It's all about the dollars, If Miles can average 9 wins, he will be here as long as he wants. http://www.forbes.com/pictures/emdm45lieh/4-lsu-tigers/
Skip Bertman should have his head checked for giving Miles another extension when Arkansas came calling. The truth is, LSU would be far better off had Les Miles departed for Fayetteville. That's assuming LSU would hire a suitable replacement. Which isn't a given due to the fact that Miles, who can barely form a complete sentence, was hired following Saban's tenure. Now let me take this time to rid my mind of such whimsical fodder. Make note, that I fully understand the extreme unlikelihood that Les Miles would have ever left for Arkansas. Why would he leave when he's parlaying his subpar coaching into annual extensions coupled with raises? The joke is on us.
There once was a time when Les was seemingly unbeatable in the post season. The LSU staff and team would bring good game plans, good discipline and preparation and would execute under the bright lights of the bowl. The opponent would be trashed about until the death blow was dealt. That was then ... this is now. This is the second bowl game in a row where the team brought a poor game plan to the table and a lack of execution. I don't give a rats ass if you're playing in Miami or Shreveport you come with your best or stay your ass at home and let someone else play in the game. Last year they tried to recycle an old game plan against a coach like Saban. We know how that ended. This year they try to take a running team and turn it into a passing team. Establish the run, establish the run, and then run again. When the defense gives you the pass then go to the air. If you saw something that you thought would work and it doesn't ... well do something different. I don't understand why the Tigers repeatedly went to the air resulting in an almost uncountable number of 3 and outs. The rush was killing our QB so ... run, draw or screen. Slow down the rush and take advantage of their aggressive play. So really the only stat (other than the score) that you need to know is 100 - 48. Clemson had more than twice the number of plays that LSU did. That's how you win the ballgame coach. You keep your offense on the field and you grind grind grind until you have the opponent so worn down that you can do whatever you want. Still that defense played their hearts out. I've never seen kids play so hard after being on the field as long as they were. And they never let up. Chavis should be the highest paid coach on this staff. Finally, and this is fundamental football here ... you DO NOT throw the ball three times when you have the game in hand late in the fourth quarter. The first down play was awesome. It was the right play call. But this is not a case where you try it again. Now you run the next two times, work that f'n clock down. Even if you don't get a first down at least you burn time. Clemson doesn't have to use any of their time outs until we give them the ball back? That is simply inexcusable. That is not the coaching performance of a multi-million dollar man. I expect better. Everyone should. That's two years in a row where the coaches have turned in a flop of a performance in a bowl game. I have been an avid Miles fan. I love the man and what he has brought to this program for the most part. I love his loyalty and commitment to the university, his staff, the fans and his players. Graduation rates are solid and he has done some very good things. I can't defend this one. His legacy is going to be tarnished by games like these. Time to take a look in the mirror and make a decision on how you want to be remembered ... IF we are going to be a championship team then we need to make some changes in the offensive leadership. Miles needs to put someone up there who will run the offense and allow him to stand on the sidelines, chew grass and clap. The leadership of this team needs to be carefully examined and changes are needed. This trend, if not corrected, will cost LSU victories and recruits. Miles has made some good adjustments in the past. He will need to do so again this off-season to capture the full potential of this loaded group of football players. If he can do it a National Championship next year is in sight. If not it may be time to start looking for the next Tiger coach. And I hate to think of rebuilding when we have so much going right for this program.
And remember that Stud kind of backed into this role. It was Kragthorpe who was hired as the OC but took a reduced role because of his illness. So I would have to think that a new OC who was actually recruited and hired would be better than the one that accepted the position by default.
IF our offense doesn't go 3 & out 9 in a row and play selection eats up some clock on last possession- just for a couple of things- that dude's not on the field. The offense contributed to Clemson's "record breaking WR" cause they couldn't sustain drives, as usual. I promise had WE run 100 plays offensively Hopkins wouldn't have put up NEAR those numbers.
