’t get here soon enough.
Monday, September 03, 2012
Bubble Screen Me To Death
Nothing
really unexpected occurred this weekend.
LSU was never in trouble, the team occasionally lost focus and lots of
guys played. After watching the replay I
felt even better about how the game played out.
A few observations:
*
If you thought after seven seasons that Miles was going to “open up the offense,”
you need to stop deluding yourself.
This is who Miles is and this is what he wants LSU to be: run the ball, strong
defense, solid special teams, and a conservative passing game. Miles could have Joe Montana or Drew Brees
back there, it doesn’t make a difference.
He’s not going to change his fundamental approach to the game.
*
Given the play calling, I thought Zach Mettenberger played well. He wasn’t really allowed to go downfield that
much and the pass protection was questionable at times. Mettenberger completed
73% of his passes and threw one TD. The
interception was the only poor throw of the game. Some clown on facebook commented that
Mettenberger was not impressive at all.
Has this guy been watching the QB play since 2008?
*
The running game was tremendous. I think
LSU fans may take the Tiger’s ability to run for granted, but that performance
was impressive. We have seen LSU
struggle at times in the past to run the ball against lesser teams or sustain
long drives. The Tigers had 5 scoring drives
over 65 yards on Saturday, more than in any game last season.
*
This game marked the first time since 1982 that two Tigers, Kenny Hilliard and
Alfred Blue, rushed for over 100 yards in a season opener. Dalton Hilliard and Gary James accomplished
the feat back 30 years ago. You may
recall that LSU finished that season playing in the Orange Bowl in Miami. This year’s National Title game will be
played in…Miami. Just saying.
*
Tyrann Mathieu will be missed in the secondary, but “ODB,” Odell Beckham Jr.
can more than carry his own on special teams.
*
Don’t expect the defense to dominate like it did last year. Losing Brockers (DT), Mathieu (CB), Claiborne
(CB) and Taylor (S) is going to put the Tigers back a bit.
LSU
gets Washington at home this week. The
Huskies won on Saturday in unconvincing fashion over San Diego State 21-12 in
Seattle. Washington is obviously better
than North Texas and their QB, Keith Price is very talented. UW averaged 255 yards a game thru the air
last season. This will be an excellent
test for the young secondary.
On
the flip side, Washington ranked 108 in scoring defense last season, giving up
35.9 points a game. LSU’s offensive line
will outweigh UW’s front four by about 60 pounds per man. Look for LSU to rotate the backs and pound
the running game. Expect a little more
diversity in the passing game as I “hope” the coaches attempt to introduce a
few new plays each week.
It
will be close for a half, but look for the heat and LSU’s offensive line to
wear down UW.
LSU
40 – Washington 17
Wednesday, August 08, 2012
Countdown Continues
Camps have started and everyone is saying the right things. The big issue is getting to the actual season without too many injuries.
Here's a few good links to check out:
Dennis Dodd's SEC Preview
Toughest Stadiums in College Football
ESPN Article on the Honey Badger
College football TV roundtable
College Football News SEC Preview
Thursday, July 19, 2012
SEC Media Days
The annual clown show also called SEC Media Days wraps up today. We heard a great deal of coach speak, cliches and general silliness. I saw Saban's opening statements and could decide whether he was being genuine or subtlety contemptuous. Decide for yourself:
Thank you. It's great to see everyone. Great to be here. You know how excited I am looking forward to this event. The fact they moved it up a week really made me have a great summer, and I hope you've had a great summer (smiling).
We certainly appreciate what you do to promote college football and college athletics. I think you do a tremendous amount to provide a lot of positive self‑gratification for a lot of student‑athletes. We appreciate that more than you know.
-Nick Saban, 2012 SEC Media Days
The college football season kicks off in 42 days. With that in mind, I'm looking forward to a number of things on and off the field. Here a few thoughts and predictions as we try to get past these "sports dead" summer days.
* It may be just a matter of semantics, but it infuriates me when some says that Joe Paterno made a "mistake." A mistake is hiring the wrong guy at your office. A mistake is not calling a time out late in the game letting an extra 20 seconds tick off the clock then running out of time to try and kick a field goal. A mistake is leaving the milk out on the counter. When someone comes to you and says he saw a grown man having sex with a boy in the same building you work in everyday and you do nothing, that is NOT a "mistake." When you have the time and authority to make a conscious and rational decision and you decide to cover up obvious and terrible criminal conduct, you are committing a deliberate wrong act. That is NOT a "mistake," you are intentionally doing wrong. And in my mind, the enormity of the wrong in this case overshadows whatever good Paterno may have done in his life. We are not talking about marital infidelity or padding your expense account. Paterno failed as a person when faced with the knowledge of criminal sexual misconduct by a long time friend.
