Showing posts with label lester miles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lester miles. Show all posts

Saturday, October 04, 2008

2 Losses? LSU Gave Everybody Hope


Before LSU's 2-loss national championship last year, no school in the nation gave much credence to losing a couple games and still being a national champion. Not until LSU and college football's wacky year did such a thing ever enter the mind of college football fans, coaches and players. But now? Everybody cites LSU as the reason why they still have their eyes on the prize.
Don't get me wrong now, people complained, but the arguments were not consistent. Still, this year everyone from South Carolina Gamecocks to the Florida State Seminoles believes it can still win the big one. Why? Because of what LSU did. Truth be told, LSU needs to thank Pittsburgh for edging West Virginia, and Oklahoma for whipping Missouri. If those two games didn't turn out the way it did, with one week left in the season, we were looking at a West Virginia-Mizzou championship (and they both were deserving).





Friday, September 26, 2008

Croom Feeling the Heat at Mississippi State


As Mississippi State prepares for No. 5 LSU, coach Sylvester Croom says one word has described the Bulldogs season so far: Frustration.
"Our players are frustrated, our coaches are, I am frustrated, and I think our fans are — matter of fact I have no doubt that our fans are frustrated and I understand that," Croom said.
MSU is putting forth the effort, playing Auburn to a 3-2 joust two weeks ago before stepping out of the SEC last week against Georgia Tech. "We all expected to be in a better situation than we are in right now. The only thing that I can say is that we had some awfully good things happen to us last year. We got some breaks last year. We are having some things go against us right now.
Still he is not about to throw in the towel with LSU on the horizon.
"Maybe this is what we need. I think the guys have got pride and I think they'll respond to the challenge."

P.S. LSU leads the SEC in both offense and defense.





Monday, December 03, 2007

BCS Didn't Stick To Southerner's Creed


The Bowl Championship Series is wrong to let LSU leap over Georgia, especially if you're a Southerner.
Why is it wrong?
Because the decision-making process of the BCS lacks one of the basic ingredients of any system based on Southern sensitivity: common courtesy.
Georgia was in line ahead of LSU. They were IN LINE ahead of LSU! UGA should get the title game.
I love him, but Les Miles is not a Southerner (Elyria, Ohio), so it's natural for him to want to jump UGA, but true Southerners don't like this system.
The computer polls no doubt did their computing. The former coaches and media did their calcuations, but the coaches poll? They acted. like. robots.
Inhuman, basically.
You don't skip people.
That's just Common Courtesy 101. In this country, we're very rewarding to the hard-working, waiting-their-turn guy who played his hand the best he could. He doesn't look for favors, doesn't look for handouts. He just waits his turn. The Georgia Bulldogs waited their turn, and they rose ever so slowly in the rankings.
Now,LSU's leaping of Virginia Tech? I can understand that. They had the benefit of a head-to-head contest. But, the Georgia leap is just wrong. And I'm an LSU fan. I'm happy we made it, but it just seems that college football should have rewarded Georgia with something a little better than a game against Hawaii.
"It should come down to who the voters believe are the two best teams in the nation right now," UGA coach Mark Richt said.
"Let's face it, going into today we were ranked No. 4 in the BCS. They ranked us there for a reason. They believed we belonged there. Two teams lost ahead of us. Everybody knew going in we were not going to play for a conference championship and still they voted us there. They voted us there for a reason and I don't know why that should change right now."
Georgia coach Mark Richt was right. Nowhere in the BCS rules does it say a team must win its conference championship as some prerequisite to play in the national title game. But that rule might as well be there.
As for old Lester, not only did he say before the game that he'd re-up with the Tigers, but the next day he paid tribute to those that gave me another try at erasing the Nick Saban-tasting flavor on the SEC trophy in his arms.
"I'd like to thank the voters," Miles said on Fox's BCS selection show.
The resulting BCS chaos all but assures Georgia fans have circled in big red ink the pending matchup between their Dawgs and the Tigers next year in Baton Rouge.
If LSU was in need of a rival, Georgia has stood up, this time, with a fierce team.
But alas, that's next year. This year, even Big Ten winner Ohio State was on LSU's side to make it to the big game.
"To win the SEC, to win the Big Ten, ACC or Big 12 or Pac-10, that's a major feat in itself," Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel said. "To me, that ought to be considered as you think about who plays for the title.
Ohio State (top) and LSU are ranked 1-2 in the latest AP poll.
Miles said: "To me, being from a major conference in this country, those are the teams that should be most considered for the national title game."
I know, I know, Les, but those are Northerner's rules, Southerners don't think like that.

