Where are all the big boys that were thrilled to play Bama again?

I feel the exact same way. Simply put...we escaped from Tuscaloosa with a win, only because Les played our backup QB :dis:

All the people that were saying Okie State deserved a shot were saying that on the outside but on the inside knew they wanted them because they knew we would have beaten them. I knew Bama was the #2 team and argued it the whole way and got a lot of slack for it.

Another thing...the BCS announcement was 1 MONTH AGO. How can people still be complaining about it? Obviously the BCS got it right and the players should have been more focused. You're not gonna give a full effort if you think you're playing a team that doesn't deserve to be there. Bad coaching by Les Miles.

 

TigerTap - Yes you are right it was a sh*t sandwich, but that is the way things happen sometimes. But all of this "players not motivated, not wanting to play in the game, because they already beat that team, etc." has everything to do with poor coaching and poor preparation. As bad as it was our the duty of our coaches is to make sure that does not happen and to make sure our boys are amped up to play and motivated in every way shape and form. Who really cared about the AP championship, nobody give a sh*t just ask USC, the only ones who care about that trophy are the Trojans. We were playing for all the marbles and if that is not enough motivation than the coaches did a crappy job getting our kids to understand that. Yeah it was sh*tty but those were the cards we were dealt, we should have done a better job of preparing for a team that we knew was a great team and our coaches should have done a better job of adjusting during the game. The coaches gave that championship to Bama on a silver platter because they refused to deviate from a crappy game plan and realize it was crappy!!!!

 

While I think we may have been more motivated if we had played Ok State, that point should have been moot by Monday after the announcement. Instead, Les, the fans (me included) and the media let it linger for way too long. The only thing that could have changed it would have been some type of words from Les telling the fans and media to kill the thought of a split title--but he never said anything about it.

I still support him, but this one is hard to swallow.

GEAUX TIGERS

 

A couple days before the game team leaders like Will Blackwell were saying Alabama didn't deserve to be in the game. When I heard that, I knew something was wrong. I have no idea what Les has been doing the past 4 weeks and Les is not the type to tell you anything concrete.

 

As I said earlier in one of my posts, and I stand by it, "rematches" suck, at least in college football where the system and framework are what they are.

People are very quick to say this was totally a fall down by staff and players, and while an element of that certainly is true (i.e., Saban and staff outcoached Miles and his staff, and their players played a lot harder and smarter than LSU's players), my point is that the minute this game was confirm, LSU was pre-disposed to lose out. THAT is why I am annoyed with the rematch and the system that we have.

You ask, what have the players been doing? Well, I'll tell you--Les has been picking up COY awards, as have the other players. He's been doing interviews with Erin Andrews and on the press circuits. Oh, and he and the players also been preparing for a SECCG and recovering from it. That's what the #1 team typically does... celebrating their successes and getting made to believe they are the #1 team. It's human nature. On the other hand, Bama is being told they shouldn't have been there, and they're practicing their asses off since the end of November with a chip on their shoulder. They also have more time to game plan and be the "underdog". Pressure is on #1, not #2. Again, that's why the lower ranked team typically wins in rematch games. Folks have said, you wouldn't be complaining if LSU got in as the number 2. You're right, I wouldn't have, and frankly, I think that LSU probably would have been in a better mindset to pull off the upset if they were. Let's also make this point, LSU has typically done better when the tables are against them, and in this case, they were the favorite in many respects. They also picked a pretty bad time to play bad, of course, but let's not just call it "game planning". This was a team loss, in a bad situation for LSU.

 

Tiger-N-H-Land, I hate to say this but you are wrong, guess what Sabin and his crew were doing over the past month - picking up awards and doing interviews also I should not have to list the awards they picked up we all know they did. If Sabin was able to use the fact that people were saying they should not be there as fuel to motivate their team, than that is great coaching. Our coaches were plain flat out, out coached it is real simple and not just from the original game plan but also from not making in game adjustments to counter what Bama was doing. We were out-coached in all facets of the game and anyone who understands football can see that, it might not be he politically correct thing to say and to write about but it was as clear as the day turns into the night.

If anyone doesn't think our players were jacked up to play last night, all you have to do is look at what our defense did in the first half and how they held Bama to just 6 points until the last 56 seconds of the 1st half and how they held Bama to just 15 points through 3 qtrs when WE ONLY HAD 3 FIRST DOWNS THROUGH 3 QTRS.

People need to look at the stats before they make assumptions that our guys were not ready to play, they were. But even Custer's men must have lost heart when they saw that their leaders did not understand the foe they were battling and did not adjust the plan of attack. As a former athlete when you are in the heat of battle and you are fighting your guts out and getting your brains beat in and you look to your leaders and expect them to have a plan of attack to help you win and you realize they don't know what the hell they are doing for that specific game it demoralizes you and that is when you feel defeated. By the end of the 3rd qtr if you looked at our players you could tell that is what they felt. They were in a dog fight and fighting their asses off when they looked to their coaches and realized they didn't have the answers either.