*Needless to say, I think the statue of Paterno outside Beaver Stadium must be moved. I don't understand how any true Penn State alumni could be glad to be reminded of Paterno's epic moral failure as he or she entered the stadium on Saturday. Don't destroy the statue, put it somewhere apropriate to remind anyone that sees it that coaches are not gods and football is not heaven.
* A number of writers and talking heads have advocated the "death penalty" for Penn State football. While I do think there is some merit to the argument, I think it is a bad idea and will never happen. Obviously, Penn State is opposed to it. I'm sure the B1G is opposed to it as well. You create scheduling nightmares, bad publicity and lost revenues. The NCAA is run by the schools. The NCAA's powers are granted by the schools they are tasked with "supervising." Having said that, PSU could be slapped with bowl bans and a loss of scholarships.
* Phil Steele knows his football and puts out a great magazine every year. But I can't figure out how he has Florida State playing for the National Championship. The Noles have 5 sophomores on the offensive line. FSU struggled to run the ball last season and while they will be better on the ground, I don't see a title run. Should they make it to the Title game it would go against the recent history of title teams having a great deal experience along the offensive line and a solid ability to run the ball. The last 10 teams to play for the national title finished their respective seasons with a national average ranking of 19th for rushing yards per game. The Seminoles finished 104th last season in that catagory. The other team Steele has in the BCS Championship, Oklahoma, checked in at 50th. Just something to think about.
* My title game is LSU versus Wisconsin. The Tigers are loaded and motivated after last year's BCS beat down. The Badgers have an excellent QB and running game combined with an experienced defense and favorable schedule.
* Conference Champs:
ACC: Georgia Tech
B1G: Wisconsin
Big XII: Oklahoma
SEC: LSU
1. LSU v. Alabama
2. USC v. Oregon
3. Florida State v. Clemson
4. West Virginia v. Oklahoma
5. South Carolina v. Georgia
Plenty more to come as we get closer to the season openers.
Thank you. It's great to see everyone. Great to be here. You know how excited I am looking forward to this event. The fact they moved it up a week really made me have a great summer, and I hope you've had a great summer (smiling).
We certainly appreciate what you do to promote college football and college athletics. I think you do a tremendous amount to provide a lot of positive self‑gratification for a lot of student‑athletes. We appreciate that more than you know.
-Nick Saban, 2012 SEC Media Days
The college football season kicks off in 42 days. With that in mind, I'm looking forward to a number of things on and off the field. Here a few thoughts and predictions as we try to get past these "sports dead" summer days.
* It may be just a matter of semantics, but it infuriates me when some says that Joe Paterno made a "mistake." A mistake is hiring the wrong guy at your office. A mistake is not calling a time out late in the game letting an extra 20 seconds tick off the clock then running out of time to try and kick a field goal. A mistake is leaving the milk out on the counter. When someone comes to you and says he saw a grown man having sex with a boy in the same building you work in everyday and you do nothing, that is NOT a "mistake." When you have the time and authority to make a conscious and rational decision and you decide to cover up obvious and terrible criminal conduct, you are committing a deliberate wrong act. That is NOT a "mistake," you are intentionally doing wrong. And in my mind, the enormity of the wrong in this case overshadows whatever good Paterno may have done in his life. We are not talking about marital infidelity or padding your expense account. Paterno failed as a person when faced with the knowledge of criminal sexual misconduct by a long time friend.
*Needless to say, I think the statue of Paterno outside Beaver Stadium must be moved. I don't understand how any true Penn State alumni could be glad to be reminded of Paterno's epic moral failure as he or she entered the stadium on Saturday. Don't destroy the statue, put it somewhere apropriate to remind anyone that sees it that coaches are not gods and football is not heaven.
* A number of writers and talking heads have advocated the "death penalty" for Penn State football. While I do think there is some merit to the argument, I think it is a bad idea and will never happen. Obviously, Penn State is opposed to it. I'm sure the B1G is opposed to it as well. You create scheduling nightmares, bad publicity and lost revenues. The NCAA is run by the schools. The NCAA's powers are granted by the schools they are tasked with "supervising." Having said that, PSU could be slapped with bowl bans and a loss of scholarships.