Sunday, November 11, 2007

LSU Runs Away With No. 1 Ranking (again), Big 12 Making BCS Noise



SU got good news Saturday before they pummeled Louisiana Tech 58-10 at Tiger Stadium. No. 1 Ohio State's shocking 28-21 loss to Illinois earlier meant the Tigers (9-1) would be playing for the top rankings in both polls.
LSU owned the No. 1 spot in the rankings earlier this season before dropping a 43-37 triple-overtime decision at Kentucky on October 13.
More good news happened for the Tigers when they found out they clinched the SEC West after losses by Alabama and Auburn earlier in the day.
"I am told we're going to be the western representative in the SEC Title game," LSU coach Les Miles said. "I enjoy that. That's an accomplishment to this team and something we should certainly be grateful for as well as a job well done. We'll enjoy that for a moment and then look forward to playing our remaining two regular-season opponents."
But the big news of this football season is the noise the Big 12 is making in the BCS.
The Big 12, a conference that wasn't really supposed to return to the national stage until next season, had three teams in the top six. Oklahoma wis sandwiched between No. 3 Kansas and No. 5 Missouri.
For much of this decade, with the dropoffs at Nebraska and Kansas State, the North had been viewed nationally more as an anchor than an asset.
The Big 12's traditional powers, Texas and Oklahoma, are solid this year. So are Texas Tech, Texas A&M and Oklahoma State. But the elite?
Kansas and Missouri.
Not only are the Jayhawks the elite of the Big 12, but they are BCS elite.
"It says that's it's a pretty strong conference, no question," Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said. "The BCS is showing it right now, and that's proof of it right there."
So, the strongest football conference may not be in the Southeast after all, but in the Midwest.
They way the cards are falling, I'll go on record right now and say a Kansas-LSU BCS game is looming.

Saturday, November 03, 2007

5 Reasons Why LSU beat Alabama


1. DEFENSIVE LINE: Glenn Dorsey, Marlon Favorite and Al Woods plugged the middle for the Tigers more than any game this season in the SEC. Alabama couldn't run the ball very effectively and, with a 10-point lead, it meant John Parker Wilson had to pass to stay competitive (7 sacks, including one big one at the end). Tyson Jackson and Kirston Pittman on the ends both ate the lunches of their counterparts on the other end of the ball.

2. RECEIVERS: Early Doucet and the LSU receiving corps is back, which is what they haven't been since the 2nd game of the season (Virginia Tech). There has always been talent all over the unit, but it struggled without Doucet, and the emergence of Demetrius Byrd, who caught a go-route for a touchdown in the 3rd quarter, made Alabama pay dearly. Alabama's D.J. Hall, who leads the SEC and is 16th nationally with 95.5 yards receiving a game, had a relatively quiet night after a school-record 13 receptions for 185 yards and two touchdowns in the win over Tennessee two weeks ago. Tide senior Matt Caddell also had a big game, but frequently disappointing Ray Brown had the game of his life with 2 TD catches against the Tigers. But Alabama got increasingly one dimensional as the game wore on.

3. INSTANT REPLAY: Never has a team dominated the replay booth like LSU did, going 3-1 on crucial calls in the game. None were bigger than a 3rd down reception for more than 30 yards on 3rd down that Wilson through in the fourth quarter. LSU also got a very fortunate, and close call when a fumble was overturned late in the 3rd quarter. If any of those plays would have went the other way, LSU would have most likely lost the game, especially being down by 10 points at the time. "We should have won, and I'm really angry right now," Alabama linebacker Darren Mustin said. "I feel like we had that game won, but we just let them take it away from us."

4. 'BAMA COULDN'T RUN: Tide tailback Terry Grant, who led Alabama 667 yards for the season before the game, had 10 yards on 10 carries with under 10 minutes left in the 3rd quarter. Grant had been running behind a thin and young offensive line for most of the season, and it did him in as Nick Saban tried to slow the LSU pass rush by running it. LSU was not really effective on the ground as well as Jacob Hester turned in a demure performance outside of his two touchdowns, which were huge. But in the end LSU's defensive line was simply too much for Alabama's O-line.

5. NICK SABAN WAS OUTCOACHED: Les has got Balls of steel. And can we coach better than Saban? Well, he beat him. Why? Because Saban played a straight game. Saban saw in the first half that his team was not physical enough for the Tigers, not mano-o-mano, but he didn't go into his bag of tricks. "We don't play with enough discipline," he said. "It drives me nuts. My hands are bruised from smacking them together when we made mistakes, when we did the wrong things." Les, on the other hand, reached down into his bag and had quarterback Matt Flynn catch a nifty pass from the receiver Doucet. Even late in the game, knowing he didn't have a running game, he did no counters, no misdirections. It cost him. Big time. He got outcoached. "We kept hanging in there, kept fighting," Miles said. "We found a way to win. I've never seen that many mistakes in a game. We'll never play that poorly again."

