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Espn's Will Harris picks OSU 23-9....

Discussion in 'The Tiger's Den' started by jesuit_flyer, Dec 12, 2007.

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jesuit_flyer Founding Member

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Allstate BCS National Championship
New Orleans, Louisiana
January 7, 8:00 p.m. ET
LSU Tigers versus Ohio State Buckeyes

Of all the storylines and subplots that will surround this game between now and January 7, the most interesting may be the matchup between Jim Tressel and Les Miles. Scholarly and unassuming, Tressel is the better coach by any standard save recruiting prowess. Arrogant, brash and widely disliked even among LSU fans, Miles is dying to earn a championship ring to quiet the critics who mock his strategic ineptitude. Miles not only has his shot, but is the unanimous favorite. That's due in no small part to Miles' aforementioned recruiting prowess, as well as that of his predecessor, Nick Saban. The Tigers ooze talent and athleticism at every position. That's less true of Ohio State, but while the raw materials may be a slightly lower grade, the finished product is basically the same. Both offenses are run-first units, but not without solid balance in the passing game. The defenses are even better, and both feature tons of NFL talent, including near-household names like LSU's Glenn Dorsey and OSU's James Laurinaitis. LSU has the slightly better offense, Ohio State the slightly better defense. The Buckeyes' superior pass rush provides an edge against LSU's shaky protection. LSU is also the second-most penalized team in the nation, while the Buckeyes draw few flags. The Tigers get to play in the Superdome. And on and on. Every fundamental and statistical matchup and detail will be dissected between now and kickoff, claiming dozens of slight advantages for each side. In the end, no one will uncover an edge that can be safely considered significant.

The underdog actually looks like the slightly better team on paper, but there's a legitimate argument that the Buckeyes have played a slightly softer schedule. As with nearly all national title games, these teams are evenly matched. If both teams play at the same level, it will be a stalemate that's too close to call. Usually that means the game will be won by the minds as much as the bodies. Both teams obviously want a win, but who wants it enough to sweat and bleed for it, not just during the game but every waking moment between now and then? The stakes for LSU are high. A second national title in five years could mean that the Tigers supplant USC as the most dominant team of the decade. For Ohio State, the stakes are even higher. The Buckeyes are playing for the respect of the nation, respect that would already have been granted to most programs with 55 wins, a national title and four BCS appearances in the previous five years. For many fans, though, the Buckeyes' embarrassment at the hands of Florida last year simply confirmed their long-held conviction that Ohio State isn't any good, that the Big Ten isn't any good, and that football players from the North are fat and slow. Nationally, Ohio State will be considered inferior to LSU, Florida, USC, Oklahoma and any warm-weather team having a great year until the Buckeyes beat a highly-regarded SEC team in a big-time bowl. The Buckeyes are well aware of this. This is more than a big-time bowl. It's the national championship, and LSU is the perfect opponent. For the Buckeyes players and coaches, this game is more than an opportunity to win a national title. It's an opportunity to erase the effects of the worst day of their lives. A chance at national-title redemption doesn't come around very often for a given group of players, and when it does those players usually perform in a way that reminds us that atonement is a powerful motivator. Remember Florida's dismantling of Florida State the year after the Tommie Frazier beatdown? Ohio State will play the very best game it can possibly play. That will be more than enough to win. Ohio State 24-9
Click to expand...

http://games.espn.go.com/bowlmania/story?pageName=bowlmania\071211_gamepicks1

jesuit_flyer, Dec 12, 2007

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khounba Founding Member

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jesuit_flyer said: ↑

http://games.espn.go.com/bowlmania/story?pageName=bowlmania\071211_gamepicks1
Click to expand...

Here are just a few of his other brilliant picks for the last weeks of the season.

South Carolina over Clemson, 38-14
Alabama over Auburn, 28-17
Georgia Tech over Georgia, 24-10
Kansas over Missouri, 45-41
Stanford over Notre Dame, 41-37
Florida State over Florida, 27-24
Washington over Washington State, 44-40

khounba, Dec 12, 2007

#2
aztiger Missing Crawfish & LSU

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"Tressel is the better coach by any standard save recruiting prowess. Arrogant, brash and widely disliked even among LSU fans, Miles is dying to earn a championship ring to quiet the critics who mock his strategic ineptitude." What a complete jackass.

I would have been upset but then Khounba came to the rescue with those predictions he made. Nice, says it all.

aztiger, Dec 12, 2007

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gumborue Throwin Ched

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i agree with him that---

--tressel is better xs and os

--ohio st will be motivated by redemption and will be sharp and very tough to beat

i disagree that---

---lsu has more talent

---that ohio st wins 23-9.

gumborue, Dec 12, 2007

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kedo15 Founding Member

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Arrogant, brash and widely disliked even among LSU fans, Miles ......

Am I missing something?This is not the first national or regional sportwriter or talk show host that I have heard say this. Widely disliked? by even LSU fans...who?Whom at LSU could dislike Les MIles so far?Where do they get this?
Or Am I the only one who thinks the man has done a damn good job considering 2005 was the Katrina year and 2006 was our even numbered schedule year.

kedo15, Dec 12, 2007

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jwinslow Founding Member

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Who?

9 is an awfully strange score as well, is he expecting 3 FGs or a failed 2 pt conv?

jwinslow, Dec 12, 2007

#6

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T-Boy42 Freshman

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This is just more of the ESPN hatchet-job which has been underway since Herbie reported the false rumor about Miles to Michigan before the SEC Championship Game. ESPN writers have since called him a lier, a mediocre coach, arrogant, and several other things. All of this is motivated by the fact that Miles has not lied, and his actions have shown his words to be true, and ESPN's reporting to be false. I don't give this garbage any credibility at all.

Ohio State will be a VERY TOUGH game. Anyone who thinks it is in the bag is crazy. We will need excellent game plans on offense and defense and will have to be ready to play. I think the team realizes this. I look for an LSU win.

T-Boy42, Dec 12, 2007

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scaill1 Founding Member

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Will Harris is an idiot, but I hope everyone pick’s Ohio State to beat the Tigers!!! We always play well when we a considered the underdog!!!

scaill1, Dec 12, 2007

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P&G Fan GEAUX TIGERS!!

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T-Boy42 said: ↑

This is just more of the ESPN hatchet-job which has been underway since Herbie reported the false rumor about Miles to Michigan before the SEC Championship Game. ESPN writers have since called him a lier, a mediocre coach, arrogant, and several other things. All of this is motivated by the fact that Miles has not lied, and his actions have shown his words to be true, and ESPN's reporting to be false. I don't give this garbage any credibility at all.

Ohio State will be a VERY TOUGH game. Anyone who thinks it is in the bag is crazy. We will need excellent game plans on offense and defense and will have to be ready to play. I think the team realizes this. I look for an LSU win.
Click to expand...

Very true! I hope the Special Teams play a lights out game because it'll be a long game if OSU starts on their 45 all game long! And maybe Trindon H will have a couple kick or punt returns for TDs.

P&G Fan, Dec 12, 2007

#9
P&G Fan GEAUX TIGERS!!

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scaill1 said: ↑

Will Harris is an idiot, but I hope everyone pick’s Ohio State to beat the Tigers!!! We always play well when we a considered the underdog!!!
Click to expand...

Underdogs have won 4 of the last 6 championship games!

P&G Fan, Dec 12, 2007

#10

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