Initial Impressions: LSU v Ole Miss
by Poseur on Nov 20, 2010 9:05 PM CST
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It's like I don't even get nervous anymore. With five minutes left in the game and down by a point, was there a single Tiger fan who didn't think LSU was going to win? By LSU standards, this one wasn't even stressful. One of these days, LSU is going to have a nice comfortable win in which we can all sit back and enjoy the fourth quarter, secure in the victory... but I don't think that day is coming any time soon.
LSU is just wired to play tough games. Usually, it's because the offense can't score enough points to put anyone away, but today it was the defense's turn to a have a rough night. But, when it gets to crunch time, there is not a person affiliated with this program who even remotely panics. The players expect to make plays. And usually, they do. It's truly remarkable to watch this team and how it always competes for the full 60 minutes.
Also, hats off to Ole Miss and Houston Nutt. The Rebels did what they almost always do against LSU, they gave forth one of their best efforts of the season. This rivalry is somewhat one-sided from an emotional standpoint. Ole Miss simply cares about this game a lot more than LSU does. And it shows. Their playmakers came out and they made big plays all night long. They very nearly made it three in a row.
However, this was not to be. The Rebels don't really have anything to hang their heads about, they easily could have packed it in early. But they rallied and not only made it game, but came very close to pulling the upset. Nothing but respect for the game they played. But, this year, LSU wins games like this. When it's close and those final ticks are going off the clock, that's when LSU finds a way. It's been that way all season. It's been quite a ride.
Some random thoughts...
-- It is quite likely that Patrick Peterson has played his last game in Tiger Stadium. How fitting that his last play was an interception to seal the win. Kneel before Zod.
-- I truly admired the way Houston Nutt approached fourth down in this game. Absolutely no hesitation. If the Rebels had a fourth down around the 40-yard line, they were going for it. After a while, it started to wear on LSU's defense. Then, after converting those fourth downs, Ole Miss always got points out of their second chance. LSU's usually the team going for it on fourth, but I admired Nutt's approach to fourth down.
-- The refs botched some calls in this game. The unnecessary roughness call was especially egregious. It didn't make a difference in the game, but it did bother me. That said, they did get the Michael Ford replay correct. Which sucks.
-- Running quarterbacks absolutely destroy our defense. All year long, mobile quarterbacks has given the defense fits. Thank God Ryan Mallett is a pocket passer.
-- Jordan Jefferson was truly Jefferswag tonight. This was his best game as a Tiger. He looked like a quarterback all night long. It was truly wonderful to see.
-- Congrats to the seniors.
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The swagger was strong...
in that young man last night.
by CounterAttack on Nov 21, 2010 7:55 AM CST up reply actions
OBSERVATIONS
1) DeAngelo Peterson proved beyond any doubt in my mind that he is overhyped as a tight end. A converted wide receiver who doesn’t have the mentality to play tight end. In short, a p*@sy who doesn’t like to be hit. His drops this season? When he heard footsteps. His failure on the reverse in the Alabama game to put his head down and get in the endzone, opting instead to try to avoid the hit. Today was the worst. The guy gives up on a completely catchable pass because he knew he was going to get belted. And then, just to prove how tough he is, he takes a cheap shot at a little DB. He’s either got to acquire a tight end’s mentality, go back to WR (and he may not be good enough to play WR at LSU) or go to the bench in favor of Chase Clement (who played most of the last part of the game).
2) Jeremiah Masoli is every bit as good as I thought he was at Oregon. A tough, smaller version of Cam Newton.
3) The critics are already out there. “LSU should NOT be ranked ahead of Stanford or Wisconsin.” We gave them fodder for that today.
4) I don’t know what it was, but Patrick Peterson clearly was not himself today. He looked to be @ 3/4 speed. Not limping or noticeably injured; more like he had the flu or something. I’m not a religious man, but in the best spirit of “the foxhole convert,” I’m praying like hell that they talk him into doing a Dorsey and returning for a legitimate shot at winning a NC next year. We are absolutely loaded.
5) Anyone who still thinks that Jarrett Lee ought to get more time than Jefferson is just deluded, racist, or both. IF we sign Mettenberger, and he lives up to his stats, Lee might as well transfer now.
6) Carnell Hatcher can flat hit! He’s not the best DB we’ve got, but he might be the best pure hitter. Every game this year he has just flattened someome.
A little harsh on DeAngelo
Yeah, he did give up on that route, but he had some big catches in this game and lead LSU receviers in yards. There’s some good there as well.
