Actually, I think the wolverines are very talented, but a little overated at #8. But more than that was the contrast that exist between the spread offenses and the power pro formation Bama will throw at you. Bama looked good to me and what stood out was the overall talent that showed itself on the field. LSU will play every game and regardless of results and teams, will compare themselves to the Tide that week. Bama will of course be making the same comparison. That is pretty much what occurred game for game last season. Lets face it, these teams are on the same collision course again and the hype is just beginning.
The last LSU team to put up 500 on someone was the 2007 Championship team who did it three times: vs Virginia Tech, Louisiana Tech and Middle Tennessee St (Flynn, Lafell, Doucet, Byrd, Dickson, Hester, Williams, Scott, Holliday, Murphy, etc) we did come 6 yards shy of 500 in our 41-17 victory over Arkansas last year (JJ had over 200 yards passing and 50 yards rushing, Hilliard and Ford each ran for 100, Randle caught for 134, etc)
TUSKtimes, do you think LSU with a weak out of conference schedule will get the same benefit of the doubt if we lose as close game to you guys that Bama got last year? Because I don't think we do. ESPN is all up on Bama's nuts every year, and still cracks jokes about how Miles is the Mad Hatter. And you gotta admit that Michigan was more than a little overrated and that you got them at half strength without their 1 decent running back.
I agree with those plus it looked as if Mett was staring down the receivers way too often and not going to the second or third option. I was very surprised that the D line wasn't more disruptive. Didn't the North Texas coach say they were starting two freshmen at CB? The long ball should have been there for the taking all night. It definitely looked like a first game against a small time opponent. Would the team have been better against a stronger foe like Oregon last season? Who knows, but one thing for sure there is tons of room for improvement and little time to get it done. On the positive side we are stacked at WR with big, athletic and fast guys. I think by mid season Shep will be the forgotten man, just way too inconsistent. It's also the deepest we've been at LB in a long long time. I really liked what I saw of Debo last night.
Meeechigan like most other preseason top teams are living off of last years accomplishments. They were overrated last season and are even weaker this year. However they are miles ahead of where North Texas is.
I can answer that for you ... most definitely. Hell it happens at every single level of every single sport. When you play teams you know you will dominate, with the exception of rivalry games you let off the gas and coast. I did it in high school playing basketball, I see my Lakers do it everytime we play the fucking Charlotte Bobcats. We were pumped up for the Oregon game, and we cared a lot more about it. This week we didn't care, we missed practices before hand (and if you think practice in the days coming up to a game aren't important you haven't played team sports) due to the storm. Overall, while I was disappointed during the game, looking back with a cooler head I have no worries.
Your Oregon and West Virginia wins gave you the inside track to all the brownie points the BCS poll had to offer. Frankly, beating Michigan doesn't put our OOC schedule anywhere near the degree of difficulty the Tigers endured last season. I thought the Tigers make it to the big game even if the Bulldogs had gotten you in the CCG. Alabama passed the eye test all last season and Penn State at State College served us better than most here will admit. The Tigers just need to keep passing the same eye test now. Besides, I can't think of another Top ten team capable of getting more consideration from SOS. USC, Oklahoma, Oregon, Florida State, etc. have crappy OOC schedules. My guess is that someone will have to go undefeated to better the two best teams in the SEC. A proud big ten Michigan wanted this game. They took it extremely serious. They got pummeled. nothing over rated about that. I liked what I saw on both sides of the ball.
All I gots to say .. is that if LSU ever wants to truly be a number 1 team .. and indisputed champion .. they are going to have to develope a down field pass game. We have the QB for it. We have the receivers for it. It's frustrating that we never develope it. As it is, I see Bama shutting us down again. We are just too one dimensional. I sat there yesterday and watched McCarron throw down field all night ... I watched Mett throw that stupid WR screen over and over. Granted ... Mett threw a few good ones ... but, IMO, .. and I know that is not worth much .. but .. IMO, these wimp games are the time to develope that down field passing game. WE KNOW WE CAN RUN THE BALL!! ... but I think everyone was a tad underwhelmed with the pass game. I'm beginning to the think CLM just doesn't have it in him. He's afraid of the pass. But you can't win against a really good defense with just the run ... just ask Bama ... they didn't beat us with the run last year .. they beat us with the pass.