Like it or not that is what happened.!!!

 

You won't find a bigger proponent of a playoff than me. I hate the BCS and everything it stands for. I don't understand how Bama gets a shot when they didn't win anything. "Two best teams" is highly subjective and no way to determine who gets to play for a championship. Because of my feelings about the total inadequacy of the BCS, I had no problem with a split title.

However, the loss last night didn't even give us a chance to beat that drum. LSU didn't just lose, they validated everything that the Bama homers said since Nov 5th, namely, the best team lost that game. A close loss, I can handle and might have gotten us a split.

What I witnessed last night was the most lopsided championship game I have ever seen in any sport. That was the safest 15 point lead in the history of sports. Even getting beaten handly, I can deal with, if you feel that your team did everything possible to win that game. LSU didn't. Miles failed his team because, when it came right down to it, he was so loyal to JJ that he'd rather lose the game than attempt to make a change. I don't know what the deal is with Miles and JL, but give us Metenberger. Give us something. Show everyone that you want to do everything possible to win this game. My opinion is that LSU would have lost regardless because Bama was that good, but you gotta do something to try and win.

In another thread I pointed out the Saints/Seattle game last year. Bad loss. Horrible loss, but Brees and Payton were flinging it to the very end. It just wasn't their day. That I can deal with. I can't deal with not trying everything possible.

 

Look at the end of the day, why is anyone on this board today? Unless they are congratulating the team on a 13-1 season (some of you are but few and far between), they're bitching about something. I'm just choosing to bitch (in part) about the crappy fact that LSU had to replay 'Bama, because statistically, you should have known that LSU would likely lose.

I'm NOT saying that LSU wasn't out-played and out-coached. Obviously, we were. I mentioned to someone, as assinine as it was, I'm glad we lost, because if we hadn't, it would have meant Miles got paid more than Saban, which would have been a travesty. That said, I just find board banter to be hilariously polar. Miles was a savior and the best coach in the world on Nov 5th. Today, you'd think he should be fired for going 13-1. I'm just choosing to lament about the wacked out system we have for determining the champion--not blaming it for our woes last night.

All of that said, I do sum up my feelings today about the loss. Miles is still as good of a coach for LSU right now as anyone.... winning matters and well, go back and see when LSU has won more (not even under Saban). I do think Miles (and staff) got outcoached by Saban (and staff) in this game and whether you second guess his decision not to play Lee, or his staff's gameplan or ability to adjust the game plan, that is only one element of a team loss. You say, it's not the players' fault, b/c we played our hearts out on defense... but then, obviously, Jefferson threw the pick to Ware with his back turned, not Miles right? Is Chavis is doing his job, but Stud/Kragthorpe aren't? It's impossible to pin the blame squarely in any camp, if you're being fair.

I remember so many people on this board talking about ... within the past 13 game winning streak, how you'd "never" want Saban back--do you want him back now? :shock: As we look forward to next year, you just have to look ahead to the offseason--Saban will lose yet another coordinator, a bunch of seniors and have to reestablish. Miles with his other "intangible" qualities in comparison to Saban, probably keeps relative stability in a program to keep his program more competitive next year in a cushier schedule. What's clear is that Saban, Miles and Petrino will create some epic battles for years to come--because the SEC West is here to stay as long as those men are there. I am certainly going to be glad to watch new players emerge, particularly at the QB position, and watch for what Miles does on the offensive side of the ball. One thing for sure, following LSU football never lacks excitement. :geaux:

 

For what it's worth, I agree with a LOT of what you're saying, and for all of the anti-Miles sentiment, I can admit, I was also screaming at the TV last night saying to put Lee in.

But, at one point, in the game, they show Lee and flash up his stats against Bama in his career. Ummm... something like 40% completion and 1 TD, to 7 INTs. Change for the sake of change? Always second-guessable. And, of course, that's why coaches get paid $Ms and we get to watch on TV. We're never wrong, and coaches are always wrong.

I for one don't think that "loyalty" to JJ says it all, or not playing JL says it all. I think last night's loss was a combination of players not being ready in their psyche (arguably coaches AND players' fault); the ability of the coaches and staff to devise an appropriate strategy and adapt (Saban recognized the need to throw on first downs, made point of this; Miles thought the option and running game would work, since it worked the last time); and the team execution of whatever we chose to run (this is on the players, blocking, snapping, reading reads, and reacting). Isn't this ALWAYS what a win or loss is about?

 

I hadn't heard that and am surprised they wouldn't be smarter than that and keep their mouths shut.