* Phil Steele knows his football and puts out a great magazine every year. But I can't figure out how he has Florida State playing for the National Championship. The Noles have 5 sophomores on the offensive line. FSU struggled to run the ball last season and while they will be better on the ground, I don't see a title run. Should they make it to the Title game it would go against the recent history of title teams having a great deal experience along the offensive line and a solid ability to run the ball. The last 10 teams to play for the national title finished their respective seasons with a national average ranking of 19th for rushing yards per game. The Seminoles finished 104th last season in that catagory. The other team Steele has in the BCS Championship, Oklahoma, checked in at 50th. Just something to think about.
* My title game is LSU versus Wisconsin. The Tigers are loaded and motivated after last year's BCS beat down. The Badgers have an excellent QB and running game combined with an experienced defense and favorable schedule.
* Conference Champs:
ACC: Georgia Tech
B1G: Wisconsin
Big XII: Oklahoma
SEC: LSU
Pac-10: USC
* 5 Biggest Games of the Season
1. LSU v. Alabama2. USC v. Oregon
3. Florida State v. Clemson
4. West Virginia v. Oklahoma
5. South Carolina v. Georgia
Plenty more to come as we get closer to the season openers.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
SEC East
SEC EAST
1. South Carolina
2. Georgia
3. Florida
4. Missouri
5. Tennessee
6. Vanderbilt
7. Kentucky
* Georgia had an interesting season in 2011. The Bulldogs lost the first two and the last two games of the season but went on a 10 game winning streak in between. 10 wins should never be dismissed, but when the marquee victory for the campaign was a win over an 8-5 Auburn team, Georgia fans felt a little unsatisfied in the end. In the four losses, Georgia gave up an average of 38.75 points per game. That is no way to win a title.
* Florida will be better this season, but there are serious questions on the offensive side. Both QB’s vying for the starting role, Driskel and Brissett, are inexperienced sophomores. It’s almost amazing to me, but I don’t see any way the Gators win the East unless both Georgia and South Carolina implode. I think Muschamp was average at best on game days and has a ways to go to match Spurrier, Richt, Miles and Pinkel who will be on the opposing sidelines this year. (Yes, on the whole I think Miles is better on Saturdays than Muschamp) We will know a good bit about Florida when they meet LSU on October 6. Two early road games at A&M and UT will set the tone for the season.
* The only reason I have Missouri behind Florida is I think the Tigers may struggle a bit on the defensive side of the ball in their first SEC season. They have plenty of talent on the offensive side and Gary Pinkel is a very good coach. Expect 7 or 8 wins this season.
* I hate to say it, but I don’t think Derrick Dooley survives past 2012 at Tennessee. The middle of the season has a four game stretch of at Georgia, at MSU, Alabama and at South Carolina. That looks like a 1-3 run or even an 0-4 disaster. The Vols could get to 6-6, but that would be the end for Dooley.
* Vanderbilt may not make it to a bowl game, but they will cause some problems. The Dores get Carolina, Florida, Auburn and Tennessee at home. I expect them to win at least one of those.
* Kentucky was atrocious on offense last season scoring a measly 15.8 points a game. It’s amazing they won 5 games. This season may be even worse. Don’t be surprised to see Joker Phillips joining Dooley in the unemployment line.
1. South Carolina
2. Georgia
3. Florida
4. Missouri
5. Tennessee
6. Vanderbilt
7. Kentucky
* I really like what Steve Spurrier has done at South Carolina. He has recruited extremely well, brought the Gamecocks to their first SEC title game in 2010 and first 11 win season in school history in 2011. Connor Shaw is talented and experienced at QB and if Marcus Lattimore can return from a devastating ACL tear in 2011, Cocky looks to return to Atlanta. Getting Georgia at home on October 6 doesn’t hurt either.
* Georgia had an interesting season in 2011. The Bulldogs lost the first two and the last two games of the season but went on a 10 game winning streak in between. 10 wins should never be dismissed, but when the marquee victory for the campaign was a win over an 8-5 Auburn team, Georgia fans felt a little unsatisfied in the end. In the four losses, Georgia gave up an average of 38.75 points per game. That is no way to win a title.
