tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-300628982024-03-13T21:08:14.920-07:00Bayou Bengals BlogLSU beat writer Glenn Guilbeau brings you insight into the Tigers as do The Times sports writers. Read all things LSU every day.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger991125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30062898.post-10628087452560412422011-02-16T23:08:00.001-08:002011-02-16T23:12:12.398-08:00A shocker? NotWell, well, well. It looks like the NCAA is going to do some snooping around Thiboduax.<br /><br /><a href="http://msn.foxsports.com/collegefootball/story/NCAA-investigation-of-Auburn-recruiting-Greg-Robinson-Trovon-Reed-021611://"><strong>Foxsports.com </strong></a> is reporting that NCAA investigators have interviewed "several people in Thibodaux about the recruitment of Trovon Reed last year and Greg Robinson this year.<br /><br />In Auburn's defense, there is a chance that both players could have been signed on the up-and-up. That would require Reed having signed last year without any problems and Robinson could have followed his friend.<br /><br />However, the cynics that are out there -- and there are many -- are wondering exactly how in the world you get from Thibodaux, Louisiana, to Auburn, Alabama?<br /><br />It could get interesting for Aubie this offseason.Scott Ferrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15081967247253696622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30062898.post-74992971413579630142011-02-10T21:50:00.000-08:002011-02-10T21:55:00.881-08:00Help is on the wayHere's some good news for LSU basketball fans (if such an animal still exists):<br /><br />Signee Johnny O'Bryant was chosen Thursday to play in the McDonald's All-American game.<br /><br />That's right, LSU has a McDonald's All-American on the way. And it's been a long time since the Tigers could say that.<br /><br />O'Bryant is a 6-foot-10 power foward who is ranked as the No. 30 player in the nation by ESPNU.<br /><br />There is little doubt that Trent Johnson expects to pencil O'Bryant into the staring lineup next season. You can check out O'Bryant for yourself in the McDonald's game from Chicago on March 30 on ESPN's family of networks.Scott Ferrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15081967247253696622noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30062898.post-16041325346561019712011-02-09T21:30:00.001-08:002011-02-09T21:34:49.949-08:00Just good enough to lose<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HjEIqsX8cYM/TVN4yLjiZII/AAAAAAAAAIE/Qbi_cR7Pi3E/s1600/Ole%2BMiss.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 263px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571929967478072450" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HjEIqsX8cYM/TVN4yLjiZII/AAAAAAAAAIE/Qbi_cR7Pi3E/s320/Ole%2BMiss.jpg" /></a><br /><div>On the bright side, LSU was in the game with Ole Miss with a chance to actually pull off a road win. That's major improvement over where the team was a couple of weeks ago. </div><div></div><br /><div>That's one way of looking at LSU's 66-60 loss at Ole Miss on Wednesday. Another way of looking at it is the Tigers have Ralston Turner and Storm Warren back from injury and STILL CAN'T WIN.</div><div></div><br /><div>Ole Miss made more free throws than LSU shot in the game. And, for LSU, the Tigers were a respectable 45 percent shooting from the field but only 6 of 12 at the line. </div><div></div><br /><div>Looks like another losing season and an early exit from the SEC tourney for this bunch. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div>Scott Ferrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15081967247253696622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30062898.post-35315432251444826162011-02-08T09:52:00.000-08:002011-02-08T09:56:06.064-08:00The gang that couldn't shoot straight<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_SO26DUmffFs/TVGDmzFUWdI/AAAAAAAAAH8/1w8h9s9MFxM/s1600/SHOOT.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 234px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571378916604795346" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_SO26DUmffFs/TVGDmzFUWdI/AAAAAAAAAH8/1w8h9s9MFxM/s320/SHOOT.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Just like football is mostly about blocking and tackling, basketball is mostly about shooting and defending.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>So it's never a good sign when your team is last in the league in shooting.