Oh… and the critics can bite me. LSU’s played a killer schedule and all year we’ve been told how bad this team is and how they are going to lose next week. And when they win, they get no credit. Other teams need style points… LSU has actual accomplishments. I’ll put our schedule up against anyone’s.
Fake Pundit. Real Fan.
And The Valley Shook!
Agreed.
The critics have been wrong about us all year.
Sure they might reemerge to hate, but that’s no problem. But no LSU fan can be upset about this team right now.
Jrlz rhymes with Charles.
Lets face it.
The other tigers are going to go to the national championship unless scam Cam Newton shits himself. If we when against Arkansas who looks very beatable we will and should get picked over any 1 loss big ten team.
I Kneel Before Zod!!
by jharrison2090 on Nov 20, 2010 10:03 PM CST up reply actions
DeAngelo
But his catches were nothing special. Wide open stuff that anyone could have done. No more accomplished than the wide open catch Clement made. He’s clearly a good athlete; a real physical specimen. I’m afraid for him (and us) that he is one of those guys who’s not quite fast enough to play WR (at least at LSU) or tough enough to do what we need TEs to do. I can’t remember a TE we’ve had in years who wouldn’t have put their head down and plowed into the endzone in the ‘Bama game OR would have not made an effort to make that catch today. Josh Jasper appeared less scared of being hit when he’s carried the ball. I don’t know if you can coach a tough mentality, but so long as he’s scared of being hit (and it appears to me that he is), he is a 2nd stringer (maybe 3rd if Dickson’s little brother is anywhere near as good as his brother was). I think Clement is our tight end of the future.
Yeah, how dare he get wide open like that.
If he’s open so much be obviously sucks. Right?
In the history of college football, no player, no coach, no guru, compares with [Les] Miles’s masterful incorporation of applied chaos theory and time relativity into strategic game planning. Simply put, the man is on another level. A level many don’t or can’t understand. Genius.
A TIGHT END . . .
. . . who can get open (perhaps more by play design than individual talent) BUT CAN’T/WON’T catch an otherwise well thrown pass because he’s scared of being hit isn’t worth much. In fact, I’d suggest that, given a TE’s obligations, any TE scared of being hit isn’t worth much. Great athlete; doesn’t belong at TE absent a mentality change.
Am I missing something...is this a continual problem for DP?
You seem to be obsessing on that play. Was it awful? Yes. Should it have happened? probably not. But I don’t see you or me out there putting ourselves in the sights of a 200+ plus human missile getting ready to take our heads off. We don’t know what DP thought he saw (or what footsteps he may have heard), but you can rest assured he is receiving a good ribbing in the locker room this week and likely won’t let happen again. Kind of like him not trying to stretch for the touchdown in the Bama game (which you hate for some reason)…he learned from his mistake in the UT game. Better to have the ball on the 3 yard line than to risk fumbling it through the endzone.
by Displaced Tiger on Nov 22, 2010 3:51 PM CST up reply actions
And for a very concrete example
of why he shouldn’t have stretched for the TD against Bama, check out the replay of the MSU-Arkansas overtime. If that ball doesn’t get knocked through the endzone, MSU almost certainly scores a TD. Instead, they get no points out of their possession and go on to lose.
If he heard footsteps on one play, he still gets a a pass in my opinion for the rest of his solid plays over the past three weeks.
LSU - "...the defense you want to be and your girl wants to be with."
CRITICS
Unfortunately, some of those critics are the folks who make up the “human polls.” Watched Boise State last night and have (or at least “had” before this game) no doubt we’d mop the blue field with them and hope we get the chance to do so. HOWEVER, I think both Stanford and Wisconsin (I can’t believe I’m saying this @ any little 10 team) play the kind of tough football that could give us trouble. Love to have the chance to play either of them as well. Although I wouldn’t be nearly as confident of the outcome, I think both of those teams would be good matchups for us.
i actually think we match up well against stanford and wisconsin
straight ahead running, pocket QB – like bama…it’s the darn running qbs that we struggle against
Luck
is a pocket QB, but he’s got some wheels. He’s got like 3 runs of 50+ yards this year.
sure, but there's a difference between a pocket QB that occasionally runs
and a running QB that sometimes throws. we struggle with the latter, not the former
I wouldn't underestimate Andrew Luck's running ability
He’s got 445 yards on the year. By comparison, Masoli has 532. The difference is, Luck has literally half as many carries.
Stanford runs a lot of strongside power plays. Like, a lot. Once the defense starts overcommitting, they run a counter based on this where Luck fakes the play and bootlegs to the weak side — just like River Left, except with no pitch. It’s one of my favorite plays. They don’t run it as much this year though.
