I don't know why the author kept writing "LSU is better," when he concluded by saying: "to be honest, I haven’t quite made up my mind yet on who’s actually going to win." I agree with the author's conclusion. I think we have a 50%/50% shot. If we lose, I'm not going to be shocked. If we win, I will literally go bananas.
Barring a complete and total "choke" in this game by the Tigers, theres no way they should lose this game. I don't think CLM or the Seniors on this team, will allow it to happen. If anything, with the way this seasons gone for them, they may be out to make a statement! It won't stun me if they do. LSU has the "most" talent of the two teams, we're basically in "Tiger stadium south", and their coming into this game rested and healed. ++++, all the way across the board, all they have to do is play the game and not pull a WV! Which, much to the discomfort of the tOSU fans, "Will Not Happen". Tigers win...probably "Big"! :tigereye::tigereye::tigereye::tigereye::tigereye::tigereye:
That's debatable http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=ncf&id=3141312 There is a long rich history of famous coaches that have all been assistants at Ohio State. Pete Carroll, Lou Holtz, Urban Meyer, Nick Saban just to name a few recent ones.
You guys have some seriously unrealistic expectations. As a Tiger, of course I will never give up hope that we will win. I don't care how many big plays Ohio State may make, I don't care how far behind we may fall, I'll still believe that we are going to come back and win. One of my favorite things about a Les Miles-coached team is that his LSU teams are one of those few teams I've seen in my life that will never give up. Like someone said on BuckeyePlanet, "this LSU team will just not die." But from a realistic, neutral perspective, this isn't Louisiana Tech or Middle Tennessee State. If we lost to La Tech or Middle Tenn, I would have felt like we "choked" (like USC did to Stanford this year). But LSU and Ohio State are equally stacked, that's why I say, from a neutral, realistic perspective that we have a %50/%50 chance at winning. If, heaven forbid, we lose this game, I'm not going to feel like we "choked." Also, from a neutral, realistic perspective, I think there is a very good argument that Ohio State has the edge. This game is all going to come down to who wants it more. The Tigers have been respected all year long and have nothing to be mad about. The Buckeyes, on the other hand, have been disrespected ever since they suffered one of the most humiliating losses in sports history last year to Florida. They are furious. If the Tigers don't come up fired up and read to rip some heads off, they are going to get beat down by a bunch of pissed off Buckeyes. However, I do think LSU has some mental edges going for them as well. One could be the disrespect for Coach Miles from some of his own LSU fans. I would think that would piss our LSU boys off (hell, it pisses me off). Another is the fact that Ohio State is playing for their 8th national championship, while LSU is only playing for our 3rd. In other words, all our LSU boys grew up knowing how great Ohio State and its great history are, and I would think that would get our LSU boys fired up to beat such an elite program. Another mental edge that is good for the Tigers is that this was the only year for guys like Matt Flynn and Craig Steltz. Guys like this could have gone to smaller programs and have been 3-year-starters. Instead, they came to LSU and only got to be full-time starters for one year. For guys like that, this is their one and only chance to make a name for themselves and go down in LSU history, and what better way to do that then winning a national title? Anybody think of any other mental edges that would be in favor of LSU? Anyway, below are some comments about the LSU/OSU game from an ESPN article by Will Harris that made some of the same points I've been making since before I even read his article: "the [two teams are] basically the same. ... both feature tons of NFL talent ... Every fundamental and statistical matchup and detail will be dissected between now and kickoff, claiming dozens of slight advantages for each side. In the end, no one will uncover an edge that can be safely considered significant. ... As with nearly all national title games, these teams are evenly matched. If both teams play at the same level, it will be a stalemate that's too close to call. Usually that means the game will be won by the minds ... Both teams obviously want a win, but who wants it enough ... For Ohio State, the stakes are ... higher. The Buckeyes are playing for the respect of the nation, respect that would already have been granted to most programs with 55 wins, a national title and four BCS appearances in the previous five years. For many fans, though, the Buckeyes' embarrassment at the hands of Florida last year simply confirmed their long-held conviction that Ohio State isn't any good, that the Big Ten isn't any good, and that football players from the North are fat and slow. ... For the Buckeyes players and coaches, this game is more than an opportunity ... to erase the effects of the worst day of their lives [the loss to Florida in the NC game last year]. A chance at national-title redemption doesn't come around very often for a given group of players, and when it does those players usually perform in a way that reminds us that atonement is a powerful motivator. Remember Florida's dismantling of Florida State the year after the Tommie Frazier beatdown? Ohio State will play the very best game it can possibly play. That will be more than enough to win. Ohio State 24-9" http://games.espn.go.com/bowlmania/story?pageName=bowlmania\071211_gamepicks1
No ridicule, just confidence... I'll "kindly" remind you of this post the 8th of Jan, providing of course you're still around here. Hey, lifes not %100 at any time, nor is football. I could be wrong about all this, the Tigers could go to NO and lay one big stinky egg. But, my friend, the odds are against it. :tigereye::tigereye::tigereye::tigereye::tigereye:
I think he will be around either way! and about the ridcule thing he has taken his share of it and has continued to post facts that support his opinion! He has been a good poster whether or not you agree with him or not! Of course I may pick on him a little bit too if we blow Ohio State out!!!
This is one of those things we will debate until 1/07/08...and possibly even after b/c I'll STLL believe LSU is the better team even if they don't win on that given Monday...However,as much as player skill and coaching goes into winning....sheer determination,the will to win and a little bit of luck also goes a long way... and our boys seem to have their fair share of both...more than any other team...perhaps, this year, it is just meant to be:crystal:
I'm down for that. This is my prediction: there is no way in hell that LSU is going to blow out Ohio State like we did to Va. Tech this year, ND in the Sugar, and Miami in the bowl before that. Trust me, I'd love to tell Ohio State fans to start making the funeral arrangements, because Tressel is going to hang himself in shame after the national humiliation the Tigers are going to put on him, but it's just not going to happen in this situation this year. If we bring our A-game, come out firing on all cylinders, do everything right, this game is still going to be a close one, an epic battle for the ages.