* Florida will be better this season, but there are serious questions on the offensive side. Both QB’s vying for the starting role, Driskel and Brissett, are inexperienced sophomores. It’s almost amazing to me, but I don’t see any way the Gators win the East unless both Georgia and South Carolina implode. I think Muschamp was average at best on game days and has a ways to go to match Spurrier, Richt, Miles and Pinkel who will be on the opposing sidelines this year. (Yes, on the whole I think Miles is better on Saturdays than Muschamp) We will know a good bit about Florida when they meet LSU on October 6. Two early road games at A&M and UT will set the tone for the season.
* The only reason I have Missouri behind Florida is I think the Tigers may struggle a bit on the defensive side of the ball in their first SEC season. They have plenty of talent on the offensive side and Gary Pinkel is a very good coach. Expect 7 or 8 wins this season.
* I hate to say it, but I don’t think Derrick Dooley survives past 2012 at Tennessee. The middle of the season has a four game stretch of at Georgia, at MSU, Alabama and at South Carolina. That looks like a 1-3 run or even an 0-4 disaster. The Vols could get to 6-6, but that would be the end for Dooley.
* Vanderbilt may not make it to a bowl game, but they will cause some problems. The Dores get Carolina, Florida, Auburn and Tennessee at home. I expect them to win at least one of those.
* Kentucky was atrocious on offense last season scoring a measly 15.8 points a game. It’s amazing they won 5 games. This season may be even worse. Don’t be surprised to see Joker Phillips joining Dooley in the unemployment line.
Wednesday, June 06, 2012
SEC West
Welcome Aggies and Tigers!!
I personally am very excited to have Texas A&M and Missouri in the fold. Two solid programs that will not wow you but definitely assist in beefing up the middle class of the league. I think both programs will be an asset and enhance the SEC’s overall strength as time goes by.
Here are my predictions for the upcoming season. Once again I blew it last season picking Alabama over LSU in the West and South Carolina over Georgia in the East. Of the 14 participants in the SEC Title game over the last seven years, I have only correctly picked four. (LSU in ’05 and ’07, UT in ’07 and Florida in ’09)
SEC West
1. LSU
2. Alabama
3. Arkansas
4. Auburn
5. Texas A&M
6. Miss. State
7. Ole Miss
*Here is a break down of the 22 starting quarterbacks that have led their teams to the SEC Title game since 2001.
* At this point I know I sound like a broken record, but experience on the offensive line and at QB are critical. I know Jefferson stunk out the place late last year, but Jarrett Lee, a senior last season, did a great deal of the heavy lifting behind an experienced offensive line which led the league in rushing yards, attempts and TD’s. (stats from conference games only) The success in the Title Game by upper class QB’s speaks for itself.
* LSU gets Alabama and South Carolina at home while traveling to A&M, Arkansas, Florida and Auburn. The Tigers will probably be favored in every game this season, but a tough road slate could be their undoing. The margin between first and second in the division could be decided buy another overtime field goal.
* Alabama will be very good in 2012, but it may be too much to ask to replace all those starters lost on defense. Much like 2010, Alabama may be better on the offensive side of the ball with four starters returning on the O-Line with a combined 95 career starts while the defensive replacements grow into their roles. The schedule is favorable as the Tide avoids South Carolina, Georgia and Florida from the East.
* Arkansas is again a wildcard. The departure of Petrino and hiring of John L. Smith creates huge questions for the Hogs. In his 18 year coaching career, including six years in I-AA, Smith has only won 10 games or more twice. In his four years at Michigan State he was a paltry 22-26. By October 6, Arkansas will have played Alabama, A&M and Auburn. They are talented enough to win all three games. But they could also be flaky enough to lose all three.
* Auburn’s schedule shapes up nicely as they only have one tough road game at Alabama. But with early games at Clemson and Miss. State and a home date with LSU on September 22, the Tigers could also possibly be looking at a 1-3 start to the season.
* Texas A&M is down here by default. A new coaching staff and entering a new league creates a myriad of challenges for A&M. If they can beat Florida at home in the second week of the season they could start 5-1 or even 6-0 going into an October 20 home game versus LSU. It is more likely they struggle against the better SEC sides and finish with 7 wins.
*Miss. State and Ole Miss are in a similar predicament. No experience up front on the offensive side of the ball. The teams return two starters combined from last year on the offensive line. State has the path to bowl eligibility down to a science, four weak non-conference opponents on the schedule and annual games versus Ole Miss and Kentucky provide a clear path to 6 wins. 2011 was a complete disaster for Ole Miss. Don’t expect much improvement in the win column this season.
