"I called Auburn to win it all last October, I’m ready to call it again now: no one is stopping this LSU team from winning the 2011 National Championship. It’s counterintuitive, but Alabama might have too easy of a slate heading into November 5. The Tide have Vandy, Ole Miss and Tennessee before the bye. Absent injuries, LSU will get to stay closer to fighting shape with Florida, Tennessee and Auburn, before it too has a bye. This will be the difference: (i) LSU’s Les Miles is the best coach in America with a week to prepare, (ii) the Tigers are ranked in the top five nationally in turnover margin while Bama is a middling 50th, and (iii) both of LSU’s quarterbacks have played against tough defenses, including this Bama one. However, this will be, by far, the toughest. However, this will be, by far, the toughest defense A.J. McCarron has ever seen. Even in Tuscaloosa, we’ll take the experience." The turnover battle. LSU has been excellent all year long. I think he meant to say when Les Miles has more than a week to prepare.
Look at our OOC opponents vs Bama's. While we were playing the likes of Oregon and West Virginia, Bama played Kent State and North Texas. Certainly playing those two schools pumped up Bama's defensive stats. More importantly though, I would say that LSU is more battle-tested and have an advantage because of this. :geauxtige
As soon as the stats are updated through yesterday's games, I'm going to do a thread on who really is the best defense in the nation statistically. Should be interesting.
Here is another damn good article about miles being at the top of college football coaches. Miles shows a little madness can go a long way
And another: If LSU has an offense now, too, that is really unfair - Dr. Saturday - NCAAF*Blog - Yahoo! Sports
We have a tough schedule, and of course we must take things one week at a time. That Bama game is going to be a defining game for the season for both schools. It's just freaking epic. BTW, how many 1, 2 teams have met during the course of the regular season previous to now? I gotta think that is a rareity.