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Meet the LSU Tigers. Last in the SEC in scoring offense. Tied with Auburn for last in field goal percentage at .397.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>"We're still struggling to shoot the ball,'' LSU coach Trent Johnson said. "That's been the problem for us...We just didn't knock down open shots.''</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>It's not a good problem to have going to Ole Miss on Wednesday.</div>Scott Ferrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15081967247253696622noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30062898.post-32398712391754486562011-01-28T21:28:00.000-08:002011-01-28T21:40:33.826-08:00A peek at 2011If LSU doesn't win the national football championship next year, then it probably won't be because the Tigers didn't start high enough in the polls.<br /><br />I was listening to XM Radio on the way into work and caught Phil Steele on the Rivals Radio show. He was asked about what the AP preseason top would look like.<br /><br />Steele predicts Oklahoma will be the AP preseason No. 1. And at No. 2, he said he thinks it will be either LSU or Alabama.<br /><br />Not a bad place to start in 2011.Scott Ferrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15081967247253696622noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30062898.post-8765424912938014212011-01-25T14:09:00.000-08:002011-01-25T14:17:32.527-08:00Recruiting updateOK, here are few tidbits as we go down the stretch.<br /><br />1) You can take Philadelphia, Miss., linebacker C.J. Johnson off your LSU target list. He committed to Ole Miss today per the <a href="http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20110125/SPORTS06/110125023/1287/sports/C.J.-Johnson-changes-to-Ole-Miss"><strong>Jackson Clarion Ledger. </strong></a><br /><br />2) Evangel defensive end Jermauria Rasco will visit Florida this weekend. The Gators didn't really get into the picture until Will Muschamp got there. LSU and Florida State are other bigger players there.<br /><br />3) It's looking more and more like defensive lineman Tim Jernigan will stay in his home state of Florida with Florida State being his likely choices. LSU has been a player in the Jernigan recruiting process.<br /><br />4) Georgia defensive lineman Ray Drew appears to be headed to Georgia with LSU something of a long shot on that one.Scott Ferrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15081967247253696622noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30062898.post-11018064931142779312011-01-11T09:43:00.000-08:002011-01-11T09:58:44.682-08:00Miles staying putSo looks like ESPN's wrong again -- you may remember yesterday's report that Les Miles would go to Michigan if offered the job. OK, I guess there is the chance in a five-hour meeting that he wasn't offered the job, but I'd put the odds against that.<br /><br />Anyway, here is the <a href="http://www.shreveporttimes.com/article/20110111/SPORTS0202/110111014/Les-Miles-to-remain-at-LSU"><strong>story</strong></a>.<br /><br />No matter what one thinks of Miles, the timing of this situation would have been brutal for LSU. There is no one out there that is available and better.Scott Ferrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15081967247253696622noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30062898.post-90942381563082681392011-01-07T23:12:00.000-08:002011-01-07T23:17:51.652-08:00Cotton Bowl thoughts-- First thought was if LSU indeed was going to show up. The long kickoff return, an interception, a halfback pass for a touchdown, it wasn't looking good.<br /><br />-- Second thought, LSU could run at will against those guys and was probably wishing for acceptance into the Big 12 Conference.<br /><br />-- LSU's young secondary should be pretty salty for years to come.<br /><br />-- Spencer Ware looks like he'll be quite all right if Stevan Ridley wants to try the NFL.<br /><br />-- If Jordan Jefferson had played like that all season LSU wouldn't have been in the Cotton Bowl.<br /><br />-- Don't automatically assume Jefferson won't be the starter next year. Consider that he has three years under his belt and Mettenberger will have one whole spring to try to unseat him.