I personally am very excited to have Texas A&M and Missouri in the fold. Two solid programs that will not wow you but definitely assist in beefing up the middle class of the league. I think both programs will be an asset and enhance the SEC’s overall strength as time goes by.
Here are my predictions for the upcoming season. Once again I blew it last season picking Alabama over LSU in the West and South Carolina over Georgia in the East. Of the 14 participants in the SEC Title game over the last seven years, I have only correctly picked four. (LSU in ’05 and ’07, UT in ’07 and Florida in ’09)
SEC West
1. LSU
2. Alabama
3. Arkansas
4. Auburn
5. Texas A&M
6. Miss. State
7. Ole Miss
*Here is a break down of the 22 starting quarterbacks that have led their teams to the SEC Title game since 2001.
| Class | # | Record |
|---|---|---|
| Senior | 8 | 6-2 |
| Junior | 8 | 4-4 |
| Sophomore | 6 | 1-5 |
| Freshman | 0 | 0-0 |
* At this point I know I sound like a broken record, but experience on the offensive line and at QB are critical. I know Jefferson stunk out the place late last year, but Jarrett Lee, a senior last season, did a great deal of the heavy lifting behind an experienced offensive line which led the league in rushing yards, attempts and TD’s. (stats from conference games only) The success in the Title Game by upper class QB’s speaks for itself.
* LSU gets Alabama and South Carolina at home while traveling to A&M, Arkansas, Florida and Auburn. The Tigers will probably be favored in every game this season, but a tough road slate could be their undoing. The margin between first and second in the division could be decided buy another overtime field goal.
* Alabama will be very good in 2012, but it may be too much to ask to replace all those starters lost on defense. Much like 2010, Alabama may be better on the offensive side of the ball with four starters returning on the O-Line with a combined 95 career starts while the defensive replacements grow into their roles. The schedule is favorable as the Tide avoids South Carolina, Georgia and Florida from the East.
* Arkansas is again a wildcard. The departure of Petrino and hiring of John L. Smith creates huge questions for the Hogs. In his 18 year coaching career, including six years in I-AA, Smith has only won 10 games or more twice. In his four years at Michigan State he was a paltry 22-26. By October 6, Arkansas will have played Alabama, A&M and Auburn. They are talented enough to win all three games. But they could also be flaky enough to lose all three.
* Auburn’s schedule shapes up nicely as they only have one tough road game at Alabama. But with early games at Clemson and Miss. State and a home date with LSU on September 22, the Tigers could also possibly be looking at a 1-3 start to the season.
* Texas A&M is down here by default. A new coaching staff and entering a new league creates a myriad of challenges for A&M. If they can beat Florida at home in the second week of the season they could start 5-1 or even 6-0 going into an October 20 home game versus LSU. It is more likely they struggle against the better SEC sides and finish with 7 wins.
*Miss. State and Ole Miss are in a similar predicament. No experience up front on the offensive side of the ball. The teams return two starters combined from last year on the offensive line. State has the path to bowl eligibility down to a science, four weak non-conference opponents on the schedule and annual games versus Ole Miss and Kentucky provide a clear path to 6 wins. 2011 was a complete disaster for Ole Miss. Don’t expect much improvement in the win column this season.
Monday, June 04, 2012
Previews!
Welcome back. We are within 90 days of the start of another college football season. Over the next few months I will be posting my SEC preview, off-season thoughts and plenty of other nuggets of information.
I've posted my Pre-Season Super 7 to get things rolling for what should be a very good 2012 season.
I've posted my Pre-Season Super 7 to get things rolling for what should be a very good 2012 season.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
The Horror...
In retrospect, we should have seen it coming. The Georgia game was not an aberration. In the last two games of the season, Jordan Jefferson either ran or passed the ball 50 times. In those 50 plays, he generated a grand total of 93 yards, a whopping 1.8 yards per play. His QB rating of 80.9 for those two games was abysmal.
Jefferson then has the audacity to tell ESPN’s Edward Aschoff that “…he [Jefferson] thought he played well tonight but the offense as a whole didn't execute.” You see why it is so easy to dismiss this guy as a complete idiot?
The good this is that Jefferson is gone and the QB controversy swirling around LSU the last four years is over. Fans should be optimistic about the future, specifically the offensive side of the ball.
Maybe.
