Or were we just THAT enamored with Saban: The Third Letter of schmed to the Sabanites Again, a Great Darkness fell upon the land and the people lamented and rent their garments Gold and Purple. And from their despair came amnesia, and from it a miasma of invective against the Prophet Les and one of his Disciples, Bo, son of Pelin, which means one who teppers. Does not the wise fan remember all that which Saban allowed to happen? Cast down thy tankard and shake the sleep from thy brow that thy memory be refreshed... In the First Year of Saban: 3 B.C.S.* (8-4): Saban got rudely welcomed into the SEC at Auburn, 17-34. The very next week, Josh "Back-Foot" Booty gave lowly UAB a quick 7 point INT late in the game in a 10-13 loss. High off the OT win against UT, the Tigers got pasted by Spurrier's Fun-n-Done in the swamp, 9-41. A shaky win over MSU (45-38). Then another close one over Alabama (30-28) which was all but overshadowed by the euphoria of beating the Tide in Baton Rouge for the first time in thirty-frikkin-years (and instant replay on the zebra-botched muffed punt - before it was fashionable). And a pathetic showing against Arkansas 3-14. The Second Year of Saban: 2 B.C.S. (10-3, SEC Champs) Back-to-back losses to UT (18-26) where the Tiger secondary made a UT wideout that nobody's heard of since get Heisman-quality props from sportswrithers, and Florida (15-44) in Death Valley. Lost to Eli and the Ole Missus, 24-35 - at home. The Third Year of Saban: 1 B.C.S. (8-5, but could easily have ended 6-6) Mauk laid an offensive egg against V-Tech, 8-26, in Blacksburg. Bengal offense sputtered badly in Auburn, 7-31. Tigers got shut out at home on ESPN Prime Time vs Bama, ZIP - 31, ZERO! Let's not forget the Blowgrass Miracle where a hapless UK team let a 27-30 victory slip away. Eaked out a 1 pointer against The Ole Miss Elis, 14-13. The season could've ended at 6-6. Lost a 1 pointer (20-21) to the Arkansas team whose QB, according to St. Nick, "...couldn't hit a bull in the ass with a handful of sand until the last drive." This with the SEC West and another appearance in the Championship Game at stake. Saban's chronic loyalty to "best available" QBs leads to a long day on the sharp end of the Longhorns in the Cotton Bowl, 20-35. The Year of Our Championship: (13-1, SEC Champs, BCS National Champs) LSU offense failed to score, 7-19 at home, vs. Florida and their freshman QB who repeatedly ripped passes to his TE and backs up the LSU middle. Even though the D-Line saved the 17-14 win at Oxford, Eli floated several wounded ducks (quaaaaack-wackwackwack) into the LSU secondary for long gains in the second half. If not for Jaleel "Did I Do That?" White's 7-point gift to Marcus Spears, how does that 14-14 BCS Championship game against OU end? The Fifth Year of Saban: 1 A.C.S. (9-3) Beat Oregon State 22-21 in OT when their PK won the Bobby Bowden Missed Wide award. Lost to Auburn 9-10 after our PK caught missedwideosis from OSU's PK and our defense gave up a sustained TD drive late in the game. Got the mammy-slappin' STUFFING beaten out of us by a vengeful Georgia, 16-45, looking flatter than Kate Moss' tankini. Let Troy and an Eli-less Ole Miss play us tough at home, 24-20 and 27-24. Saban's defensive secondary gave up a long TD on the last play to blow the Capital Dumb bowl. Any one of the preceeding losses was as bad as the losing effort of Les Miles' undergamed 1-0 Tigers versus a slightly more seasoned 2-1 UT team back on September 26th. That's 16 gut-wrenching go-home-a-loser games in 5 years and I hated every cuss-ed one of 'em every bit as much as losing to Tennessee a week ago last night. One need not drink deeply of the six earthen water jars that Skip turned to Kool-Aid to have a little patience. * B./A.C.S. - Before/After Championship Season
Ive just been hearing people bash coach miles. Its not like Saban was "GOD" of football like Ramah apparently thought. He made mistakes, and so will Coach Miles.
Honestly, we were fine with Saban and his 8-9 win seasons because we knew that with the program he was building we would get better. Also realize that before 2003 we had not won any sort of NC in 45 years so 3 losses was considered a good year. After the championship season our expectations skyrocketed. So it goes like this: Before the campionship season: Realistic ultimate goal for most fans is an SEC championship and the Sugar Bowl against a good team to prove ourself. After the Championship season: Nothing short of a top 5 finish, an SEC championship, and/or a BCS aperance will do. I have a better question to propose than the one offered in the topic. If Nick had satyed and continued the 8-9 win seasons how long would he have lasted here? I think he knew the answer to that question and that was a big reason why he left. Of course he wants to Coach in the NFL, but did we really make staying in BR as good of an option as we could have. I am not blaming the fans for his departure, he was going to go eventually, but i think that our attitude in the '04 season might have helped him out the door a bit. Might as well leave while your name is hot and your still a legend in the minds of LSU fans right.
BTW I agree with USNavyTiger. Miles does deserve a bit of patience. He has the talent to deliver and we will see soon waht kind of SEC coach he can be.
CRUSHED WITH STARK REALITY ... NO HOPE W/LESS SMILES SABAN TOOK A LOSER OF A PROGRAM FROM THE ASHES TO a 13-win season and a :crystal: . LSU came from the dust and ashes of mediocrity before Saban taught them how to be CHAMPIONS! ... only to find itself returning to the same dust and ashes after his departure! LSU WAS THE PREMIER DEFENSE IN AMERICA, FEARED BY ALL. LSU WAS #1 IN RECRUITING IN THE SEC & AMERICA THIS DECADE. LSU WAS A NC contender these past two years (Preseason selection for NC). Miles inherited that ... and has already pissed it all away! Teams can't wait to play LSU and run up 400 + yards of offense. I've seen enough! No Mercy, No excuses! No more Miles! Replace this bum ASAP! Off with his head, and his dog Pellini too. Let Jimbo & Karl Dunbar coach the rest of the year. Minimize Saban's contributions all you want ... you can never lower him to the gutter where LESS SMILES resides.
Wolf, I agree and last year was an example of the changing dynamics as many were thoroughly disappointed in our season, even when we were 9-2 beofre the Cap One. And Nick knew it too as he indicated when telling the stories of how everyone was showing him their empathy throughout the season. The big difference is that many would not have jumped all over Nick because of the heartfelt gratitude we had for winning that championship, Miles does not have that luyxury stashed away. But the calls for Saban's head would have gradually been made more often and louder by the same poeople who are calling for Miles head now.
Directed at BlancoBob: ahh jeez, quit being such a Saban wanker. He was a great coach. and he did a lot of good. But he aint coming back. we have a decent coach that is being introduced to the SEC (and our Defensive coach as well, or as you put it, his little dog). I asy give Miles at LEAST one season to see how things work and what to look for. This season hasnt exactly been "normal" either with all the hurricanes and players families houses being underwater. Being Mentally healthy is just as important as being physically healthy. Im not a kool ai drinking blind LSU fan, but I still think we have a good team with a lot of "potential" and quite a bit of playmakers. All im saying is, Les Miles is NOT perfect, and you are out of your mind if you think we are going to fire him right off the bat to hire someone else... with you expectations... I dont even think Jesus could coach this team right. :geauxtige
