if you mean a top 5 program, then no I doubt LSU will be in this category. This year's chances are just about zero of finishing in the top 5 and LSU loses way too many seniors (~20) and possibly Laron Landry after this year, so next year would be difficult even with good coaching.
Well, see, that does make sense, as I and others pointed out weeks ago when first launching those anti-Pelini rants. Problem is, if you keep the defensive scheme the same, then that means you're liberally borrowing from your predecessor...and if you're a small, egomanical man (and I'm not saying Bo Pelini is, but you're free to draw your own conclusions) then you insist on shoving a new scheme down the throats of players who were recruited to play in and have played in a different scheme. In other words, Bo and Les can proudly say this defense is 100% theirs...the fact that they give up over 30 ppg nonwithstanding.
I consider a "Top program" a team that finishes in the Top 10 on a consistent basis and contends for the national championship year in and year out. So, IMO I don't think LSU has proven over the long haul that is a top program by those standards. LSU has never had back-to-back 10+ win seasons in it's 110+ year history. Under Saban, LSU became a "good" program and had one outstanding year in 2003, but by my standards I consider programs of the like USC 2000s, Florida State 90s, Miami 80-90s, Nebraska 90s, Florida 90s, Notre Dame 70s-80s to be Top Tier Programs because they established themselves as a dominant Top 5 team over a period of seasons and won or competeted for national championships in those years of dominance. Unfortunately for LSU and for all of us the Tigers have been consistently inconsistent. It just seems like every time the expectations for LSU have been very high the Tigers never quite live up to those expectations, and that kills me. I so badly want LSU to be a dominant team like Florida was under Spurrier. Where other teams look at their schedule and just pencil in a loss. I was hoping Saban would elevate LSU to that level over a 10+ year career in Baton Rouge, but of course that was a pipe dream. I like Les Miles but I don't know if he is the man to elevate LSU to a Top Program over a long period of time.
IMO, just like baseball, not with the staff........so, nope. I keep thinking back to baseball. Just like this time in football, we had an opportunity to hire a coach like we had never had before. We had a program in each sport already built and thriving. We could have hired coaches much more qualified than Smoke and Les and we didn't. Now we'll return medocrity until the bad hires are fixed.
It is interesting that the only school in the country who has finished in the top ten in wins during each decade of the '60's, '70's, '80's and '90's is Penn State. Obviously, if PSU wants to finish in the top ten in wins during the 2001-2010 decade they had better get popping. No team has been more consistent... yet, here we are, halfway thru a new decade, and they are seldom mentioned. Fame is a vicious wench.
generally, what you say is true, but did we have a great D in 01 when we won the SEC title? im also not sold that lsu's D is so bad. things can quickly change game to game as evidenced by comparing last years games against UGA and Auburn. reading quotes from some lsu DBs evidently they still dont know the system. in a normal year the team would have had a couple games to work out the kinks. i'll be shocked if the secondary doesnt get substantially better as the season goes on for many reasons--- more time to learn new system our two opponents to this point may be the best teams we play more experience for several young players in secondary
Unless things change radically from how they've begun, the answer is an emphatic "no". Why? Easy: Whenever LSU has a weak HC, teams from outside the state pilfer, loot and pillage the homegrown talent. If recruits and rival coaches sense that LSU's players will not get the quality and caliber of coaching they can get at other top-shelf programs, recruits will go elsewhere. It's happened before, and I can't see why it wouldn't again. Nearby schools like A&M, Texas, Auburn, Alabama would love to set up shop in La. once again, and national recruiting powers like the Fla schools, Michigan, ND and USC would be right there with them.
we did play lights-out dee against the run and against a decent o-line and good back of UT. seeing williams, when not jumping offsides, crush the inside linemen and disrupt the backfield had me all warm and fuzzy for this is where games are won. We definitely have the men to do it. let's hope we put a whole game together against UF.
You aren't even a LSU fan. Why in the world would we humor you by responding to your stupid question. Don't take this personal . . . I'm just asking.
