If LSU wins: Les Miles WINS as being an incredible head coach who kept his players focused with an off-season that included... 1) Losing your starting QB 2) Losing a solid starting play-maker in Russell Sheperd 3) Losing your brand new OC to a degenerative disease 4) Breaking in a new OC less than one month before the season opener If LSU loses: Les Miles (WINS) in the court of public opinion in a sense because... 1) No one in their right mind can judge a loss to Oregon as a coaching failure with keeping the above #1-#4 facts in mind 2) JJ (etc...) will take the brunt of the frustration from the public if LSU loses because their lack of leadership helped create and impossible situation for this team 3) People will soon realize that this game was an out of conference game that will not completely control LSU's ability to get back to the SEC Championship Game and potentially the BCS Title Game. 4) Les and the LSU community will use this "loss" as a big-time motivator to kick a$$ the rest of the season!
I get what you're saying but sounds like you're already making excuses for a loss. We are still definitely good enough to win with JL. We beat Tennessee in the SECCG in 2007 with our backup QB. We beat Miami in the Peach Bowl with a backup QB. LSU is that good that a key loss like this won't affect us that much.
Actually I'm not really talking about the GAME as much as I am taking the perspective of what this game means for the COACH. I expect LSU to roll in the 2nd half of this game and WARE OUT the Oregon D to a convincing LSU win (38-21). If that holds true this will be stuff of Legend for Les Miles...
LSU has already lost in the public opinion battle. When it comes to recruiting ,this negative press can't help.
Here is a good article about the amount of talent that Oregon lost. Oregon Ducks to lose 12 starters to 2011 graduation - Portland Oregon Ducks Football | Examiner.com
