The writer acknowledges that up front, so I knew that going in. That said, does anyone really think Saban's seat would be hot if we'd have lost that game, coming off our first NC in nearly 50 years? No way.. Also, wasn't Meyer offered the ND job before accepting the job at FU, but turned it down because he couldn't recruit the athletes he wanted based on the academic qualifications at ND?
Pure bullshit but it was a fun read. I'm impressed with his ability to keep that all together and make it flow.
he didn't say Saban's seat would be hot, he just said "Saban feels his seat warming as the Tigers drop to 3-3 and fall out of the Top 25" LSU was preaseason top 3 in 2004. had we lost to Florida, that would have made us 0-3 vs every top 25 team on our regular season schedule, and with no top 25 teams left on our schedule, we'd have won the rest of our games and finished the regular season ranked #20. you start off #3 and finish the regular season #20 while going 0-3 vs top 25 teams, you're are going to have plenty of people being very loud with their criticism (oh now that Saban got his ring he doesn't care anymore and is just coasting...Saban was only able to win with Dinardo's recruits not his own...if Saban was a great coach how come he was our 15th or 16th choice to coach LSU? Maybe Saban shouldn't go but his unexperienced BBQ buddy Will Muschamp definitely needs to go. Muschamp has zero experience as a DC. why would Saban replace a good DC with a trainee? What is Muschamp experienced at, great Bar-b-que? that doesn't cut it! DC Muschamp and/or OC Fisher has to go! somebody's head must roll for this disappointment of a season!) the author also mentioned that Saban was "sick of getting criticized in Baton Rouge less than a year after winning a national title" now yeah, if Saban was reading the melt downs on LSU discussion boards, and listening to the idiots calling up to bitch on talk radio, of course he'd get sick off it, which is why I imagine coaches don't read discussion boards or listen to talk radio. regardless, it had nothing to do with the author's plot line, he was just taking a jab at the idiots that critcize everything as for Meyer, he said the reason he choose Florida over ND was because he'd be spending too much time away from his family flying around the country (California, Texas, Florida) recruiting a top 5 recruiting class, while he could do that at Florida just by recruiting the state. and of course, it's just understood that Florida is a much easier school to win at compared to ND, esp since ND hasn't been a powerhouse since the early 90's as for the authors' piece, it had plenty of major plot holes, but it was still an interesting read for fans of college football, kinda like a description of one of the wide variety of alternative realities that could have happened depending on how various things played out. also, a couple of parts made me laugh: the Alabama hick calling Finebaum's radio show and Miles' press conference
Well, I was here in 2004 and I don't remember Nick being widely criticized. Everyone was delighted with Nick from the LSU authorities to the common fan. It was a 9-3 season and should have 10-2 except for the fluke Hail Mary in the bowl game that should have been called back for both holding and pushing a receiver in the back. Fans bitched a lot about that play and all season long about the big drop-off from Matt Mauck to Marcus Randall. But widespread discontent with Nick himself just didn't happen. In fact, he got a new contract making him the highest paid coach in America and a promise to build a new Football Center.
right, that win over Florida was huge (i still remember exactly where I was, everybody I was watching it with, and what we did after to celebrate...it was tense). just shows how important one game is. think had Les lost vs Florida in 2007. also, remember it took 3 miracles for 2004 LSU to beat Oregon State. that 2004 LSU team could have easily finished 7-5 and not ranked
heck, just shows how important a handful of plays can be. the outcome of just a handful of plays was the difference between a 7-5 and a 10-2 season in 2004...and you could say the same thing about other seasons as well
