OK, Tiger fans here is a legitimate question...

No doubt that OSU and Michigan have the most speed and talent in the Big 10. The problem with the SEC is that it is spread around to UT, UGA, UF, LSU, AU etc. If you don't believe me you can look at what teams have the most active players on NFL rosters. 5 of the top 10 are from the SEC. I'll give OSU and UM credit, but the rest of your conference gets none.

 

The other thing about speed in the SEC that I think people are confused about is that it is not all about the skill guys. Sure the other leagues have some fast skill guys too. The biggest speed difference is the linebackers and linemen.

 

Beanie is a vision/power runner. He's by no definition a burner.

100 meter -- 11 seconds. As far as I can find.. that's his best ever.

He's a great back.. hella good vision.. but with RJF and a healthy dorsey.. you can't double team all of them. Look for T. Jackson to have a big game. He's due.

Blitz Flynn and score points off our mistakes. If you don't the game could get nasty.

24-17

 

There's no question that the SEC is the deeper conference. It's a given to me and only the most delusional fan of another conference would argue the point.

Wisconsin and Penn State have been good over the years and have produced great NFL talent as well but not the skill players and speed guys (CBs and WRs) that Ohio State has. If you look at our current list of CBs and WRs in the NFL you'll be amazed at the number and quality. Then get into the O and Defensive linemen and linebackers and you see the depth over the years.

But again, the SEC is very deep and talented and there's a reason that Ohio State is good at raiding the southern states for talent. Just look at next years class. Shugarts, Sabino, Howard, Brewster. The Bucks are getting almost as good at recruiting Florida talent as Florida (with the exception of the Texan Shugarts). They raided Florida for the top offensive lineman and linebacker in the state.

Cheers.

 

Yes. OSU has the most WR's in the NFL with 9. South Carolina actually has the most CB's with 6. Didn't really expect that.

 

Here's how I'd gameplan LSU.

On offense, run a lot of sets with at least 3 wideouts. Line up your best wideout in the slot most of the time. Spread the defense out, then run up the middle with a power running back. Change this up with a shotgun read-option run where the quarterback reads the end and either hands off to the running back for a dive or keeps it and scurries wide. Kirston Pittman bites on the fake ALL THE TIME, and qb keepers can get a lot of yards.

When you pass, try to exploit the safeties, who are big hitters but aren't great in coverage. Avoid throwing to the outside against our corners. Hit wideouts over the middle, tight ends, or running backs against our linebackers, who aren't good in coverage at all.

Avoid sweeps around end, which don't work well against our speedy defense. Play physical, physical offense and try to wear us down. For all the talk of our depth, we will probably play the same 4 defensive linemen for 80% of the snaps and rarely play any linebackers other than our top 3, and when we subbed #54 in for #48 against Arky, he got burned a lot, so I doubt we do it much again. Our front 7 can be worn down.

On defense, keep in mind you probably haven't seen a team with an offensive attack this varied and difficult to defend all year. That said, I'd keep it very basic. Stack the box and stop the run, and make us beat you passing the ball. Do run-blitzes, and always always bring at least 5 guys, but vary where you bring the extra guy from. This has the double benefit of stopping running plays and pressuring the QB in the event of a pass.

Key on the personnel. If Hester is the tailback, key on between the tackles running. If it's Keiland Williams, Richard Murphy, or Trindon Holliday, watch for outside runs and/or options. If it's Charles Scott, watch for screen passes and power running. If Hester is at fullback, there's a good chance he's getting the ball either on a handoff or on a pass. Play the run first and try to anticipate the play based on the personnel and that will probably be your best bet.

Our passing is more than capable of getting plenty of yards, but we haven't really been a team that gets 60 yard touchdowns or anything like that this year. We've been good on short and medium-distance throws, but we probably aren't going to put it in the end zone from our own territory. Stopping our run would make us rely more heavily on the pass than we are accustomed to.

On special teams, NEVER fair catch. Always try to get the big return. We're vulnerable to it. Watch for fakes. In fact, I wouldn't even try to pressure our field goals or our punts. Just play safe and make sure we don't fake anything. On kickoffs, don't squib it or try silly pop-up kickoffs. We aren't really that great at the return game. Don't be fooled by our speedy return men. We aren't that dangerous. Squib kicks or pop-ups will give us better field position most of the time.