Miles gave a press conference on January 17 wrapping up the 2011 season. He said he thought Jefferson’s mobility was valuable against the Bama pass rush. (Truth) Miles also said he considered playing Lee and has nothing against him personally. (Lie) Finally, Miles said LSU would throw the ball more in 2012. (Who knows?)
The point I am making is that as a fan, you cannot believe what Les Miles says publicly. I’m not saying he lies all the time, but when he says something, don’t take any meaning from it or put any weight into it. Multiple players stated that they were told Lee was going to play. Given Jefferson’s pathetic performance in the title game, clearly Lee was a viable option to turn to. It never happened; and if Lee couldn’t get on the field under those circumstances, the coaches (Miles) were never going to give him a chance.
The season broke in two parts for me, with the big win at Alabama to turning point. For the first 8 games, Jarrett Lee started and moved the offense. Games were enjoyable and the season had a feel good story to it for me. Jefferson’s reintroduction in the Kentucky game was frustrating and annoying, but if it made LSU better and his role was limited, I could live with it.
Once Miles benched Lee for the poor performance against Alabama, the season lost some of its luster for me. I thought it unfair to Lee and unwise for the success of the team. In the end, it may not have made a difference. LSU won the division, won the SEC Title and made it to the BCS National Championship game. Alabama was a great team and there should be no shame in losing to them.
But I will always wonder, had Lee remained the starter, could LSU have won it all. Obviously we will never know. Many “what ifs” are created by chance or fortune. This one was created by Les Miles. He owns the loss in the title game probably more than any other game he has coached at LSU. Let’s hope he uses it as a building block for a stellar 2012 campaign.
Jefferson then has the audacity to tell ESPN’s Edward Aschoff that “…he [Jefferson] thought he played well tonight but the offense as a whole didn't execute.” You see why it is so easy to dismiss this guy as a complete idiot?
The good this is that Jefferson is gone and the QB controversy swirling around LSU the last four years is over. Fans should be optimistic about the future, specifically the offensive side of the ball.
Maybe.
Miles gave a press conference on January 17 wrapping up the 2011 season. He said he thought Jefferson’s mobility was valuable against the Bama pass rush. (Truth) Miles also said he considered playing Lee and has nothing against him personally. (Lie) Finally, Miles said LSU would throw the ball more in 2012. (Who knows?)
The point I am making is that as a fan, you cannot believe what Les Miles says publicly. I’m not saying he lies all the time, but when he says something, don’t take any meaning from it or put any weight into it. Multiple players stated that they were told Lee was going to play. Given Jefferson’s pathetic performance in the title game, clearly Lee was a viable option to turn to. It never happened; and if Lee couldn’t get on the field under those circumstances, the coaches (Miles) were never going to give him a chance.
The season broke in two parts for me, with the big win at Alabama to turning point. For the first 8 games, Jarrett Lee started and moved the offense. Games were enjoyable and the season had a feel good story to it for me. Jefferson’s reintroduction in the Kentucky game was frustrating and annoying, but if it made LSU better and his role was limited, I could live with it.Once Miles benched Lee for the poor performance against Alabama, the season lost some of its luster for me. I thought it unfair to Lee and unwise for the success of the team. In the end, it may not have made a difference. LSU won the division, won the SEC Title and made it to the BCS National Championship game. Alabama was a great team and there should be no shame in losing to them.
But I will always wonder, had Lee remained the starter, could LSU have won it all. Obviously we will never know. Many “what ifs” are created by chance or fortune. This one was created by Les Miles. He owns the loss in the title game probably more than any other game he has coached at LSU. Let’s hope he uses it as a building block for a stellar 2012 campaign.
Monday, January 09, 2012
The Big Game
I’m not going to bore you with tons of analysis and position breakdowns and all that noise. What I will give you are the two stats you need to know.
Red Zone Scoring:
LSU is ranked 12th in the nation in touchdown conversions in the Red Zone at 72.1%. Alabama is ranked 78th in the nation in touchdown conversions in the Red Zone at 58.2%.
Turnover Margin:LSU is ranked number 1 in the country in turnover margin at +22. Alabama is ranked 25th in the country in turnover margin at +6.
I know the experts expect a higher scoring game that the first go round. The over/under (the betting line total number of points expected to be scored in the game) is 41. Many of the talking heads in the media are taking the over. It’s not going to happen. LSU has given up 18 points or more only twice all season, to Oregon and West Virginia. Bama does not have nearly that much firepower on offense.
Miles is 12-1 at LSU in season openers and bowl games. Give the man time and he is going to bring home VICTORY.