Don't Panic.
by 4.0 Point Stance on Nov 22, 2010 9:03 AM CST up reply actions
again, i'm not saying the man can't run. I'm saying his offense isn't designed
to use these running plays a lot. We struggle against teams with shifty QBs who like to have them run, or use run/read options a lot. Unless I’m missing something, Stanford runs a drop back QB pro style offense. I’m sure Luck would gash us once or twice, but we’d also, I think, get a number of sacks in the pocket. He’s not a guy that’s going to repeatedly sidestep blitzers like Newton
Critics
I completely agree about the critics. Those good-for-nothing sons-of-bitches never have anything good to say about LSU. It’s the same old drivel about “luck”, or a lack of “quality opposition”, or some other such nonsense. I don’t know what their problem is but someone gave me a good idea. Turn off the volume on my TV while watching the game and listen to the LSU announcers on the radio. That way I don’t have to hear the crap that spews from the television announcers, especially the CBS announcers. I was, however, very surprised the other day, when I heard Lou Holtz actually tell Mark May and the host of their show that he believes Les Miles is a very good coach. Bully for Dr. Lou! As for the rest of them, they can all go to hell and take their shows with them.
Critics
Stewart Mandel wrote on his twitter that LSU should be ranked lower than nebraska bc we struggled with ole miss. ten minutes later i look on espn. Cornholers loose to A&M …….they score 6 points
I Kneel Before Zod!!
by jharrison2090 on Nov 20, 2010 10:57 PM CST up reply actions
yeah D. Peterson had two good catches in this game- but his career has still been a dissapointment
took years to crack the depth chart, injured, and then really dissapointed ont he whole this year. His most memorable moment this year was the 3rd down fumble when he tried to stretch for a 1st down – 4 yards short.
That was most memorable?
I though the 4th down reverse to him against Bama was the highlight of his career.
by CounterAttack on Nov 21, 2010 7:56 AM CST up reply actions
i'd actually forgotten he was the runner on that play when i posted that, but yeah
I’d still say the most memorable play – from a fan’s perspective – was that ridiculous fumble.
the reverse against Bama was definitely the best play of his career – but even D. Peterson said in the press conference that the reason he didn’t try to stretch for a touchdown was that the fumble in the previous game was still in the back of his mind.
I don't see protecting the football
as a problem. But I see where you are coming from.
by CounterAttack on Nov 21, 2010 8:19 AM CST up reply actions
HE DIDN'T NEED TO "STRETCH"
. . . so that’s a weak excuse. All he had to do was lower his head and protect the ball and he would have run over the lone remaining DB back there. Instead, he tried to juke the guy.
Agree with Poseur
lighten up on the college kid for living up to hype he didn’t create.
by Displaced Tiger on Nov 21, 2010 9:43 AM CST up reply actions
Question for those that can evaluate schemes better than I can
is our struggle to contain running QBs an issue of the athletes at critical positions – i.e. linebacker – or is it a scheme issue? We’ve struggled with this for years – but it seems particularly bad this season.
It’s got me worried already about oregon next year. I really think we could win them all next year – but that game – the running qb aspect could be the toughest of the season.
Its scheme & LB / S play
I love KS, but honestly, he doesn’t shed blockers well ( probably projects as a will in the NFL ) and Baker & SF constantly either took themselves out of plays or simply failed to make them ( ie. fill the hole trying to ‘read’ and the QB goes right by them. Add to that Hatcher’s play, or ‘lostness’ today and this is what you have. Boy what was with him? Hatcher just looked like he didn’t want to tackle anyone today….
On the other side of things, Nevis is drawing more double teams ( and uncalled holds ) than your favorite porn star, yet we have ends trying to squeeze and LBers trying to read and no one making plays. Ole Piss runs basically the same offense as Auburn, and in that, the traditional ‘squeeze the end, LB to QB, stretch out the pitch’ won’t work.
For instance, both Auburn and Ole Piss run a play where the backside guard pulls, the TE ( playside ) goes to OLB, the guard comes up on the MLB, the O-line crashes backside, the RB on the read actually blocks the DE and the QB goes through hole with no one to account for him. Now, imagine if the DE didn’t squeeze, but came up field. Now he hits the RB at the point of attack and the QB has to maneuver around him, either inside or out. Either way, it slows the play down, gives folks time to get off blocks, forces the play in another direction and gives you a chance.
That’s just one example and a reason I am a lil disappointed in Chavis today. I was hoping he would have addressed stopping this offense, but we got tore up again. I have faith ( or hope ) that he will fix it, as I am a big Chavis fan.