<br /><br />-- While not a big Les Miles fan, I thought he was the best coach LSU could get at the time of Nick Saban's departure. Now if he were to leave for Michigan, I don't think LSU is going to find anybody better. It's just not a good time to be looking for a coach and you'll have to pay top $$$ to get anybody worthwhile.<br /><br />-- So 11-2 it is. What say you Tigers fans? Was this season an A? B? C? Let us know.Scott Ferrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15081967247253696622noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30062898.post-84625098320276006012011-01-07T10:09:00.000-08:002011-01-07T10:11:46.354-08:00Recruiting doomsday avoidedRedemptorist running back Jeremy Hill recommits to LSU, per Rivals. So if Hill is back in the fold you can't imagine teammate La'El Collins going anywhere else and LSU has thus avoided a doomsday scenario where the Tigers would have lost both players.<br /><br />That being said, this whole commit, decommit, recommit thing just speaks to the silliness that is college football recruiting these days.<br /><br />You almost have to admire the guys who hold off on making a commitment until they're ready to sign with someone.Scott Ferrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15081967247253696622noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30062898.post-83993988253816980022011-01-06T18:22:00.000-08:002011-01-06T18:26:44.470-08:00Will Cotton Bowl be Miles' last game at LSU?IRVING, Texas – Les Miles would be crazy to leave LSU for Michigan now.<br /><br />But then, this is Les Miles we are talking about.<br /><br />“Nobody knows what goes through Coach Miles’ mind,” LSU receiver Russell Shepard said this week.<br /><br />“People have told me Les Miles has been acting weird the last few weeks,” a national sports reporter told me on Wednesday. “Do you think he wants the Michigan job?”<br /><br />That reporter was quickly told that Miles has been acting weird for the last six seasons. Remember, this is the guy who called timeout when time was out after an interception in his Tiger Stadium debut against Tennessee in 2005. This is the guy who did not call timeout correctly when he desperately needed one against Ole Miss in 2009. This is the guy who nearly let the final 27 seconds or so tick away in field goal range while a point down against Auburn in 2007.<br /> <br />This is the guy who allowed mass substitutions with the final seconds ticking away a yard away from the winning touchdown against Tennessee and lived to laugh about it.<br /><br />This is the guy who after that fortunate win called “BS” on his team when he should have been calling it on himself and his staff. This is the guy who went for it on fourth down five times against Florida in '07 and made it five times.<br /><br />What will happen tonight when Must See Miles moves his act to FOX for the Cotton Bowl against Texas A&M? He’ll probably win to go to 5-1 in bowls as LSU’s coach.<br /><br />“One thing I know, he knows how to win football games,” Shepard said.<br /><br />Miles is 61-17 in six seaons as LSU’s coach with a 33-15 record in the Southeastern Conference, a 22-13 mark against top 25 opponents, a national championship and consistent top 10 finishes in recruiting. Fired Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez was 15-22 in three seasons with a 6-18 mark in the Big 10 and 2-11 against the top 25. Michigan would be crazy not to talk to Miles.<br /><br />And Miles would not be crazy to take the Michigan job if it offers him $4 to $5 million a year as it reportedly offered Stanford outgoing coach Jim Harbaugh, whose coast-to-coast job tour is making Pete Carroll and Nick Saban look like a couple of high school coaches Xeroxing their resumes at a coaches’ convention.<br /><br />Miles would not be replacing near legend Lloyd Carr this time at Michigan. He’d be replacing the worst coach in Michigan history. He’d be seen as the Michigan man in shining armor, not the West Virginia hillbilly with enough baggage for his own reality show. Miles would be a breath of fresh air at Michigan, which really needs some ventilation.<br /><br />Rodriguez never beat Ohio State. Miles beat the Buckeyes for the national championship. All he has to say is, “We have a want to beat Ohio State,” and Ann Arbor would start wearing hats high on their heads and eating grass.<br /><br />Miles beat Bob Stoops and Oklahoma twice when he was at Oklahoma State once at home and once on the road and both times when he should not have. He beat Nick Saban and Alabama twice – once at home, once on the road – when he was at LSU and nearly beat him two other times. He beat Urban Meyer and Florida three times.