LSU no longer deserving
BATON ROUGE - There is no place I'd rather be than New Orleans for the prolonged Christmas and New Year's holidays than New Orleans with LSU wrapping it all up by playing in the BCS national championship game on Jan. 7 against my alma mater Missouri.
Unfortunately, LSU no longer deserves to play in the BCS national championship game because of its 50-48 loss to Arkansas on Friday.
There is a desperate argument out there that should BCS No. 1 Missouri (11-1) and BCS No. 2 West Virginia (10-1) lose this weekend to BCS No. 9 Oklahoma (10-2) and to Pittsburgh (4-6), respectively, that BCS No. 7 LSU (10-2) could get into the national championship game against BCS No. 3 Ohio State (11-1) if the Tigers handle Tennessee Saturday in the SEC championship game. I believe the Ohio State part. The Buckeyes have only one loss.
I can't believe the LSU part. Georgia (10-2), Kansas (11-1) and Virginia Tech (10-2) are all ahead of LSU in the BCS at No. 4, No. 5 and No. 6.
This is not just LSU fans and apologist LSU media making this argument. BCS expert Brad Edwards, an Alabama grad who is one of the more objective people in the business, is also making this argument. He doesn't see Georgia getting enough human votes from the USA Today coaches poll and Harris poll to get into the game because Georgia will not have even won its own conference, whereas LSU will have with a win over UT.
I disagree right there. I believe Georgia is better than both LSU and Tennessee right now and deserve to get into the game based on its present ranking. A voter or computer can't rank a team No. 4 and then say, "Oh wait, this team didn't win its league." So what? Teams have won the World Series that didn't win their division.
Funny, we all talk about how tough the SEC is, but if LSU wins the league Saturday it will do so without ever having to play the highest rated team in that league - Georgia. Isn't that somewhat of a tainted title? Les Miles and many of us like to make fun of the Pacific-10 conference and how it doesn't have a championship game, but at least everyone in that league plays everyone in that league.
Georgia actually tied for the SEC East and will get a banner for that. It's not in Atlanta because it lost the tiebreaker because of a loss to Tennessee way back on Oct. 6. Georgia is better than Tennessee now.
Edwards and others eliminate Kansas and take LSU because of Kansas' tremendously poor schedule, and I can understand that. But I've got to say Kansas impressed me in its 36-29 loss to Missouri on Saturday. At this point in the season, whom Kansas was playing earlier in its season doesn't matter. Last weekend, Kansas looked better in defeat than did LSU. Kansas lost to the No. 1 team in the nation with perhaps the best quarterback and offense in the nation and a strong defense.
LSU lost to a four-loss, average Arkansas team with a one-dimensional offense at home with everything on the line and turned in one of its worst defensive performances in history. Who's to say Kansas would not beat LSU this weekend? I have a feeling Kansas would pass all over LSU's suddenly porous defense that let 3-9 Ole Miss matriculate up and down the field.
Edwards and others eliminate Virginia Tech and take LSU because LSU beat Virginia Tech 48-7. This is a strong argument, but that game was way back on Sept. 8. To quote LSU coaches, fans and apologist media, LSU's defense was hurt badly by the loss of defensive tackle Charles Alexander to a knee injury a week after Virginia Tech. Alexander played against Virginia Tech. He's not playing anymore, so LSU is not the same team that beat Virginia Tech. LSU is obviously not the same team that beat Virginia Tech if you just watch game film. For one, the team is not nearly as aggressive and seems to be afraid to blitz.
LSU also just lost to a mediocre Arkansas team. Virginia Tech's only loss since Sept. 8 was in the final seconds to BCS No. 11 Boston College (10-2). Since that game Virginia Tech has defeated Georgia Tech (7-4), Florida State (7-4) and No. 16 Virginia (9-2) in recent weeks. LSU in recent weeks barely beat a 6-6 Alabama team and lost to a mediocre Arkansas team. Who's to say Virginia Tech would not beat LSU and its new Tepper-like defense this week.
I'm sorry, everyone, but when it's over it's over.
On Monday, Miles was trying to say that his team hasn't lost in regulation yet and how those two OT losses could have been two ties in a former era, which would equal one loss so he's back in it. It did not look good. At least he didn't bring up 9/11 and Pearl Harbor.
LSU can try all the math it wants, but it only has itself to blame. It was at home with everything on the line against an average-at-best team with a one-dimensional offense that other defenses like Auburn and Tennessee had handled. And it got run over in late November. There's no coming back from that.
Unfortunately, LSU no longer deserves to play in the BCS national championship game because of its 50-48 loss to Arkansas on Friday.
There is a desperate argument out there that should BCS No. 1 Missouri (11-1) and BCS No. 2 West Virginia (10-1) lose this weekend to BCS No. 9 Oklahoma (10-2) and to Pittsburgh (4-6), respectively, that BCS No. 7 LSU (10-2) could get into the national championship game against BCS No. 3 Ohio State (11-1) if the Tigers handle Tennessee Saturday in the SEC championship game. I believe the Ohio State part. The Buckeyes have only one loss.
I can't believe the LSU part. Georgia (10-2), Kansas (11-1) and Virginia Tech (10-2) are all ahead of LSU in the BCS at No. 4, No. 5 and No. 6.
This is not just LSU fans and apologist LSU media making this argument. BCS expert Brad Edwards, an Alabama grad who is one of the more objective people in the business, is also making this argument. He doesn't see Georgia getting enough human votes from the USA Today coaches poll and Harris poll to get into the game because Georgia will not have even won its own conference, whereas LSU will have with a win over UT.
