Let's get one thing straight: Saban didn't save LSU, Dinardo did

Lately all I've been hearing is this "Nick Saban took LSU to prominence" yada yada. Yeah, we won a championship with the guy, but we would have done that with Dinardo, I believe. Dinardo's work too often goes unnoticed when talking about restoring the luster to the Purple-and-Gold. The prized recruits didn't start with Saban, no it was Gerry Dinardo who brought in the big guns: Anthony McFarland from Winnsboro, Kevin Faulk from Carencro and Herb Tyler from the N.O. in 1995. The next year he brought in, to me, his most talented recruit and troubled, Cecil "The Diesel" Collins of Leesville. In 1997 he got Rohan Davey from Hialeah, Fla., Abram Booty (brothers of USC quarterback John David Booty, along with former LSU qb Josh) from Shreveport.
In 1998, Josh Reed was sheperded in from Rayne and Chad Lavalais from Marksville. Dinardo was ousted after the 1999 season (class of Bradie James, LaBrandon Toefield) and a Mr. Nick Saban was ushered in. Saban simply built on the foundation that Dinardo had set. Saban's 1st recruiting class was a worse dude than Dinardo's last. But by his second go-round Saban brought in a windfall recruiting class such as quarterback Rick Clausen from Woodlawn Hills, Calif., and Joseph Addai from Houston, Tx, and wideout Michael Clayton from Baton Rouge, Travis Daniels, Marquis Hill, Marcus Spears, aahhh, this is where the cement was set. We can't forget about a little known transfer by the name of Matt Mauck. But let's back up a bit: It was Dinardo that showed the LSU faithful that they too could bring the recruits like the Okahomas and Miamis of the world. It was Dinardo that showed the LSU faithful that they could have an embarrassment of riches at one position when it introduced a pick-your-poison backfield of Cecil Collins, Kevin Faullk and Rondell Mealey in 1997. Faulk was the super-producer and heralded veteran who became a possible afterthought after Cecil Collins showed he could produce in one half what Mealey and Faulk would take a game to get.(Collins was suspended for the 97 opener, and constantly in DiNardo's doghouse. Still, he was the nation's top Division I-A rusher — more than 8 yards a carry — before breaking his leg in the team's fifth game.) Actually it was at the hands of Dinardo that Saban first caught a glimpse of the SEC speed and power he would later craft into his own. At the end of the 1995 season, a 7-3-1 Tiger team rolled into Shreveport and made short work of Saban's Michigan State team, 45-26. It cemented in his mind then, that SEC speed, particularly a middle-of-the-pack team like LSU, might be a notch above the rest. Saban said about the game: "The one thing that impressed me the most, just being around the band and the whole school, you got the feeling that LSU was a high profile program. The way everybody responded to the fight song reminded me of what great pride they took in LSU. You could sense a real state pride." Lest we forget it was Dinardo that first beat a No. 1 team in Tiger Stadium (Florida in 1997, which effectively ended the Spurrier dominance of the SEC.). It was Dinardo that energized the state after the Curley Hallman years. And it was Dinardo that made it to the ever-elusive 10-win season in 1996. Dinardo was fired deep into the 1999 season and the university scoured the earth to find said Saban. He spoke about coming to Louisiana to big the big fish in the water and the "flagship" of the state, something his Michigan State Spartans never were, thanks to the maize and blue Wolverines. Saban meanwhile crosses the proverbial dirt in the sand by joining the Crimson Tide. Nov. 3 can't come soon enough, my friend.

Not only does he pick it, he runs it back

LSU has started the 2007 campaign. It materialized last night in a 45-0 thumping of hapless Mississippi State.
Bolstered by safety Craig Steltz’s lengthy interception returns (3 in all) of 49 and 51 yards, LSU piled up 122 yards in interception returns alone — challenging Mississippi State’s passing yardage total (136).
That's the only statistic you need right there. What will USC do on Saturday?

"In 3 minutes it went from the ground to the roof"

USC vs. LSU: Who'd win it?