<br /><br />If Michigan pays Miles and his staff, this would be the perfect time to go to Michigan. The Wolverines are an awful team, so it would be a difficult job. But Miles would have the time because Michigan people finally realize how bad they are. He’d be home, where he played and coached for Bo Schembechler, whom he loved and talks like. He could be the next Bo.<br /><br />He’s 57. He will not get this chance a third time. He has been at LSU for six seasons. That is a long time in football coaching. If he leaves, he will leave LSU with nearly as much talent as he inherited from Saban.<br /><br />This is also the perfect time for Miles to stay at LSU. He will return his best team since the 2007 national champions, and it’s all his team now. The national championship game is in New Orleans next season. With a win tonight, LSU will enter the 2011 season in the top eight. With a win over Oregon in the opener in Cowboys Stadium, the Tigers could be in the top three.<br /><br />His chances of winning a national championship are much greater at LSU than they will be at Michigan for years.<br /><br />Miles will call a timeout and think about it after tonight’s game.<br /> <br />“We love him, but he’s crazy,” Shepard said. “He’ll tell you he’s crazy.”<br /><br />But he’s not that crazy. He’ll stay at LSU.<br /><br />Here are five things to look for in what will not be the last LSU game Miles coaches:<br />1.STEVAN RIDLEY – The just freed LSU tailback will play one of his best games after getting his eligibility restored by the NCAA on Monday. Yards will be tough to come by as A&M led the Big 12 in rush defense, but Ridley knows how to make something out of nothing better than any back LSU has had since Joseph Addai.<br /><br />2.RYAN TANNEHILL – The Texas A&M receiver turned quarterback may wish he was back catching passes after facing more pressure tonight more than he has all season.<br /><br />3.VON MILLER – The Joker’s wild. The Texas A&M linebacker plays a position called the Joker in A&M’s 3-4 defense. He is part lineman, part linebacker, but more importantly, he’s very good and won the Butkus Award. He led the Big 12 with 9.5 sacks after leading the league last season with 8.5.<br /><br />4.JORDAN JEFFERSON – The LSU quarterback may be playing his last game as a starter with Zach Mettenberger about to take over. Jefferson needs a strong showing for momentum going into spring practice.<br /><br />5.THE VIDEO BOARD – It stretches from the 20 to the 20 in Cowboys Stadium. So when Miles grabs a blade of grass on a fourth down play, it’s going to look like a Redwood.<br /><br />PREDICTION: LSU 28, Texas A&M 23 – The Tigers’ speed and talent will eventually overcome the hungry Aggies.Glenn Guilbeauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13072087859870184831noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30062898.post-83247748917975700122011-01-03T12:46:00.000-08:002011-01-03T12:56:30.979-08:00Early Cotton Bowl viewsLSU has gone from a pick 'em to a 1-point favorite back to a pick 'em again in the Cotton Bowl.<br /><br />I noticed The Sporting News has picked LSU to win the game. It will be interesting to see who the so-called experts like in this one.<br /><br />Texas A&M's defense is certainly improved over last year. Ryan Tannehill has brought stability to the Aggies' offense.<br /><br />A&M was hot at the end of the season. LSU was, well, LSU pretty much all year -- solid on defense, inconsistent on offense.<br /><br />This one will probably be decided by how well LSU's defense plays. As inconsistent as the offense is, they'll somehow get to 21. The key will be if LSU can keep the Aggies under that number.Scott Ferrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15081967247253696622noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30062898.post-47213421827528527032010-12-30T13:59:00.000-08:002010-12-30T14:02:19.661-08:00Worse than expectedI realize most people aren't thinking baskeball these days but for the few that have bothered to notice, LSU basketball is way worse than I expected.<br /><br />The home-court loss to Nicholls was alarming. The 20-point beatdown at home to North Texas was amazing. And now a loss on the road to Rice.