Next week
we’ll face a very different QB, although one just as dangerous, if not more (lots of targets). Since he’s not as mobile, the pressure will hopefully be more effective, even though Petrino knows this all too well. Arky also has a significant running game which will make things even more difficult, but not impossible, for us.
thanks
that was my general thought, but I don’t know enough about the schemes to explain it. It’s frustrating that we frequently have great DTs and Dbs — and lousy linebackers.
what - it's true
for all of the hype KS has gotten he gets blocked all the time. Francois couldn’t crack the depth chart at DB for years and wasn’t exactly a star this year. And Baker – and I like Baker – took bad angles consistently in this game.
Maybe they aren’t “lousy” – but in comparison to our typical DT and DB play – they are definitely a weak link. I’d say that we’re historically (last 10 years) weak at DE too – that’s why losing Montgomery hurt the D so much this year.
I actually thought Montgomery's loss...
gave us a chance to see the depth we have at DE. Lavar has made some big plays in Sam’s absence. I agree that the end play hasn’t been great over the past ten years, but that is a long stretch and we’ve had some really good ones at times. At least we don’t have Alem rushing ten yards downfield past the play opening up huge wholes for runners anymore.
The LB’s are a bit weak this year, on that I agree, Shep is a “good, but not great” LBer, but you are right, he has a hell of a time shedding blocks, but shouldn’t the defensive line get some flack for that too? They can’t keep the blockers off him. As for Baker and Francois, I’ve been a bit disappointed with their play as well. Baker seems to be taking worse angles every game and Francois hasn’t made any huge plays that I recall, but he has made some huge hits, for whatever that is worth.
Lamin Barrow hits like a ton of bricks though and he deserves more playing time going forward. Next year is going to be difficult with out KS, he leads that D and makes the adjustments pre-snap. We’re going to miss that.
by CounterAttack on Nov 21, 2010 8:14 AM CST up reply actions
Wholes
my word for “whale like holes” in our D.
by CounterAttack on Nov 21, 2010 8:20 AM CST up reply actions
No, i don't think the DTs should get flack for one blocker getting in KS's way
Nevis has taken on double teams ALL YEAR long. Someone else should be getting free. That they are not must mean they are not getting out of the trash on a play or are getting blocked by someone they should be able to get around. KS is great at the presnap adjustments – but not on the plays.
I think Lavar has played well – but who is the other end? Not having Alem is a big improvement.
It seems to me that we have several linebackers who try too hard to get the big hits. When they make them it is very impressive, but they miss frequently and often aren’t in position. I’d settle for some more sure tackles. Against Auburn we frequently had Cam or Dyer bottled up in the backfield but went for the big hit and missed. Against Old Miss we had guys bottled up at the LOS but missed.
Agreed on the big hits...
I’d like to see more fundamental tackling in open space, but you get what you get sometimes.
As for KS, I have a soft spot for him, I watched him play in high school out here in Atlanta and one of my physician’s nurses is his cousin. So I admit to having some bias there.
You make an excellent point about the dline getting cauight up in the trash. I don’t think it stops there though, the linebackers frequently get caught up in it too.
Masoli’s last TD run it didn’t look like anyone really wanted to tackle him and plenty of players could have at least have given it a shot. I’d like to write it off to an off game for the defense, but I think they are wearing out from carrying the offense all year. Which scares me going into a game with the piggies.
by CounterAttack on Nov 21, 2010 10:44 AM CST up reply actions
yeah
it’s hard – i really don’t like it when people heavily criticize the players. I like KS a lot, I just think he hasn’t performed up to expectations this year – at least after the snap. And I definitely think the linebackers have been consistently getting stuck in the trash from the linemen.
i don’t know about the D wearing out – i mean, they can get tired during a game, but they shouldn’t be getting worn out from the season as a whole- they are 20 year olds.
More of a mental fatigue
Than a physical one I think. I’m going with the delusional optimism train and taking the stance that a tough game against Ole Miss will have them focused on Arky. I want to see sacks galore and Petrino reduced to tears on the sideline.
by CounterAttack on Nov 21, 2010 12:01 PM CST up reply actions
A lot of it IMO is also..
too many players going for “kill” shots on running QBs, instead of just tackling well. Running Qbs & elusive players, in general, just have the kid of body control/balance that most of the time they can either sense or see the hit coming turn body ever so slightly to where the tackler going for the KO hit either misses completely or tackles poorly.
