Suppose our QB's are smart, guttsy, don't fumble or muff handoffs, and they don't throw picks very often. Suppose they do well with short passes and they have success hitting a receiver 20 yds downfield regularly enough that the defense can't sit on the run... These guys can both see they have a real opportunity! They have had a spring and will have a summer camp to get ready mentally. One or both of these guys could exceed our expectations (my expectations are modest). I think we'll be the underdog against Ga., Fla, and AU since we play that away. USCe will be a tossup, and so will Bama (we'll be ready, but so will Bama, and they always play us close). Suppose we get a pleasant surprise at QB? Does that alter your view of how we end the season? Contend for the SECW, win the SECW, win the SEC? To win the west, I think we will have to upset a team that the pollsters think is a better team than ours. We have a month before camp opens, we are entitled to have a little fun! Watchyathink?
I think the only problem is keeping LSU QBs healthy during the August 2-a-days when they'll face the best defense in the country during practice. Let the pollsters put Auburn in the Top 5, undefeated when they play LSU I can't wait for FB to begin. AU can't hang with LSU, and they know it. They have resorted to dirty ball (Dorsey chop) just to hang close last year, and this year, we're gonna be better on defense allowing fewer yards & first downs. As for Fla & GA, we'll get the best in a December rematch. I think LSU could run the table in 2008, not losing a single game. And, after this recent BB season, if there was any doubt that God was an LSU Tiger fan, it's gone now :hihi:
Young quarterbacks make mistakes. I've watched a bunch of them and they all go through a phase of inconsistency. It's just a matter of how long it takes to get in sync. Even Russell had a long period of inconsistency. They will misread complex modern defenses, they will get called for intentional grounding, they will get sacked, they will throw interceptions and they will fumble. In time they will gel into a veteran. But I think it's asking a lot for one of these quarterbacks to be a veteran when we go to Auburn in September. Les needs to annoint one in August and give him the bulk of the playing time, so he can work out the bugs in the OOC games. Playing both QB's would only double the rookie mistakes and double the time it take for one to get the experience he needs.
Well, anything could happen, but LSU plays Florida, Auburn and Georgia, two of them on the road. That's three potential top-10 teams and it is unlikely that LSU will go undefeated. But 10-2 is a real possibility and it has gotten us to Atlanta before.
That is my modest expectation. But its just July, and I want to leave the door open to a bit of an upside surprise. Every once in a while I get surprised. As far as playing time, I'd like to see the backup get a quarter in each of the first 3 games, so if we have an injury, the backup has gotten some snaps, which is not the case today. Course if Appy St. plays us like they did Mich., the starter may have to go the whole way in game 1. I hope its not that exciting, I hope our D does a great job, but the Appy QB is pretty good.
I think that with the strength we have at OL, the depth at RB; as long as whoever starts can manage the game, keep opposing defenses off balance with some effective short yardage passing, we will be just fine. Our defense will keep us in many games, and a minimal mistake run offense will be just enough to get us the W's. Mistakes and TO's will be the element to watch out for. Pretty simple concept, but it is more true now than it has been over the past couple of yrs. We had enough fire power to overcome many mistakes in the past, but now there is a fine line between what will be too many mistakes and just enough for us to overcome.
Auburn hangs with LSU every year, and I expect this year to be no different. The last 6 years have been unbelievably close. As far as our D being better than last year, I don't see it. We lost 6 starters, Dorsey (1st team All American), Highsmith (2nd team AA), Sanders, Jackson (1ST team all SEC), Zenon, and Steltz (1ST team AA). That's a lota hosses to replace in one year. RJF should do a good impersonation of Dorsey. When Steltz went out of the nat. champ. game, Coleman stepped right up, or maybe Chad Jones could be better than Steltz, faster but not as hard a hitter. I expect we have some talented kids coming up, but as a unit, we won't be quite as good, IMO. It will be an pleasant upside surprise to me if we are as good.
The QBs have all they need to succeed this year. Great backfield, WRs, and one of the best OL we have had in awhile. Add that with a top 5 Defense that will not put them in many holes = a chance to get some great expierence and lead the team to many wins.
I think Red has hit the nail on the head as far as rookie quarterback mistakes. Hopefully the OL will protect him from any blitzes and the hurried passes that turn into intentional groundings or interceptions. Play clock management, reading D's, and general game management excellence come through experience. On the upside, the OL will protect him, the backfield should make plays, the WR's will be fine. Hopefully they will all support whoever gets the nod and the gelling will occur sooner rather than later. Keep him healthy and by game 6 we never miss RP. I agree with bhelm that the D will be strong enough to keep us out of too many holes. No way they are better than last year, but they have huge potential. It seems to me that we have enough "good stuff" to offset the QB experience factor and 9-3 is very doable and 10-2 is still reasonable. With all the positive coverage we have gotten the last couple of years, who knows, maybe those critical game changing calls will go our way and we will all be really pleasantly surprised. I think if we survive the first half of the season w/ only 1 loss and in good shape physically, we have no reason not to compete for the SECW.