<br /><br />I think Trent Johnson is a good basketball coach when it comes to Xs and Os and such. He's not much of a promoter which, unfortunately, you need to be in that position. If the best promoting is winning,he might want to consider speeding up the timetable. Sure, Turner and Stringer are good pieces to build with as freshmen. But there may not be three more years at the rate these beatings keep happening.Scott Ferrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15081967247253696622noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30062898.post-47056380332611335772010-12-27T11:59:00.000-08:002010-12-27T12:11:28.252-08:00Recruiting updateRemember when LSU fans were all worried about Nick Saban coming into Louisiana and raiding the state of its best players?<br /><br />Well, Saban has picked off a player or two here and there -- Luther Davis and Robbie Green being among the most prominent.<br /><br />But it appears another school in Alabama may be an even bigger threat to LSU recruiting.<br /><br />No one much cared when DeAngelo Benton made his signing day switch to Auburn. After all, Rueben Randle signed with LSU.<br /><br />Last year, more than a few fans were annoyned with Thibodaux wide receiver Trovon Reed when he signed with Auburn. Reed was the top player in the state and he was leaving the state.<br /><br />Well, it's still early and lots could happen, but if Les Miles isn't careful Auburn could do a serious number on his recruiting class.<br /><br />Here's what has happened and could happen.<br /><br />Thibodaux offensive lineman Greg Robinson has committed to Auburn. Robinson is considered among the state's and nation's best prospects. He could play all five positions on the offensive line and could even see playing time as a freshman.<br /><br />Now here's where it could really get bad for Miles and LSU. Running back Jeremy Hill of Redemptorist has decommitted and has made visits to Alabama and Auburn already. He has plans to visit Florida State and Tennessee and he is keeping LSU in the mix.<br /><br />His teammate, offensive lineman La'el Collins, is also still taking visits. Although Collins hasn't decommitted.<br /><br />If Hill and Collins join Robinson at Auburn, what once was going to be one of the great recruiting classes in LSU history takes a major hit.<br /><br />Anyone still worried about Alabama?Scott Ferrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15081967247253696622noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30062898.post-44835398352963704442010-12-22T21:48:00.000-08:002010-12-22T21:52:09.532-08:00The Ridley predicamentGlenn Guilbeau has a good piece on Stevan Ridley's "academic dishonesty issue.'' I'll post the link when I get it.<br /><br />So here are some thoughts.<br /><br />1) Cam Newton's dad wanted $180,000 but he plays onl; Ridley is out for academics. Makes sense.<br /><br />2) If Ridley doesn't regain his eligibility, who gets the carries? Michael Ford got more action as the season went along. Spencer Ware and Alfred Blue figure in the mix. But it's hard replacing a 1,000-yard rusher. The good news is with extra time (Cotton Bowl is on Jan. 7) LSU should be able to figure this out.Scott Ferrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15081967247253696622noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30062898.post-30082081117324132172010-12-21T14:32:00.000-08:002010-12-21T14:36:41.199-08:00A look to the futureThere is an early bird college football poll out right now. Here is the <a href="http://www.nationalchamps.net/2011/earlybird/index.htm"><strong>link.</strong></a><br /><strong></strong><br />Granted, these rankings don't take in to account juniors leaving early. Anybody really think Auburn is No. 6 without Cam Newton? And in LSU's case, Patrick Peterson is probably a goner.<br /><br />Still, if you're an LSU fan you have to like your position. If you start at No. 3 then you usually have a shot at ending up in the top two.<br /><br />The flip side is a couple of old enemies, Oklahoma and Alabama are ranked above.<br /><br />So what do you think LSU fans? Would you take it? Or are you angry that Alabama is still ranked ahead of you?Scott Ferrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15081967247253696622noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30062898.post-79895873245768676142010-12-01T20:52:00.000-08:002010-12-01T21:00:32.140-08:00Anything goes, I guessSo the NCAA says, yes, Cecil Newton was shopping his son Cameron Newton. Yet Cam Newton is eligible to play (the NCAA says he didn't know of any price tag on his skills).