The Advocate: LSU to go 9-3, "Bama’s biggest obstacle is Bama"

3 games? I count Ga, Fla, A&M, Bama, but of course, several other teams could wreck our season, where do we differ

 

When all things considered, its a fair assessment given the history over the last few years.

Everyone in the country including Bama fans know LSU is literally a few play calls away from winning every game they step on the field.

After 2008, Les Miles changed drastically. He moved to keep things more under his control and close to the vest. Right or wrong, we have averaged over 10 wins a year.

However after last year, I think even Miles was dissatisfied in what "could have been".


9-3 is accurate until we see what Cam can actually do.

The D is young, however what people miss here is the youth that got REAL playing time (not tiger fans, b/c we know, but the media doesn't have a clue as to the freshman we let play last year). They may have not been starters, but they sure as hell played half the game in most situations.

 

There are four teams with names of note based on last years results. As I see this upcoming season working its way out, I see three games of note for LSU two being "deciding games."

Georgia offensive coordinator, Mike Bobo, going against the LSU defense under John Chavis? I could make the argument it isn't a fair fight even if it is played in Athens this season. I fully expect UGA to get too wound up in this game and perform exactly as they have in the majority of games they've played over the last four or five years. (If I were you I'd be praying they decide to have some "black out" game or some other gimmick. The expressions on the faces of their fan base is priceless) They'll buy their own hype based on their games with Clemson and South Carolina, fall into a deeper delusion with a blow-out win over North Texas, and then when reality hits them in the face that Saturday they won't be able to react the way they need to react. Adding to that if Bama can put up 350 yards rushing against them in the SECCG there's no reason why LSU can't break the 250+ mark. Both of those coupled with the losses they suffered on the defensive side of the ball? I don't see this as a game we'll look at in the end and say it was a tough contest for the Tigers.

Florida carries the rivalry aspect and through that falls into a different category. TAMU and Bama are significant because they'll likely serve to decide the west representative in ATL in December.

That's why I say three games.

I did consider Ole Miss. But, it wasn't due to their talent. It was simply a cautionary look based on where they fall on your schedule. The Tiger team could be suffering from some bumps and bruises by then and in need of the rest they'll get the following two weeks.

 

Adding one more note.

It's also a strong suspicion of mine that UGA still hasn't been able to put the SECCG game last year behind them. Last week their coaching staff was still talking about the game to the point of talking about what play they would have ran if they had one more play in the game.

The Richt Bulldog teams we've seen over the last few years have a hard time putting a quarter, or a half, of a football game behind them. Sometimes the preceding play.

I understand how a team can use a game like that as a motivational factor. I've also seen how Richt's motivational factor tend to back fire on him.

Oh, I do remember how he allowed his team to intentionally break the rules about excessive celebration against Florida a few years ago. They won that game. I'm also inclined to believe his encouragement to break those rules has led to a tendency for his teams to disregard societal rules as well.

 

Georgia never comes on until November. I agree that it shouldn't be that big of a deal.

 

Is it possible, in any way, shape or form, for you to have a conversation about football without bringing up Alabama? You seem to be a guy who can carry on a good conversation about football yet are handicapped by an obsession with Alabama. Albeit few and far between, I've met Auburn fans who are less obsessed. Geez.

I'll make one last ditch effort to talk about the subject at hand. If that's a task impossible for you to manage, I'll leave you to your mania.

The definition of a team includes both sides of the ball in the game of football. As stated, I'll readily admit Florida had a good defense this past season. However, let's not lose track of the subject at hand.

You take the Gators and see struggles against teams like Bowling Green and the others I've previously mentioned and the logical conclusion to be drawn is "they weren't as good as advertised." A blocked kick to beat ULL is the epitome of luck.

A few thoughts that lies outside of the context of this conversation.

"Co-Eastern Champs?" There is no such thing.

Using national statistical rankings in attempts to make points is using data that's flawed from the on-set in my opinion. The non-conference schedules alone make the rankings skewed because how those numbers are derived use completely different parameters.