The scheme part of it, what you have to remember aggressive schemes vs. more zone schemes is always a question of risk v reward for coaches & OCs/DCs. Is the risk of getting a sack or penetration causing fumbling, etc. eworth the risk of getting tackles missed, taking poor angles or getting caught against hot routes, runners breaking the line etc. Against most teams the rewards always outweigh the risks, but against athletes that are just gifted physically (like Newton) or those that are having a great day (Masoli), you can get burned & look bad in doing it.
I must create my belief system lest I be enslaved by another - Thomas Paine
by Curtis Bleaux on Nov 21, 2010 11:53 AM CST up reply actions
7)
Michael Ford is starting to live up to the HYPE coming out of high school. His touchdown but not Touchdown was an awesome run.
I Kneel Before Zod!!
Our O-Line is seriously underrated
save the Auburn game, they’ve kept our QBs clean and have opened holes for the run game.
Joe Barksdale should get some real draft hype. He’s a legit left tackle, and I think LSU would have been better served had Barksdale played left tackle and Ciron Black played right tackle last year.
Another guy that deserves more credit is Josh Dworaczyk who has improved tremendously from last year.
I was a little disappointed to see Will Blackwell not playing, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. Maybe next game?
And La’el Collins is coming.
Jrlz rhymes with Charles.
Nervous and was not sure if we would pull through at times,
but did not feel as much stress as usual and did not have to drink as much to cope as I have in some of the games. I have gotten used to how these games go, but Jefferson really separated himself tonight—I hope he continues to do so. Two backs we can really depend on is nice for next week and the bowl game—I hope Ford continues to play at that level. I thought the OM offensive backs/Masoli ran hard and with an attitude of not going down easy and we never matched their intensity on D.
I hope the D plays with their usual fire and aggressiveness against Arky. But, this is win 10—outstanding. I thought we would win at least 8 to 11 with us being in all the games, and we have a shot at 11—that’s fucking awesome. Congrats to the coaches and players.
"Wally: [going home in a taxicab] I treated myself to a taxi. I rode home through the city streets. There wasn't a street, there wasn't a building, that wasn't connected to some memory in my mind. There, I was buying a suit with my father. There, I was having an ice cream soda after school. And when I finally came in, Debbie was home from work, and I told her everything about my dinner with Andre."
From the movie "My Dinner with Andre"
I was nervous...
But very confident we would win.
"I know the quarterback has a strong arm, but...I mean the ball's not gonna outrun ME" --PP7
Not stressful
It wasn’t stressful maybe because we didn’t have some wacky Twilight Zone moment like a bounce pass fake FG or a play after the clock expired. We were in a game in which each offense was having its way (except on a 2 point conversion), so our coaches got the ball with 4 minutes, ran right over Ole Miss, and melted the clock in the process. Yeah, critics, Miles was a maven managing the game clock.
That passes for not stressful this season.
Further proof
that football is as much a game of emotion and motivation as it is talent. As noted above it was very obvious that early on we just didn’t seem to be as in to the game as Ole Miss was, especially on defense, and it even seemed the crowd was not in it early. I’m not sure at what point it was, but the switch came on and the defense and the crowd got into it, and JJ and the offense just kept rolling. I’m proud of JJ; his never say die attitude and can do spirit has paid off big time. Congrats Tigers on win no. 10, lets keep rolling and get ready for those hogs!
And LSU came rocking
LSU flicked the switch, when they got pissed off at Ole Miss onsite kick and the hit on Munchie near the end of the 3rd quarter. The LSU defense came back and shot out Ole Miss. After that I knew they will not loose. I felt it in the urgency and confidence they played with
Another thing I was impressed by
was how well we ran the option. Jefferson and the running backs were totally in tune for once, and when he ran it himself, he ran with conviction. I was happy to see the option work.
Just a great game all around by the offense. I wonder how Zach Mettenberger feels.
Speaking of which, I read some comments saying “Jefferson doing everything he can to scare away Mettenberger.” Frankly, if Mettenberger is scared of having to compete with Jordan Jefferson, I don’t want him.
Jrlz rhymes with Charles.
That is crazy talk...
I wouldn’t be surprised if Coach got a commit from Mettenberger last night.
by CounterAttack on Nov 21, 2010 7:59 AM CST up reply actions
Correct me if I'm wrong, but won't Mettenberger be a sophomore next year?
Jefferson and Lee will be seniors. Mettenberger knows if he comes here the job is his in 2012 almost by default. So I don’t see why that would affect his decision at all.
Don't Panic.
by 4.0 Point Stance on Nov 21, 2010 8:32 PM CST up reply actions
Yeah
Mettenberger has 3 years left to play 3. So he’s important not just for the ’11 season, but also for the ’12 season.