LSU 16 – Bama 10
Wednesday, December 07, 2011
Final Thoughts
Just some final thoughts before the bowl season:
* Raise your hand if you can tell me where the GoDaddy.com Bowl is being played and what teams are involved?
* Many have decried the commercialization of college football, and nothing gives move credence to their argument than the absurdly bloated bowl schedule which includes two teams playing each other in a baseball stadium with coaches that were fired after the regular season ended. (The Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl pitting (6-7) UCLA and (6-6) Illinois. The only worthy opponent I see in the game is Hunger.) I’m all for the capitalism and giving the consumer what he wants, but at some point the good of the game must come before the dollar signs…or not.
*Alabama is probably the second best team in country. But they should not have been given the spot in the Title game. I have always believed that conference titles mean a lot and conference champs should be duly rewarded. The BCS bosses could have created a rule requiring a team to win its conference to be eligible for the BCS Title game, they didn’t. Just another flaw in a long line of flaws the system has brought us.
* Saban was a candy ass for putting Okie State #4 behind Stanford. The media is too cowardly to call him out on it.
* Jordan Jefferson just put in the WORST performance in SEC Title Game history. For the game he was 5 or 13 for 30 yards with 1 TD. I will be SO GLAD when that guy is gone. I admit my dislike for Jefferson borders on irrational, but his 83.2 QB rating for the game was the worst I have been able to find since the inception of the game in 1992. Words like putrid, feeble, pathetic, abominable, horrible, worthless and pathetic barely do him justice. He may be the starting QB for the best team in the country, but he still sucks.
* Some of the talking heads are bitching because the Sugar Bowl took Virginia Tech over Kansas State, Boise State or Baylor. I personally would have liked to see either Boise or Baylor take on the Wolverines. But Tech has name recognition and will attract a bunch of fans down to New Orleans. Remember, bowls are about MONEY. Selling tickets, renting hotel rooms and boosting the local economy are far more important that who “deserves” to be there or the quality of the game.
* If LSU can beat Bama for a second time this season, this Tiger team must be ranked very highly in the all-time pantheon of college football. They have won 12 of 13 games by double digits, beaten 5 teams ranked in the final BCS Top 25 poll and 8 teams headed to bowls. They defeated Pac-12 champ Oregon in Dallas, won the SEC Title game over Georgia in Atlanta, beat Big East Champ West Virginia in Morgantown and emerged victorious over Alabama in Tuscaloosa.
* The GoDaddy.com Bowl will be played on January 8, 2012, in Mobile, Alabama pitting Northern Illinois versus Arkansas State. I for one won’t be watching.
Monday, November 14, 2011
10-0...with growing doubts
Wow. For the first time since 1958, the Tigers are 10-0. As with most of the season, the Tigers handled an inferior opponent winning by 33. The expected letdown was evident after the huge Bama showdown last week, but LSU took care of business while giving the coaches "butt chewing" material to work with as we go forward.
To the dismay of myself and many others, Jefferson started and played the majority of snaps Saturday. He put up nice numbers, but I see no real improvement in his play. He still holds the ball too long and looks to run if the first option is not there. The inability to read through the progressions is clearly evident. The safety he gave up was classic Jefferson; the primary receiver was covered and he had no idea what to do next. So he stands there and takes a sack. Great play, bravo!
I don't know how the QB situation will play out the rest of the way, but I will stick by my preseason prediction, LSU will not win anything of note if Jefferson becomes the regular starter and sees the majority of reps. Sure, LSU is 10-0 and should be 11-0 regardless of who starts against Ole Miss. But the Tigers have not secured anything yet.
Ask yourself, do you really think Jefferson can lead this team to victories over Arkansas, Georgia and Oklahoma/Oklahoma State? (I think the winner of that game would play LSU if the Tigers win out.) Miles has pushed all the right buttons thus far, let's hope he continues to do so.
LSU 31 - Ole Miss 10
To the dismay of myself and many others, Jefferson started and played the majority of snaps Saturday. He put up nice numbers, but I see no real improvement in his play. He still holds the ball too long and looks to run if the first option is not there. The inability to read through the progressions is clearly evident. The safety he gave up was classic Jefferson; the primary receiver was covered and he had no idea what to do next. So he stands there and takes a sack. Great play, bravo!
