LSU TIGERS: 2007 NATIONAL CHAMPS!!!!!

by GeauxTigers on Jan 8, 2008 1:09 AM CST in Football Comment 3 comments

Feels great the second time around, too!

Clearly, the SEC Speed thing was overblown. Best I can tell, no one saw it coming (with the exception of SMQ and possibly Pete Fiutak at CFN): the SEC isn't a bunch of Nancy Boys who can only outrun other teams to victory; LSU, at least, can win - and has won - by simply being more physical. We pointed it here three days ago, to wit:

And perhaps there's nothing that really does set the conference apart, but for all the discussion about how fast the SEC is, lost in it all is the simple fact that if it came down to a knock-down, drag-out trench-war battle between LSU and any other team in the country - Ohio State included - we wouldn't come across too shabby ourselves. I'm not saying other conferences aren't powerful, but one gets the distinct feeling from listening to all this discussion that not a single person expects LSU to win if the speed issue were neutralized. Everyone goes out of his way to concede that Ohio State is plenty fast themselves, and everyone seems to be picking LSU anyway (be it for the alleged talent discrepancy or home field advantage), but in doing so NO ONE is taking any care to say "Hey, if LSU got punched in the mouth by Ohio State, could it get up and simply overpower its opponent? Could it win the game simply because it can win the battle in the trenches?"

That aspect has been completely swept under the rug, as far as I can tell, and I'm guessing if we DO win the title on Monday night, the following morning's headlines will be talking about the massive void in discussing the sheer strength of the LSU Tigers (and yes, I've seen Vern Gholston's biceps...again, this isn't a relative discussion). It isn't all about speed in the SEC - just ask Glenn Dorsey and Jacob Hester, who don't earn their living OUT-running you, just OVER-running you.

Well, yeah. That's pretty much what we did. Took an early punch, got up and rolled off 31 unanswered without a single big-yardage play. Let's examine some post-game analysis from the media. Mid game from CFN's Pete Fiutak:

LSU converts another third and short on the ground. The Tiger offensive line is more physical than the OSU defensive front.

Later, also from Fiutak (with admittedly a couple comments in between about our getting handled at times):

It's not like the Tigers are doing anything fancy; they're just blowing the Buckeyes off the ball and getting three yards a crack.

Post game from ESPN's Mark Schlabach:

Would Ohio State be able to handle LSU's speed better than it did against Florida in last season's BCS Championship Game? The Buckeyes struggled with LSU's strength and power more than its speed on Monday night. Defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey and ends Tyson Jackson and Kirston Pittman had their way against Ohio State's offensive line and pressured Boeckman relentlessly.

And so on.

So congratulations, Les Miles. You're 34-6 in three years, with an SEC Title and a National Title - whether or not it required some divine intervention - and three rather dominating bowl performances in a row. We're glad you stayed.

Meanwhile, LSU is by far and away the first place team in the final AP Poll. 60 1st place votes to Georgia's 3, USC's 1, and Kansas' 1.

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This win feels good

In the end, I don't think we come off quite as dominant as the 2003/4 champs--they're pretty damn close though. At least this time there won't be any shared title claims that hold any water. Any of that coming from Georgia and USC homers will be widely perceived as laughable.

I'm proud of these guys and I'm proud of Miles, Pellini, and the rest of the staff.

In other news, my pick (LSU: 31-17) on the SMQ pick thread and repeated in the game thread here was exactly right up to the last 1:50 of the 4th quarter. LSU could have run the clock out there but instead the teams exchanged touchdowns.

Now that's it's all over, does anyone have a read on the crowd breakdown for the game? I wasn't convinced going in by the widely claimed notion that this would essentially be a LSU home game. Fox didn't really give me a good read on the crowd makeup. Instead, I can't wait to see Jumper and buy one of them DLP mirror aerial TVs (end brief sarcasm/cynicism aside).

Way to go Tigers! And thanks to the good-mannered Buckeye fans that posted here. Y'all have no reason to hang your heads and you're going to have a great team next year. Just don't harp on this loss too much over the next 8 months (i.e., ignore most of the media, they're all about hype).

by crepuscular on Jan 8, 2008 8:29 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

I have not seen any crowd pics

All I could tell from the panning of the crowd in-game (the, oh, THREE shots we got that weren't of the damn band), was that it looked like a sea of red on one side. So I'm guessing no worse than 55/45? I'll try to dig up pics.

by GeauxTigers on Jan 10, 2008 1:02 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

It feels better this time

if only because I'm not horrifically hungover in a balmy and overcast New Orleans. I also work with 4 obnoxious OSU fans (O-H! I-O!) that I get to see for the next...forever. Thanks, Hat.

by Man Mountain on Jan 8, 2008 11:16 AM CST reply actions 0 recs