Writer (and a handsome one at that),
And the Valley Shook
by Billy Gomila on Nov 21, 2010 8:34 PM CST up reply actions
Definitely was thinking "Jefferswag" the whole time.
A friend of mine made a comment during the game that got me thinking:
“Does Deangelo Peterson ONLY make huge plays?”
Geaux Tigers!
Peterson & Huge Plays
Tell your friend, “No, only plays where he won’t get hit hard. The other ones he drops or gives up on because he hears footsteps.”
This is the only time I've ever...
seen Deangelo puss out on a route, and yes, he definitely did puss out on that 1 play, but I can’t recall another game where he did so. The kid has taken some shots on crappy thrown balls over the middle, but he was trying to catch passes from Lee and a swaggerless JJ at those times and was trying.
Personally I think he pulled up short on that one not because he heard the footsteps primarily, but because he was getting ready to tackle the Ole Miss player he though was going to intercept the pass, which with JJ throwing the ball was a distinct posibility.
by CounterAttack on Nov 21, 2010 8:03 AM CST up reply actions
It seemed like our team was playing slow last night
Anyone else get that impression? It just looked like the whole team, save a few, were running at about 3/4 speed. Perhaps they are getting fatigued, which kind of scares me going up against the piggies next. That last TD with Summers running free is not a good sign with Arky coming to town. At least we don’t have to worry about their QB running next week. The D seems to do better with immobile QBs.
But my question is still out there, even Zod seemed a step slow last night. Maybe it was just me.
Some thoughts
1. Jefferson was great. I’ve always been terrified of him running the option and throwing deep over the middle. But last night I was confident when he had to do either. The final drive was a clinic on ball control with the read option.
2. We all knew when LSU got John Chavis that there would be games like last night’s. The defense has carried the offense most of the year; it was good to see the offense provide some cover tonight.
3. For a lot of media pundits who hate the BCS, I think that LSU and Les Miles have become two of the symbols of the BCS era. Thus, frustration with BCS is focused into unfair criticism of LSU and Les. I’ve noticed with sadness that Pat Forde, who is an insightful and sharp writer on college sports, refuses to give Miles any credit now, especially after the Alabama win. He’s too good for that, but that’s where he is now.
I felt the same thing with Verne and Gary. I know opinions vary wildly on them, but I love that announcing team and nothing says “BIG GAME” like Verne and Gary. But yesterday they both seemed tired and a little bit contemptuous of the teams playing the game. It was very oft-putting in the first half. When it was clear that there was a great game shaping up, they pulled it together, but the contempt was palpable before that.
4. It’s probably only confirmation bias, but it’s weird how much I believe in small signs pointing to a loss or a close game. As soon as Peterson tripped himself up and didn’t quite make the end zone — even before the 3 failed attempts on goal — I turned to my fiance and said “This game is going down to the wire. If this was going to be a blow out, he’d have scored on that play.” She thought I was crazy, but we’ve seen this kind of game before. When something as innocuous as that happens, it just seems to metastasize. I knew the Ford run would come back for one reason or another even as it was happening; I knew that when it was called back, the Tigers wouldn’t score on that possession. It’s just weird. Some times you can just tell that something out there wants a close game. And I’m on the complete other end of the sports theological spectrum from the sports Deists.
5. Todd Blackledge needs to grow a mustache. I’ve thought this for years; there’s no other man in America who’s face fairly cries out for a mustache, who’s held out this long. Just do it already, Todd.
You may outfit the Trolley.
Verne and Gary
Verne is one of those announcers who used to be great, but he’s a shadow of his former self. He still has that great voice, but he’s a guy who gets by on reputation. I’m not sure that’s a bad thing for a college football announcer as his voice does seem to mean “Big Game”.
I usually like Gary, but he had a terrible night. He was completely lost on the kickoff when Muncie fumbled, inexplicably calling it an onside kick, and completely missing the big hit. His tepid criticism of the officials, and he’s a guy who knows how to criticize a bad call, just irritated me: “If I’m an LSU fan, I’m wondering…” He couched it in such a way that it was just LSU fans whining. And he complemented a play by calling it “cute”. What is that? He just seemed constantly behind the action last night. That’s usually Verne’s job.
Fake Pundit. Real Fan.
And The Valley Shook!
agree
Verne can’t get player’s names right – he called PP Patterson multiple times on the same return. Standard fare for him now.
And Danielson … I don’t know anymore — there were some terrible calls in that game and he couldn’t bring himself to say it..
Like the play clock going to zero on the last OM TD.
