I hear people unsure of what is wrong with LSU football. I hear people explain the Tennessee comeback by saying that "people forget what a good team TN is." To me, it is blatantly obvious what is wrong with LSU football: BO PELINI! Of course like any team, the Tigers have other problems to work on, but the problem is the defensive scheme and the idiocy of sticking with it. I am not a football coach just an avid fan. After watching about a quarter of the Arizona State game, I started wondering outloud why are our corners playing 10-15 yards off the wide receivers 95% of the time. I thought at first it was just a scheme for a part of a game. After the Arizona State game, I was mad that Pelini didn't make adjustments until the last drive. On the last drive, the corners played close and LSU stopped Arizona State to win. I thought "okay it is obvious that the scheme was horrible but of course they'll fix it for the TN game." To my amazement, they played the same exact scheme. After some nervous, bad play by Ainge, Clausen got in there and did what the vast majority of average college passers would do to that scheme. I was not surprised at all by the comeback when I saw they were continuing to play the corners 10-15 yards off the receivers. The only benefit is that it helps prevent big plays but it is like a "prevent" defense. The offense can easily run sweeps against it and easily throw routes underneath 10 yards. I have to stop caring about LSU football until this scheme is fixed because there is no point. Even if we win 8 games, we are inherently limited by this horrible defensive scheme that the rest of the team has to overcome. I think the rest of the team is coached well and I think we have as much talent as anyone perhaps other than USC. That is what makes it so upsetting that the incompetence of BO PELINI could ruin this whole season. If the scheme is not fixed, who cares if we beat MS ST by three touchdowns. We are subject to get beat by the likes of Vandy and AL and killed by FL. It is such a shame. I don't know why more people don't see this. I even hear people questioning the players. Admittedly Prude has had his breakdowns but this is largely the same group the Saban had as a top five defense in the nation. This defense is loaded and deep with high school all americans. IT IS OBVIOUSLY DEFENSIVE COACHING! I never cared how many games the Tigers win to judge Miles. I always said I would judge him by how well coached they appeared to be. I give them an 'B+' on offense; an 'A' on special teams and an 'F' on defense. And the defensive coordinator has grade A personnel to work with. How disappointing that one person can ruin a seaon. Miles needs to tell Pelini to change this ridiculous scheme or give Dunbar or another defensive coach control of the defense. And if Pelini doesn't like it he can quit. Okay, I've said my piece. Now a poll.
No poll needed. You are not crazy. You are right on. Things won't improve as long as Pelini is in charge of the defense. He blames everybody else and refuses to admit his scheme is crap when the evidence is overwhelming. Last in the nation, big boy. What more evidence is needed? What is scary is that support for the progam could nosedive if something isn't done before the season is a waste. All those new seats could go begging for bottoms to fill them and that bayou of money the alums contribute might stop flowing. The root of the problem, though, is Bertman. He wanted this crew and here we are, stuck with them. He hired Laval, too. And, he agreed to play in Tempe and to let the Saints invade Tiger Stadium. Our problems are deeper than coaching.
Wow, max. Completely insightful and original analysis! I assure you, no one here has thought any of that yet. We've been beating our heads against the wall for the past 3 weeks wondering exactly what was plaguing this team. Thank you for guiding us clueess TF-goers to the real root of the problem. I guess now the team will make its anticipated turnaround.
I'm not analyzing, defending or condemning the "scheme" because I am not qualified to do so...BUT...I am smart enough to realize that a new "scheme" takes time and game experience to fully implement itself and to run like the proverbial well oiled machine. LSU missed pre-season practices, missed the cupcake warm-up and traveled when they weren't supposed to. Everyone's schedule was disrupted. You cannot expect the new "scheme" to be perfectly executed right out of the box, especially under the circumstances. Yesterday was our North Texas game. Unfortunately, we had to run a gauntlet of ranked teams to get to it. A lot of the criticism is premature and entirely unwarranted. You should have put another poll choice. "Be patient, it could work".
I never thought BP was a good hire and don't like what I see. Really could give a rats a** what happened in Nebraska in 200?. It doesn't appear to be happening here in 2005. The only other thing I see is we lost Kuale to and injury and the HUGE loss of Alley Broussard. How many drives against Tenn. could have been kept alive with a dose of Broussard and Addai.
