Les Miles will never beat Nick Saban again, therefore LSU will never win the West

I'm interested seeing what happens when we get the players to implement the 3-4. That has to have you at least a little interested right?

 

http://www.ncaa.com/stats/football/fbs/current/team/22
LSU ranks #23 in total defense. Not great by typical LSU standards, but not horrible in the first year of a DC that is trying change to a different system but doesn't have the players needed to do it. I'm not giving Steele a free pass and I'm not satisfied with this years D, but I think it's still too early to tell if he's up to the challenge. Because of the lack of LBs and no true nose guard he's basically running someone else's defense. I wasn't thrilled with the hire and I'm certainly not convinced he's capable, but you have to at least give him some time to get the players he needs to run a 3-4 before passing final judgment.

 

The only way the 3-4 works at LSU is if Miles starts recruiting meat again at the DE spot. LSUs biggest problem on defense is that they run a 2-5, because their DEs are the size of LBs. Bama starts 310 plus across the front and their LBs are as big or bigger than LSUs DEs. Saban did the same thing at LSU when he had monster like Marquise Hill and Marcus Spears... Put meat up front, force double teams, and let your LBs flow and shut down the gaps.

 

Take a look at the recruiting board, they're recruiting meat.

 

Two undersized DEs, one DE who will be moved inside, and a giant DT who will be moved to offense.

 

And that's exactly what they are doing, they are looking at getting 300 pound guys to play defensive end. Arden Key types would move to outside linebacker.

http://www.nola.com/recruiting/index.ssf/2015/06/post_13.html

 

Another article that points out the same and a comparison to DL recruiting under Chavis.
http://www.nola.com/recruiting/inde...ama_recruiting.html#incart_river_mobile_index

 

I would be lying if I said this doesn't excite me a little bit. I think it's stupid that we can't get great skill position guys and go back to being the dominant defensive unit of the past. Get back to putting big linemen in the NFL. Seems like these things have been mutually exclusive. Either we have a dominant defense, or a decent offense and ok defense, never great at both.

 

Still a lot of recruiting left to do, the biggest targets aren't committed and none are signed. If they just get some of the top targets at DL and LB it will be a super haul.

 

Right about that, but if they get what they want or at least most of it, I think it will be a good start in heading back to the path of defensive dominance.