 

since Saban has been at Alabama, only one team put up both more points (21) and total yards per play (6.25) than Georgia's offense under Mike Bobo did on Bama last season (that offense was 2010 LSU led by JJ, RR, and Ridley: 24 points and 6.66 yards per play)

and 2013 Georgia returns their entire offense except for two WRs: Tavarres King (drafted 5th Round by Broncos) and Marlon Brown (not drafted), who combined for 35.6% of Georgia's receiving yards last season)

stepping up in their place will be:

6-1/190 junior WR Malcolm Mitchell (#2 WR in yards each of the last two seasons, Freshman All-SEC in 2011, as a recruit ranked #30 on the Rivals100, #36 on the Top247, #45 on the ESPN100, #90 on the Scout100, Under Armour All-American)

6-3/204 junior WR Michael Bennett (#3 in TDs last season, #2 in TDs the season before that, named to Phil Steele 2012 Midseason All-SEC Second Team before tearing his ACL last season)

6-3/205 junior WR Chris Conley (#2 in TDs last season, as a recruit: #220 on Scout300, offers to Alabama, Georgia, Clemson, Stanford, Tennessee, Texas Tech, etc)

6-5/254 senior TE Arthur Lynch -- One of the country's top 10 returning tight ends in 2012 season receiving yards, caught for 50 yards in the SECCG vs Bama, as a recruit: #2 TE by Rivals, #5 TE by Scout, #7 TE by ESPN, #108 on Scout150, #121 on Rivals150, Under Armour All-America)

6-5/208 junior WR Jonathan Rumph (JUCO transfer, rated #1 JUCO WR by ESPN and #2 JUCO WR by both Rivals and Scout, had offers out of JUCO to Georgia, Alabama, LSU, Florida, Arkansas, Tennessee, South Carolina, Miss State, Ole Miss, Kentucky, West Virginia Nebraska, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, Baylor, etc)

5-10/176 senior WR Rantavious Wooten (as a recruit: #186 on Rivals200, #188 on Scout200, offers to LSU, Florida, Georgia, Auburn, Miami, Michigan, West Virginia)

6-6/254 RS sophomore TE Jay Rome (had a 19-yard TD reception in the SECCG vs Bama, as a recruit: #1 TE by ESPN, #3 TE by 247, #4 TE by Scout, #4 TE by Rivals, #18 on ESPN100, #47 on Top247, #56 on Rivals100, #68 on Scout100, Under Armour All-American, offers to Alabama, Florida State, Michigan, Notre Dame, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Auburn, Stanford, Cal, Clemson

5-11/206 RS sophomore WR Justin Scott-Wesley (as a recruit: #226 on the Top247, offers to Georgia, South Carolina, Stanford, and six others, Under Armour All-American, Georgia state champion in the 100 meter dash and back-to-back Georgia state champion in the 200 meter dash)

5-11/184 freshman WR Tramel Terry (USA Today All-USA second team, 2012 Mr. Football in South Carolina, #89 on the ESPN100, #101 on Top247, #134 on Scout150, offers to Notre Dame, Southern Cal, Florida State, LSU, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, Texas A&M, Auburn, Miss St, Clemson, Virginia Tech, UNC, NC State)

not to mention others like sophomore 6-3/237 TE Ty Flournoy-Smith (top 10 TE as recruit), freshmen WRs 6-0/159 Reggie Davis (#230 on Rivals250, #293 on ESPN300, US Army All-American), 5-11/172 Rico Johnson (4-star, Georgia state champion in 100 meter dash), 6-2/197 Uriah LeMay (4-star), etc

 

Seriously? Who won the eastern division last year?

Are you seriously using a banner Ole Miss put up for the 2003 season to state there is a such things as co-divisional champs in football?

CFBdatawarehouse is a nice database. I tend to put faith in a league office when it says Georgia won the eastern division last year just as I put faith in LSU winning the west in 2003.

Come on man.

Color me shocked when I see Alabama brought up in a discussion about Georgia and LSU. Seriously? I'm not going here with you.

 

The SEC doesn't officially recognize co-divisional champions.

I know elementary school teachers who don't recognize Wikipedia as a legitimate source. If you look at the SEC Media Guides listing divisional winners, you won't see co-champions recognized.

 

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