I disagree right there. I believe Georgia is better than both LSU and Tennessee right now and deserve to get into the game based on its present ranking. A voter or computer can't rank a team No. 4 and then say, "Oh wait, this team didn't win its league." So what? Teams have won the World Series that didn't win their division.
Funny, we all talk about how tough the SEC is, but if LSU wins the league Saturday it will do so without ever having to play the highest rated team in that league - Georgia. Isn't that somewhat of a tainted title? Les Miles and many of us like to make fun of the Pacific-10 conference and how it doesn't have a championship game, but at least everyone in that league plays everyone in that league.
Georgia actually tied for the SEC East and will get a banner for that. It's not in Atlanta because it lost the tiebreaker because of a loss to Tennessee way back on Oct. 6. Georgia is better than Tennessee now.
Edwards and others eliminate Kansas and take LSU because of Kansas' tremendously poor schedule, and I can understand that. But I've got to say Kansas impressed me in its 36-29 loss to Missouri on Saturday. At this point in the season, whom Kansas was playing earlier in its season doesn't matter. Last weekend, Kansas looked better in defeat than did LSU. Kansas lost to the No. 1 team in the nation with perhaps the best quarterback and offense in the nation and a strong defense.
LSU lost to a four-loss, average Arkansas team with a one-dimensional offense at home with everything on the line and turned in one of its worst defensive performances in history. Who's to say Kansas would not beat LSU this weekend? I have a feeling Kansas would pass all over LSU's suddenly porous defense that let 3-9 Ole Miss matriculate up and down the field.
Edwards and others eliminate Virginia Tech and take LSU because LSU beat Virginia Tech 48-7. This is a strong argument, but that game was way back on Sept. 8. To quote LSU coaches, fans and apologist media, LSU's defense was hurt badly by the loss of defensive tackle Charles Alexander to a knee injury a week after Virginia Tech. Alexander played against Virginia Tech. He's not playing anymore, so LSU is not the same team that beat Virginia Tech. LSU is obviously not the same team that beat Virginia Tech if you just watch game film. For one, the team is not nearly as aggressive and seems to be afraid to blitz.
LSU also just lost to a mediocre Arkansas team. Virginia Tech's only loss since Sept. 8 was in the final seconds to BCS No. 11 Boston College (10-2). Since that game Virginia Tech has defeated Georgia Tech (7-4), Florida State (7-4) and No. 16 Virginia (9-2) in recent weeks. LSU in recent weeks barely beat a 6-6 Alabama team and lost to a mediocre Arkansas team. Who's to say Virginia Tech would not beat LSU and its new Tepper-like defense this week.
I'm sorry, everyone, but when it's over it's over.
On Monday, Miles was trying to say that his team hasn't lost in regulation yet and how those two OT losses could have been two ties in a former era, which would equal one loss so he's back in it. It did not look good. At least he didn't bring up 9/11 and Pearl Harbor.
LSU can try all the math it wants, but it only has itself to blame. It was at home with everything on the line against an average-at-best team with a one-dimensional offense that other defenses like Auburn and Tennessee had handled. And it got run over in late November. There's no coming back from that.
posted by Glenn Guilbeau at 3:11 PM
2 Comments:
Hey Gilbeau,
If it were a playoff system I would have to like UGA's chances right now. But the bowl games are a month away. Anything can happen between now and then. In the BCS system, the conference championship IS the playoff, and UGA didn't make it.
I wouldn't complain too loudly if LSU doesn't make it into the NC game. Though I think they have the best argument, there are several other teams that have fairly legitimate shots to get the go ahead. I would, however, call a major foul if UGA somehow gets into the game. Decisions like that are the reason that LSU was CO-Champion with USC (but we still have the BCS title). Of course, if UGA heads to the NC and LSU goes to the Sugar, and both take care of business, we could conceivably have another split championship, between SEC teams, no less. Wouldn't that make next season an interesting one...
DUDE YOUR OPINION IS FABRICATED TO CONSTITUTE A PLAYOFF. ITS ALL ABOUT LOSSES AND THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS LSU BEAT 2 TEAMS THAT DRUMMED GEORGIA EARLIER IN THE SEASON. ITS NOT LSUS FAULT THAT GEORGIA COULD NOT PLAY IN THE TITLE GAME ITS GEORGIAS. THATS WHAT MAKES COLLEGE FOOTBALL COLLEGE FOOTBALL. EVERYGAME COUNTS. I AGREE THE LOSS TO ARKANSAS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED BUT IF YOU LOOK AT HOW LSU LOSS AND LOOK AT GEORGIA, USC, AND OKLAHOMA ITS ONLY FAIR TO SAY THAT LSU IS THE MORE COMPETITIVE TEAM. NOT TO MENTION THEY ARE THE SEC CHAMPS NOW. YES GEORGIA AND THOSE OTHER TEAMS WERE RANKED AHEAD BUT THAT WAS BEFORE LSU WAS SEC CHAMPS. YOU CANT SAY THAT IT DOESNT MATTER. IF GEORGIA WAS IN LSU SHOES THEY WOULD DESERVE IT AS WELL. AND THEY KNOW LSU DESERVES IT. ALL TEAMS IN THE EQUATION HAVE AN ARGUEMENT BUT LSU HAS A MORE SOLID ONE.
geaux TIGERS!!!!
Post a Comment
<< Home