An interesting take on the Tech game

I tried to find something I could dispute in this article. I couldn't. Can you?

 

I have to believe that JL was asked to pass the ball because we've been abysmal running all season. Now, I realize that KW was having a good game, but on the (hopefully) off-chance that JL has to play against OM, I'm fine with him being asked to throw the freakin' ball against LaTech. He needed all the reps he could get, and honestly, better for him to have to get the cobwebs shaken off against Tech than the Rebels.

It was a sad performance all the way around, but let's not forget that Saban and his merry band of warriors lost to ULM the week after we broke their hearts in Tuscaloosa two years ago. Chit happens in college football.

 

is it that hard to understand that the coaches wanted to get JL work? yes, it looked like LSU could have run KW and SR twice as much and won easier, but that wouldnt do much. this game meant next to nothing. JL will not become a better QB by handing the ball off.

 

Actually Bama went to Starkville and lost to State the week after LSU beat them in Tuscaloosa. Then they choked at home against ULM.

I live in Alabama and my son made up a rhyme to rib the gumps: "Played LSU and State tough, way to go! Then lost by seven to UL Monroe!

 

Yeah. I don't mind that the coaches gave Lee the opportunity to make some plays. I'm glad that they did. It showed to everyone that JL can't cut it against a middle of the pack WAC team, much less he can perform against an SEC team. I'm sure that the coaches will give him the opportunity to transfer, if not, then I will not be surprised if he does not have a scholarship for next year. I feel bad for him, it is unfortunate that this happened to him cause he seems like a good kid. Why couldn't this have happened to Perriloux instead?

 

if we're up by a few TD's, i would've had no problem with turning the game into a glorified practice but much of this happened with the game in doubt.

 

He can transfer if he wants to, but he'll have to sit out a season if he transfers to another FBS team. I don't want to see him leave. As far as yanking his scholarship, I believe that is absolutely out of the question. The only way I can see a student athlete at LSU getting his scholarship rescinded is there are egregious conduct issues, he quits on the team, or he starts flunking all his classes because he's not doing the work. LSU would commit recruiting suicide if they started pulling scholarships just because kid's didn't live up to their potential or hype. Les "Mr. Integrity" Miles would never do that.

As far as those who agree with letting him throw to "get in some work", I say no freaking way. This game's outcome wasn't assured until very late in the game. Remember, we were behind on the scoreboard halfway through the 3rd quarter. A football game isn't practice, there is a very real possibility of losing a game. EVERY game means something, even the non conference ones. How do you send a coach to sit on a kid's sofa and explain to him and his parents that the team you want him to commit to lost to La Tech at home because "we wanted to get JL some reps in a game situation." That idea is ludicrous. You do whatever you can that gives you the best chance to win the football game; every game. If you are up 24 points with 5 minutes left, then you can get guys some work. Having JL flail the ball helplessly all over the field with KW and/or RS on the bench is inexcusable, no matter how many excuses some will make for it. I'm not buying any of them. Playing like he did will not help him get better. If anything it will probably damage his psyche which seems to me to be somewhat fragile as it is.

I will be the very first to say that I though JL might be the second coming of Bert Jones. I drove up to watch him play in high school and was impressed. JL is a serviceable backup FBS QB if you put him in the right situation to succeed. That means not trying to force him to be a game manager because I can give you at least 7 prime examples from last season that show that's not what he's capable of on a regular basis. I'm not angry with him. I'm astounded that intelligent coaches continue to try to hammer a square peg into a round hole when it has never gone in there before and think somehow inexplicably, maybe it will now.

KW was running like a man processed. He has earned those carries and it's a slap in the face for him not to get them when he was doing the job and doing it very well. Against a WAC D-line our boys up front actually managed to open up some running lanes and the run was working. Getting JL game reps is not an excuse to mess with that formula. This quote expresses the obvious common sense of that situation better than my words can:

 

We're just as thin with Lee as we are without Lee.