I don't know how the QB situation will play out the rest of the way, but I will stick by my preseason prediction, LSU will not win anything of note if Jefferson becomes the regular starter and sees the majority of reps. Sure, LSU is 10-0 and should be 11-0 regardless of who starts against Ole Miss. But the Tigers have not secured anything yet.
Ask yourself, do you really think Jefferson can lead this team to victories over Arkansas, Georgia and Oklahoma/Oklahoma State? (I think the winner of that game would play LSU if the Tigers win out.) Miles has pushed all the right buttons thus far, let's hope he continues to do so.
LSU 31 - Ole Miss 10
Monday, November 07, 2011
Undisputed
What we saw Saturday night in the LSU vs. Alabama game can best be described as a test of wills. The game was a throwback to big SEC games of the past with smash mouth defense and limited offensive production. This was a game that required big boy pants. I have few thoughts on the game.
* My biggest question for Alabama going into the game was whether McCarron could make throws when his team had to have a play. I think it was clear that he has a ways to go. In overtime McCarron missed Richardson on a wheel route then got sacked on third down forcing a long field goal. Trent Richardson is fantastic, but LSU held him in check for the most part. Of his 23 carries, 15 went for 3 yards or less. Remember, this is a guy that came into the game averaging about 6.5 yards per carry.
* Some fans have complained that both teams played poorly on offense. Thus for many this was not a very good game. On the first point, I think the offensive struggles were more of a reflection of the great defenses on the field than poor offensive ability. LSU and Alabama were both averaging 39 points a game coming into Saturday. As to the second point, this was a tense, hard fought heavyweight matchup. This was a game between the two best teams in the country, and while not a shoot out, there was plenty of drama.
* I feel bad for Jarrett Lee. He’s been fantastic thus far this season but was overwhelmed by the moment. Both interceptions were very poor and disappointing. I hope he starts against Western Kentucky and is able to bounce back. LSU needs Lee to be productive down the stretch. Jefferson was the guy against Alabama, but he is not the answer with upcoming games against Arkansas, a potential SEC Title game against Georgia and the bowl game.
* The talk now is about a rematch in the BCS Title game between LSU and Alabama. For the same reasons it didn’t happen in 2006, it won’t happen this year. If you recall, Ohio State and Michigan, ranked #1 and #2 respectively at the time, were both undefeated going into the season finale. OSU won by three, but in the following BCS rankings, Michigan remained at #2. The next week Florida won the SEC Title game and moved ahead of Michigan in the final BCS poll. Assuming Oregon knocks off Stanford and Oklahoma beats Oklahoma State, 11-1 Big XII Champ Oklahoma will move into that second spot. LSU went into Tuscaloosa and beat the Tide, why should the Alabama get another opportunity over a very good Oklahoma team with the same record?
* The Bama fans on the whole were pretty decent folks. We only got two F-bombs dropped on us and one Tide fan gave Chase a beer with the condition that he immediately shot gun it. As with the game, Chase put on his big boy pants and showed those Bama folks how we do it down here.
Wednesday, October 05, 2011
Monday, October 03, 2011
Stupid is as Stupid says...
"This was a learning experience for me. I can't imagine anybody in the country going through more than I did. But, I'm now wiser and more aware. God puts people in certain situations. I don't regret anything. Everything happened for a reason. I've learned a lot from this."
-Jordan Jefferson
Everything I just wrote in the last post goes double. "I don't regret anything," says Jefferson. He takes no responsibility for anything that has happened. He doesn't think he has done anything wrong. Why should he? Everyone around him enables the guy. Regardless of the outcome of the criminal trial, Jefferson completely screwed up getting himself suspended. Yet he doesn't regret anything?!
"I can't imagine anybody in the country going through more than I did." Is this guy so deluded and disconnected from reality that he believes this crap? He got suspended from 4 football games for getting into a bar fight and kicking a guy in the face. That ranks him as a martyr?
What a complete joke.
-Jordan Jefferson
Everything I just wrote in the last post goes double. "I don't regret anything," says Jefferson. He takes no responsibility for anything that has happened. He doesn't think he has done anything wrong. Why should he? Everyone around him enables the guy. Regardless of the outcome of the criminal trial, Jefferson completely screwed up getting himself suspended. Yet he doesn't regret anything?!
"I can't imagine anybody in the country going through more than I did." Is this guy so deluded and disconnected from reality that he believes this crap? He got suspended from 4 football games for getting into a bar fight and kicking a guy in the face. That ranks him as a martyr?
What a complete joke.
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