What if USC and LSU could get it on? Who would win, seriously? USC is the 2007-version-of Linebacker U. and that's a good thing. They have depth unprecedented for a college program, "the best in the history of college football," is what they say.
And it's no wonder the Trojans open their season with
Vandals,
Cornhuskers and
Cougars, they need to calibrate their great talent for the likes of
Cardinals,
Huskies and
Bruins. They will likely escape the season with a few harrowing close calls, but should prevail against them all, probably with one loss (nobody's perfect). The Fightin' Tigers should actually lose one or two of their games in the SEC, but should be propelled in the polls by strong performances against
Florida,

Auburn and a surprising
South Carolina. Should the boys from the bayou meet them somewhere we can expect a battle royale.
TURNOVERS: LSU's
monster tackle Glenn Dorsey would probably have only 1.5 sacks but his constant pressure would force John David Booty to "give up the booty" as in the ball at least twice.
SPECIAL TEAMS: LSU looks to have the edge on this one, what with Reggie Bush long gone from the Trojan stable.
OFFENSE: This is a tie, folks. Booty will be every bit as able to pick apart the LSU secondary as Matt Flynn will be able to bomb over the top of the Trojan defenders. LSU's offense will use a lot of sets to keep
USC's pro-style linebackers in coverage and away from the line of scrimmage. LSU's only chance at rattling Booty is to send blitzers at him from all positions, then of course, hope he's off balance enough to make bad throws.

COACHING: Pete Carroll is Einstein to Les Miles' Dr. Frankenstein. One is pure genius, the other one is a little mad. Look for Carroll to throw the kitchen sink at ole Les and Les to counterpunch by trying to call timeout when he doesn't have any. In the end, only one coach will be holding up his hands. LSU will have had a longer season and taken more bruises in the punishing SEC. A long, drawn-out war doesn't bode well for the Purple-and-Gold. If LSU jumps out on top early, then LSU wins. If it becomes a sloth-fest, the Boyz From Troy.

LSU 2007 season preview: Who dat afraid of USC?

Sat, Sep 08
Virginia Tech - Baton Rouge, La. (Tiger Stadium) 8:15 p.m.
The massacre last semester will weigh heavily on this one: finally Tech fans will get to do what they enjoy the most: Watch the Hokies play smashmouth football. This one reminds me of LSU a couple of years ago after Katrina; they became the sentimental favorite. V-Tech will be the same. Look for one game-turning play to run the emotions off the charts for the Hokies. Ahhh, the suspense is killing me. 21-13 Hokies

Sat, Sep 15
Middle Tennessee Baton Rouge, La. (Tiger Stadium) 7:00 p.m.
LSU will show up for the first half ... then the lead will be so big that the waterboys will show up after that to coast to victory. 55-17 LSU

Sat, Sep 22
South Carolina - Baton Rouge, La. (Tiger Stadium) 7:00 p.m.
"Ole Ball Coach" Steve Spurrier says this is the year his team joins the first tier. He'll have to prove it in the East with the Georgias, Tennessees and Floridas. He's not ready to challenge the West. Not yet. 36-11 LSU

Sat, Sep 29
Tulane - at New Orleans, La. (Louisiana Superdome)
Expect the unexpected — just kidding, LSU will whip the living snot outta these boys — but with love, since they are Louisiana homeboys. 48-3 LSU.


Sat, Oct 06
Florida
- Baton Rouge, La. (Tiger Stadium) 7:00 p.m.
Last year it was the Tim Tebow show plus a stout Gator defense as Florida scored 16 points off three LSU turnovers and earned seven more on a short field following a safety, as the No. 5 Gators took advantage of the errors to win, 23-10, at The Swamp. Without a muffed punt and the turnovers (including a goal-line fumble by JaMarcus Russell) the Tigers would have won the game with the score reversed, but that was then. Look for the Tigers to come out ferocious and dominate the Gators for some getback. Oh, and it gets fugly. 34-10. LSU

Sat, Oct 13
Kentucky - at Lexington, Ky. (Commonwealth Stadium)
If the Tigers can run on you, they will. Last year the Tigers owned the Wildcat defense for 546 total yards; 268 on the ground and 278 in the air. Meanwhile the LSU defense held Kentucky to 227 total yards and recorded its first shutout of the year. Kentucky will be better than last year, and I DO believe in getback (not Karma). This is the upset. 27-24 KU.

