First Thoughts: LSU 20, Arkansas 13

I know the mantra is here is that if there are no moral victories than there are no moral losses, but... this game really put that theory to the test. This game sucked. It was a terribly executed game by a team that showed about as much interest as I do when my wife makes me watch reality TV.

We sucked. The game sucked, the weather sucked, even the cheerleaders sucked. This game was so uninteresting that at one point, our dogs got in a tug of war over a rope toy and everyone here at the Ranch spent more attnetion towards the dog war than the football game. (My dog won! ELVIS! ELVIS! ELVIS! Yes, we chanted).

About the only guy who came to play was Jarvis Landry, but he always comes to play. His truly spectacular catch at the end of the first half was the high point of a dismal football game that made me almost hate football. LSU thought they could win by simply going through the motions against a bad Arkansas team and, look... they were right.

LSU's MVP was John L. Smith, who coached a game so gutless that I thought he was just trying to imitate Shaggy from Scooby Doo. I hate to break it to you, John, but you're getting fired. Probably tomorrow, but certainly within the week. So why are you using the most conservative gameplan? Going for a field goal on 4th and goal from the one half yard line? Punting on 4th and 4 from near midfield with about five minutes to play? I mean, I appreciate it and all, but those are the kind of gutless calls made to minimize criticism instead of trying to win. And since you're going to get canned anyway, you might as well go for the win.

But he didn't. and Arkansas lost. LSU, make no mistake, did not win this game. Arkansas lost it. They outplayed LSU and showed more effort throughout the second half, but cam up short because their coaching staff didn't have any faith in his players. Watching a coach act so craven made me appreciate Les Miles all the more. At least when we lose, we go down swinging. We don'tleave something in the tank for some mythical tomorrow. Because there isn't one.

Thanks, Arkansas, for the parting gift. You were the better team, but your incompetent coaching staff cost you the game. We appreciate the win, even if we didn't deserve it. There is no column in the standings for "undeserved wins."

Thank God.