I understand that there is a lag between the clock running down the official making the call, but it was at least worth a replay and comment from the guys in the booth.
by Displaced Tiger on Nov 22, 2010 8:29 AM CST up reply actions
I hadn't thought about LSU
being indicative of the BCS era, but it makes sense to me when you put it that way (and before I get going, please know that I am not criticizing you and that I agree with your premise). Of course, we’ve had a great run starting at the beginning of this decade which coincided with the birth of the BCS era, but as everybody knows, correlation is not causation. And regardless, we won both the MNC games handily. What else can you do to prove you belong there? Plus, OU didn’t win their conference that year so if anybody got lucky in 2003, it sure as hell wasn’t us. And if we “lucked” into the 2007 BCS champ, then what does that say about tOSU? I’d say that OU and tOSU, not LSU, are the poster children of the BCS era. They have a one or two game season and just ride reputation into the championship game only to get their brakes beat off on the field where football ability is actually tested.
by haveagreatday on Nov 22, 2010 9:47 AM CST up reply actions
On another note... /rant on
I SO $%$# HATE CFN et al!
Those are the most clueless asshats in all of the college football media. Outside of Oregon, Standford has not played anyone better than my old middle school team and Wisconsin may be only slightly better than them, yet those asslickers are championing the position that they should both be ranked over LSU. LSU is one bad volleyball’ing of a pass from the Auburn game possibly making it into OT ( as the first drive would have ended in a score if Randle catches that pass ), yet Standford who ‘the game was closer than the score’ got smacked by Oregon, beats the mighty Lame Kittens by 2 and Az St by 4. Wiscy loses to ‘powerhouse’ Mich St by 10, wins a nail bitter vs Az St by 1, Iowa by 1, and SJ St by 13. Yeah – those are ‘real contenders’…. ffs you have to be drooling all over yourself and shitting into a diaper to take that position – a normal human being with at least the IQ of the Slingblade guy understands those teams just don’t belong in the discussion.. and LSU sure as hell does.
I am sick of the shit LSU gets in the media – if we are strong on D, the our offense sucks. If our O shows up, then our D sucks. Its never the competition that LSU faces, no, that can’t be it! Its better to play the nation paraplegic deaf team and win 80-0 than to play a team full of future NFLers who are getting labeled as national title contenders and beating them. Damnit I hate stupid people! Especially ones who advertise their stupid to the world, labeled as ‘media’ or a ‘source’ or worse – an ‘expert’. May they be struck dead, naked, while picking their boyfriend’s nose, the lot of them!
Don't forget LSU doing all of what you said...
with an idiot for a coach who can’t tell time& who “stole” the game from Tennessee as well….
This is why I quit watching ESPN shows about 2 years ago. They clearly manipulate opinions to get matchups they want for their bowl coverages on their networks to make $.
It amuses me though the difference between today’s media outlook vs. when I was a kid in the 80s. Notre Dame used to pull wins out of their asses on a regular basis. They did this for decades & in doing so became a legendary school b/c of it & was worshipped by the media. Now that LSU does it, it’s gimmicky, it’s stealing, cheating, magic/magick, voodoo, gris-gris, nefarious, etc. etc.
I’ve gotten to the point where I’ll just quote Caligula when we win: “Let them hate us, so long as they fear us.”
I must create my belief system lest I be enslaved by another - Thomas Paine
by Curtis Bleaux on Nov 21, 2010 12:05 PM CST up reply actions
Actually CFN are running with...
Stewart Mandel’s column as pointed out last night in my fan post over there on the side that is also complaining in the title about the Pac-10’s deluded fan base and their hyping of the broken Sagarin’s rankings.
We must believe in luck. For how else can we explain the success of those we don't like? - Jean Cocteau
Eh, I'd take Stanford over LSU on a neutral field right now
And I’d like to think my IQ is at least in the mid 80s.
A lot of what you’re saying is just confirmation bias in favor of your team — if Stanford barely beats USC, it’s because Stanford sucks; if LSU barely beats Tennessee, it’s because Tennessee is a tough opponent. The Pac 10 fans say the same thing, just in reverse.