Sat, Oct 20
Auburn - Baton Rouge, La. (Tiger Stadium)
7:00 p.m.
Last year, these teams met in the 3rd game of the season. And LSU surrendered its first touchdown of the season, but wasn't able to get into the Auburn endzone with a last gasp effort in the final minute. This game will again be a close one, and a seasoned Brandon Cox may be able to pick apart and blitz-happy scheme. Or maybe not. 13-7 LSU.

Sat, Nov 03
Alabama - at Tuscaloosa, Ala. (Bryant-Denny Stadium)
It's Nick Saban, y'all! The Tigers don't need any pep talk, no motivation. Just show them the hash marks. We're gong to particularly enjoy punishing this team. 'Bama actually has decent talent. Even last year the the two teams combined for 35 points in the first half, until LSU's blitz started to work up ole Brody Coyle. The Tide went scoreless for the last 30 minutes of the contest and the Tigers held on for a 28-14 win. Look for a repeat. 28-14 LSU.

Sat, Nov 10
Louisiana Tech (HC) - Baton Rouge, La. (Tiger Stadium)
7:00 p.m.
This game will allow the LSU running backs to pad their stats. No surprises here. 42-0 LSU.

Sat, Nov 17
Ole Miss - at Oxford, Miss. (Vaught-Hemingway Stadium)
The Rebels soundly beat LSU in every aspect of the game through three quarters last year and carried a 20-7 lead into the fourth quarter. But, LSU fought back in the final quarter, scoring with 8:46 left in the game and for the final time in regulation with just 14 seconds to play in a 23-20 overtime thriller. I don't think Ole Miss can play over their heads again. 45-17 LSU.

Fri, Nov 23
Arkansas - Baton Rouge, La. (Tiger Stadium) 1:30 p.m.
This is always, ALWAYS, the scariest game of the season for Tiger fans. The Razorbacks have been down-right scary since Houston Nutt took over the program a few years ago and this year it's no different. As long as Darren McFadden is in the Razorback backfield it could be a long day. Last year LSU needed a 92-yard kickoff return to escape the fifth-ranked Arkansas, 31-26, this year it'll come down to the fourth quarter with maybe a BCS bid on the line. Yeah, I said it.

Letter to Les Miles: SHUT UP!!!!

Letter to Louisiana State Coach Les Miles: Coach, shut up. This is not Oklahoma State. You aint a Cowboy. Stop calling out Saban, and Alabama for that matter. Stop pissing on USC (We barely beat Arizona State a few years back, while USC SHUT OUT Auburn 2 years ago, and has dismantled Arkansas each of the past two years). LSU has never had a motor mouth coach such as you, I know I'm a hometown fan. We all remember a time when we were owned by Alabama. It wasn't that long ago. Sure, we've got the best defensive line in the nation (DT Glenn Dorsey, DE Tyson Jackson) and All-American speed across the board. I know, I know, the schedule is sweet (Virginia Tech, South Carolina, Florida, Auburn and Arkansas all at Death Valley. But that lone road trap? It's Nov. 3 at Alabama. Chill out on the yappin, bro. Just play ball. We still haven't forgotten that timeout you tried to take late in the game against Tennessee two years ago, and how that stopped us from playing for the national title (LSU was up 3 touchdowns and lost). So, from here on out, just play, bro. Just play, bro. Just play.

The Auburn problem

There's a school about 1.5 hours from Atlanta, it's called Auburn University, and it's in Alabama. The coach has been pretty dang successful, yet is ignored by mainstream media (He went 13-0 in 2004, and got a pat on the back). His name is Tommy Tuberville. His Tigers have won more games (33) than any SEC team in the past three years, averaging 11 wins in those seasons. He is LSU's main nemesis, despite the Saban problem. Can the Bayou Bengals beat 'em? Seems to always take divine help. Two years ago, it took a wide right field goal in overtime for Les Miles and his guys to escape with the W. Last year Auburn made a 7-3 lead stand up despite a last-minute drive deep in their territory (Yes, JaMarcus Russell should have thrown it in the end zone). But the fact remains, this team won't lay down (ask Alabama, who has been whipped 5 straight times by them in a state that was painted Tide-red decades ago). And he has everything but a cape. Still, Tuberville has to be a little concerned about LSU as well. Auburn never reached full capacity after the LSU game, and he conceded that they "were hurting" for the rest of the season after the punishing hits in the game. Their quarterback, Brandon Cox, and star running back, Kenny Irons, both missed time after the LSU game, and it cost them a possible national title. Whatever Tuberville comes up with this year, the Bayou Bengals will be waiting.

