Right. Bama aside, look at AU. They were shaky to begin the year and steadily improved each week. I still don't think they're an elite team, but the point is, they got better each and every week. We're just too inconsistent and play up or down to our opponent. Last week, we played UP and had our best all around game of the year. This week, we played down and did everything we could to lose the game. But, I'll tell you this. Jennings is the real deal. Think Mett's arm and accuracy with added speed and mobility. He is the future.
But how long do we get to use that excuse? Next year we lose our best 5 starters on offense (QB, RB, WR1, WR2, OT). That's a lot. And our expectations will once again be "oh well if we go 9-3, that would be a successful season since we had to essentially start over on offense". Again, if you're getting paid 4.5 fucking million dollars, you MAKE a way for it to work, given whatever players are at your disposal. That's why we decided to pay you 4.5 million in the first place. Not to simply be competitive with 3 or 4 losses every year. That bullshit is acceptable for Ole Miss.
Easier said than done, which is why you are on a message board and not coaching. Of those teams you mentioned, only Bama and OSU are doing better than us, and neither play week in and week out the opponents we do with the same physical and emotional tolls, and neither lost the absolute number of high profile players that we did this past year. This was truly an exceptional year for player losses. Having said that, no argue that Saban is the better football coach than Miles, but Miles is better than most others despite his weaknesses, of which I fully acknowledge. Even your prior argument that talent carries Miles doesn't hold weight, b/c without him, we may not have that same talent. He is not the perfect package, but expectations have become otherworldly here, and simply aren't realistic. When Miles starts losing more than he wins, then he will need to be replaced. Until then, the alternating moments of frustration and glory will continue, along with an 80% winning percentage.
TT, I rarely hear game commentators remark that "such & such a team is flat, playing without emotion, off their game," etc; but I heard those things today--and during many of LSU's "sleepwalking" games this year. I don't pretend to know how that happens--how a young man is given a chance (and a scholarship) to put on the uniform of a legendary football team of a legendary university--and then plays well below his physical talents, his coaching and his pride. How does that happen? And not just to one player but to an entire squad? How does that happen? Because it happens a lot at LSU. To make that squad, then to not make every minute count? {{Shaking his head}}
I don't see us maintaining 80 % from here on out. Too much competition in the SEC West. Beliema won't be down for long. Dude is a top notch coach. He will be tough to beat. Sumlin will always have a high scoring offense, making it yet another tough game to win. Auburn seems to have rid themselves of the mediocrity and the fraud that was Gene Chizik. Freeze is going to make Ole Miss a consistent competitive team. Florida is going to fire Muschump on Monday after losing to FSU 52-6 at home. They won't make a coaching hire mistake like that again. We shall see. I hope we go 14-0 next year. But my expectations are much like this year, 9-3 at best. Chance of a 6-6 is very realistic however, especially if we open up 0-1 with our very first OOC loss in Les Miles' LSU coaching career. As for the "easier said than done", then if that were Miles' attitude I would tell him to take a serious paycut.
Sounds like you have it figured out....maybe you should apply for the head coaching job at LSU, I'm sure if you know as much as you think you do about lsu football they would be happy to pay YOU 4-5 million a year. I love it when people who have probably never coached in their lives, try to tell everyone else who they should be coaching. I've coached at a minor level for 15 years, but I still would not try to tell professionals how to do their job, I've never seen les at my office telling me how to do my job
You may be right. But, CLM has risen to the occasion before. In fact, if you look at his tendencies, about every 3-4 years, we are an exceptional team. In my mind, replacing WRs and RBs in our system is a whole lot easier than the losses we had on defense this past year. I think CCC can keep the offense going next year more easily than Chavis could on defense this year. The offense will "reload", and appear to be in good hands w/CCC and Jennings at QB, and the defense should be much improved. I haven't seen the schedule for next year yet. Based on CLMs record so far, I think 2014 and 2015 will be better than 2013, which really hasn't been that bad.
10-2 or better next season? We have 7 testers next year. Wisconsin at Reliant Stadium @ Auburn @ Florida Ole Miss Alabama @ Arkansas @ A&M
We're literally 2 years detached from a national championship game berth. Quit being melodramatic. This line of thinking is the best way to become a perennial mediocre team. Winning the NC every year is not realistic, so why should heads roll when that doesn't happen