Thursday, November 01, 2007

Les Miles Will Beat Alabama. His Balls Tell Him So (Here's Why)



The fate of Les Miles and Nick Sab- uh, I mean, Satan have been linked long before their uber-big game in two weeks in Tuscaloosa.
You see, Satan visited Miles in a secret gathering early July this year, and the effects of that meeting are still being felt in the college football world.
Nice one, Satan. I've got to give it to you: We didnt' see this one coming.
See, this offseason, Les Miles obviously made a deal with the Devil. It probably took place in the locker room (the visitors' so he could be alone) of Tiger Stadium when everyone else had gone home:
"Debel, if you give me balls, big balls (he probably stretched his arms out for good measure), well, hell, I'll do your bidding."
Satan probably put his hand on his chin and walked around in a circular motion and said: "Just give us November 3." Miles gave the thumbs up sign, and Satan nodded in agreement.
It was a quick encounter, a wistful wish that probably slipped his mind when he started going back over the depth chart, scratching out super frosh Terrence Toliver from starting No. 2 receiver and reinserting Brandon LeFell. Ole Les sat down in his chair at his desk, and he felt a strange sensation from his crotch area. "Well, ShaaaaZAMMM!" Les probably said as he looked down between his legs.
The seat cushion under his scrotum was literally decompressing was a rapidly increasing heaviness.
Those balls had arrived.
Les Miles' balls have been on full display this season. And his coaching skills have deteriorated as the season goes on. See, Les Miles' balls are consuming him.
Soon, there won't be a Les Miles. Only balls. Big balls.
Michigan will be left to fly some balls in for an interview come early February. Big balls.

Turns out Miles has needed his balls, more than any other coaching attribute.
Miles showed his big, brawny ballsiness with the 5-for-5 on 4th down against Florida (desperate), also with the failed fourth-and-2.7 against Kentucky (arrogant), and finally the "1-tick miracle" against Auburn (reckless). When history judges him and he is enshrined at LSU (by enshrined I mean frozen ala Hans Solo, in a sideline pose with his friggin' balls out!), a picture of his mug will not be considered as a memoriam to The Man That Replace Satan. Instead, in a long case of glass you'll see some balls dangling over the side. Big balls. Les' Balls.

LSU vs. Alabama (Nicklaus vs. Lester), why it matters


The refs may have to get in between the coaches in this one.
LSU may go for it on 4-and-8 at their 40 in this one.
It's that intense.
Saturday's game is LSU vs. Alabama, but everyone knows it's even more about Nick Saban and Les Miles. No matter what the coaches say, it's Nicklaus vs. Lester. The LSU faithful will hate Les if he loses to Alabama, especially with the LSU West crown at stake (even though bettors well know 'Bama will lose to Auburn) Alas, it is what it is. The comparisons are plenty, including the fact that Saban won the SEC in his second year at LSU, but something has to be said about the competition each faced in the SEC. When Saban was at LSU he profited from a weak Alabama team for about 5 years, feasting on them to a 4-1 record (the one loss? LSU was thrashed 31-0). Auburn wasn't nearly as weak though. They always gave one year and tooketh the next (and that trend has continued under Lester Miles), but the Florida squads, coached by Steve Spurrier in the first two years of Saban's tenure, blew out LSU and only when Ron Zook took command did LSU make a game and victory out it as Saban went 2-1 down the stretch. In fairness to Saban, Tennessee was what LSU is now in the SEC, an up-and-coming monster perennial No. 2 power (Florida 's No.1, sorry, usurping 'Bama's throne), but if we look at Saban and Miles' records against the big four, you'll clearly see that there's not alot of slippage. Even in 2003, when LSU won it all it was a "gravy year" (when all the tough games are at home). And 2007? Yep, you guessed it. It's a gravy year.

Records against the BIG FOUR: ALABAMA, AUBURN, FLORIDA, TENNESSEE

SABAN'S TENURE
2000 (2-2)
17-24 Auburn L
9-41 @Florida L
30-28 ALABAMA W
38-31 TENN W

2001 (2-2)
15-44 FLORIDA L
18-26TENN L
35-21 @ALABAMA W
27-14 @AUBURN W

2002 (1-2)
36-7 @FLORIDA W
31-7@ AUBURN L
31-0 ALABAMA L

2003 (2-1)
7-19 FLORIDA L
31-7 AUBURN W
27-3 @ALABAMA W

2004 (2-1)
10-9 @AUBURN L
24-21 @FLORIDA W
26-10 ALABAMA W

MILES' TENURE
2005 (3-1)
30-27 TENN L
16-13@ ALABAMA W
20-17 AUBURN W
21-17 FLORIDA W

2006 (2-2)
3-7@ AUBURN L
23-10 @FLORIDA L
28-24 @TENN W
28-14 ALABAMA W


Miles is

2007
28-24 FLORIDA W
30-24 AUBURN W
??? ALABAMA
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