As Hurricane Dean heads to Gulf, Bush still on vacation

Let's see now: Louisiana has called a state of emergency. A "monster" storm is heading into the Gulf of Mexico. The leader of the free world is ... on vacation! Wow, whodda thunk? Isn't this now the time to prepare for the worst if New Orleans is hit? What could be so important for Bush that he's not in the Oval Office right now making plans for Texas, Louisiana and the Gulf states in case Dean comes calling. As of this writing, Bush is on vacation, or "working holiday" as they say.
I guess "happily clearing trails, chopping cedar, and riding his mountain bike in the 100-degree heat of his Texas ranch" is not a walk in the park after all, huh? Bush has been on vacation since August 2 (the 65th vacation of his presidency)
, from Texas to Kennebunkport, Maine. Will he act now?

Louisiana declares state of emergency as Dean churns toward Gulf

Aug. 18, 8:30 a.m. update: CASTRIES, St. Lucia (AP) -- Hurricane Dean, responsible for 3 deaths already, whipped across the eastern Caribbean Saturday and churned toward Hispaniola, Jamaica and Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, with forecasters saying it could turn into a monster Category 5 storm within 72 hours. As winds hit 150 mph, the Gulf of Mexico braces for the worst. But at least one local government official is thinking ahead: In anticipation of potential impact to Louisiana, Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco has declared a state of emergency as Hurricane Dean churns across the Caribbean Sea. She has also requested a Presidential Emergency Declaration to ensure Federal assets are available to Louisiana prior to the potential landfall of Dean. We all know what happened last time!!!!

Country singer suits up for Saints

Million-selling country music singer Kenny Chesney is going to be putting on some black-and-gold football gear this morning to work out with the New Orleans Saints in Cincinnati. Is this a gimmick? Is this just another NFL campaign to blend Cincinnati's country twang with the team's preseason game vs. the Bengals on Saturday? Evidently not.
Chesney actually played wide receiver for Gibbs High in Corryton, Tenn., but says he was "probably the slowest receiver" in the history of his high school football team, but said, "I learned how to really work playing high school football, 'cause you can't play it at any level and not be focused. If you do it halfway, you'll get hurt; you gotta go full-speed all the time. That's just the way it is, and it set me up for life."
Kenny says he first met Saints Coach Sean Payton at one of his shows in 2002, when Payton was the assistant coach of the Dallas Cowboys. "Over the years, we'd become really good friends because there's a very mutual respect for what the other ones does," Kenny says. "He's told me he loves how driven and focused I am about what I do; he loves the intensity I have when I'm onstage, and how passionate I am about what he does, too."

LSU's Miles in diss mode this summer

LSU Les Miles is proving that poise is not one of his strong points. Dude has been talking major smack lately ... Is he that nervous that Alabama has Nick Saban? Check what he said about the No. 1 team in the nation.

"I'd like nothing more than to play USC for the [national] title," Miles said at a function in New Orleans. "I'll tell you this: They have a much easier road to travel."

Of course he's been on Nick Saban's rump this summer as well.

"We now have a new rival in ... Alabama."

That's what he reportedlya told a gathering of LSU boosters and fans. After he turned a few heads with the comments he decided to chill out a bit. "At the end of a recruiting season when there was some hearsay and innuendo, I had an emotional reaction," Miles said. "I regret any choice of words that I made. I am in no way trying to be derogatory towards Alabama. I look forward to competing with Alabama and their head coach."
He also defends what he said about USC, saying instead that it wasn't a diss to the PAC-10 but just some love to his conference. Well, he'd better bring the love next month that's all I know.