I think the defense is going to surprise some people, but I think this might be the season we finally have an offense to help out the defense.
If 9-3 is right for LSU then bama is going to win the SECW IMO. Texas A&M is losing 3 OL and they're not as stacked as LSU and bama as far as depth. Plus, I think Johnny Football is going to have a slight sophmore slump. That schedule for bama is going to be hard to F up. We've got 4 teams on our schedule that have the horses to play with us, (Ga, Fla, bama, A&M) bama has 2 (LSU, A&M) big advantage, no matter how you slice it. It's no accident that the 2 teams with the easiset oppisite division SEC schedule ended up in the championship game.
Yet, if LSU would have won the game at home against Bama, they would have been in ATL several weeks earlier than they were. And they damn well could have—and should have—played better against Florida. That game should have been 14-0 going into the half. That last FG of the first half reminds me a lot of a late position Bama had against A&M. 1st and goal and neither team could push it across the goal line with dominating running attacks.
They're also losing their starting RB and #1 WR (although Seals-Jones should be ready to step-up). They've also got to deal with the expectations that no one had for them last year, and I think they'll find out just how difficult that is to deal with in the SEC.
A&M also had the advantage of joining the conference in an uncharacteristic season where Auburn and Arkansas were both pushovers to everyone except LSU (they both always seem to find a way to give us fits no matter how bad they suck).
Ain't gonna change this year. Arky's only experienced QB just transferred, and Auburn is, well, Auburn...a dumpster fire.
Let me be real clear here. I'm not taking anything away from bama. They beat us fair and square. All I'm saying is that with an easier slate, there's more room for error, more chances that you get away with a win without playing your best, or even a good game. Would we have one the west swapping fla for missouri, or tenn? NO But would the odds of us playing in a BCS bowl been tremendously greater? DAMN SKIPPY!! Does anyone here really think we lose to either tenn or missouri?
You won't find any disagreement with me on these points. One thing that struck me about last season was how much luck comes into play when a team has success. We've all talked about injury luck. That's a given. But the luck Florida had last season? People tend to laugh at the notion a team can lose a game versus that same team getting beaten. LSU vs UF in 2012? LSU lost that game. Florida should have lost their game against La-Lafayette. Two seconds. Yes, I know the adage "you create your own luck" but blocking a punt with two seconds left? Honestly, the only game last season that earned a degree of respect was their win over UofSC. Their loss to the Big East's Louisville team did more to define that Gator team than any I've seen. (And it's largely that W that is getting the Cardinals the love we'll see in pre-season polls)