Don't Panic.
by 4.0 Point Stance on Nov 21, 2010 8:40 PM CST up reply actions
I think it would be a good game and can't say who would win on a neutral field,
but I think the point of the rant above is not the perception of our respective fan bases of the schedules of other teams (i.e., confirmation bias), its the so-called experts talking down LSU for having the same kinds of victories for which other teams receive praise. That is, our close wins are evidence of our weakness…Stanford’s and Wisconsin’s close wins are evidence of their toughness. That is a total BS position unless you start out with the position that LSU is soooo far ahead of everyone else on our schedule that we should be blowing them all out. That would be fine if we played in the MWC, WAC, or even the PAC-10. However, we play in the SEC where our bad teams are better than the bad teams in those other conferences and our mid-level teams would likely be compete for their league titles. To discount LSU for having gutted out close wins against solid competition is just ridiculous and shows the bias of those making the argument.
by Displaced Tiger on Nov 22, 2010 8:44 AM CST up reply actions
I'm a little surprised Fiu said what he said about LSU
He’s generally been more supportive this year.
Writer (and a handsome one at that),
And the Valley Shook
by Billy Gomila on Nov 22, 2010 11:17 AM CST up reply actions
honestly - i stopped reading them last year
so I haven’t seen him at all this year. But he was really terrible in the past- and if I’m remembering right – he’s their really arrogant – 16 team playoff is the only way to go and if anyone disagrees they are an idiot – guy. It’s just annoying.
No he hasn't
He’s been supportive of LSU in the past so I’m not gonna say “Fiu hates LSU”, but he’s been unsupportive of LSU all year, consistently calling the team overrated and not that good. It’s not that he hates LSU, it’s that he loves being right. He can’t accept that LSU keeps winning, contrary to his beliefs this year.
CFN is usually a big supporter of LSU, but they have consistently bad-mouthed us this year.
What I hate about “X team would be Y on a neutral field” is that it’s a total subjective opinion. It hasn’t happened, and it’s just a way to make your opinion somehow a fact. We honestly don’t know who would win if X played Y on a neutral field. In fact, if we’re honest, ANYHING could happen between two roughly equal teams. LSU could be Stanford. Stanford could beat LSU. Both outcomes are not just possible, but nearly as likely as one another. It’s why I prefer looking at resumes. What have you actually done?
Fake Pundit. Real Fan.
And The Valley Shook!
In general, Fiu's been
Been of the opinion that winning 9 or 10 games in the SEC is an achievement (because according to the rest of the world LSU’s been pathetically underachieving), period, and that Les has won too many games to take all the crap he takes from people.
But this year, he seems to want to be the SEC contrarian.
Writer (and a handsome one at that),
And the Valley Shook
by Billy Gomila on Nov 22, 2010 1:43 PM CST up reply actions
I just ready the column (if by column you mean, bag of vomit filled LSU hate)
I don’t understand how those guys can justify saying that Stanford and Wisconsin are CLEARLY better than LSU. I could understand if they said that those teams might be better, but there is nothing clear about it. A direct comparison of records should be more than enough to at least cause some doubt in any reasonable person’s mind that either of those teams is better than LSU. How is a 3 point victory over a 4-7 team (Stanford over Arizona State) better than a 7 point victory over a 4-7 SEC team? It just shows their bias and arrogance.
by Displaced Tiger on Nov 22, 2010 12:03 PM CST up reply actions
it's laziness
these guys have bought into the Miles is a moron meme and can’t break out of it. Clearly Stanford and Wisconsin are better than LSU because their coaches are better…right
This one WAS stressful for me b/c
The officiating, especially the Side Judge on the far side (of the tv view; the one who threw the atrociously ludicrous head-to-head PF call on Mathieu & the joke pass interference [compared to what happened to TT in the end zone on the previous drive] on Claiborne). I was waiting for our last 2 TDs to be called back for phantom holding calls or something
I must create my belief system lest I be enslaved by another - Thomas Paine
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Last Update: May 19
# - SEC Tournament Seeding
Team Name = Eliminated from SEC Tournament
| West | Conf | Overall | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | W | L | |
1 LSU Tigers  |
19 | 11 | 42 | 14 |
| 6 Arkansas Razorbacks |
16 | 14 | 39 | 17 |
| 7 Mississippi St. Bulldogs |
16 | 14 | 34 | 21 |
| 9 Mississippi Rebels |
14 | 16 | 34 | 22 |
| 10 Auburn Tigers |
13 | 17 | 30 | 26 |
| |
9 | 21 | 21 | 34 |
| East | Conf | Overall | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | W | L | |
| 2 South Carolina Gamecocks |
18 | 11 | 39 | 15 |
| 4 Kentucky Wildcats |
18 | 12 | 41 | 15 |
| 3 Florida Gators |
18 | 12 | 40 | 16 |
| 5 Vanderbilt Commodores |
16 | 14 | 29 | 25 |
| 8 Georgia Bulldogs |
14 | 15 | 31 | 24 |
|
8 | 22 | 24 | 31 |