<br /><br />And the same NCAA that took years to get to the bottom of the Reggie Bush scandal at USC, took care of this one in months.<br /><br />Sorry, at the least things look suspicious in this one. Maybe no one can prove money changed hands. But wouldn't a thorough investigation be better than this one done so hastily?<br /><br />This has no effect on LSU. Even had Auburn forfeited every game in sight it would be Arkansas not LSU winning the West.<br /><br />So my point is this: I think this was a ruling made with the information on hand at this point in time. And that is not all of the information that could be gathered. But so that this wouldn't hang over the SEC Championship Game, the Heisman Trophy and possibly the national championship game, a ruling came out today.<br /><br />But somewhere there are some folks who will abuse this "the-Dad-knew-but-the-kid-didn't-loophole.'' You know they will.Scott Ferrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15081967247253696622noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30062898.post-30971160130380700592010-11-28T14:54:00.000-08:002010-11-28T14:58:15.342-08:00So what to make of this season?So LSU ends up 10-2 in the regular season and, for all intents and purposes, in third place in the SEC West behind Auburn and tied with Arkansas but losing in the tiebreaker.<br /><br />On one hand, a 10-2 record is nothing to sneeze at. (They'd gladly take on in Austin or Gainesville right now.)<br /><br />But a third-place finish in the West isn't quite what many fans had in mind. Granted the West was exceedingly tough this year.<br /><br />So LSU fans, what do you make of the season. Does the record make it a success? Do wins over Florida and Alabama make it a success? Or does that third-place finish take some shine off the season? What say you?Scott Ferrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15081967247253696622noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30062898.post-15904842888548881802010-11-26T12:32:00.000-08:002010-11-26T12:35:11.702-08:00Arkansas' Petrino braces to face Wild Hog of a coach in Miracle MilesLITTLE ROCK, Ark. – There is an often used baseball term that may best describe LSU football coach Les Miles. It is “effectively wild” with Miles being the pitcher and the opposing coach the hitter.<br /><br />Imagine yourself coaching against the Mad Hatter. You have studied film. You have prepared your team in the conventional way with practice and repetition. You've gone against the best. You've been an NFL coach for crying out loud. But today you’re going against a coach who makes the unconventional conventional in more ways than head-hat placement. You're going against Les Miles - college football's Don Quixote with a flip card.<br /><br />Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino steps into the box today at 2:30 p.m. in War Memorial Stadium for a CBS game with a BCS bowl on the line and possibly – if you believe in the Miracle Miles – a continuation of a windmill-like quest for an unlikely BCS title game by LSU. But then, these things have happened before.<br /><br />Petrino has been the hot offensive coordinator at Auburn and the hot head coach at Louisville with NFL ties. He was a head coach briefly at Atlanta before escaping to Arkansas, leaving little but a note. He is considered an offensive genius. But none of that matters today. Because when he looks across the field, he will see Les Miles, who is not a genius and often out of control.<br /><br />Miles eats grass before huge plays. That’s what Alabama’s Nick Saban – the defensive version of Petrino with more skins on the wall - saw if he glanced across the field before that fourth-and-one play in Tiger Stadium on Nov. 6. Then he saw a double-pitch reverse to the tight end probably for the first time in his life, and it beat him.<br /><br />“Gotcha,” Miles may have said as he may have said after beating Steve Spurrier, another genius who revolutionized the SEC with passing in the 1990s before failing in the NFL, with a holder-to-kicker flip fake field goal in 2007. Three years later, Miles called the same play against spread mastermind Urban Meyer, in The Swamp. Only this time he mixed it up a bit with a confused timeout and a bounce pass, and Meyer is still shaking his brainiac head.<br /><br />Miles also is known to take a big chug of water before big plays. If Tennessee coach Derek Dooley, a disciple of Saban and son of Vince, looked straight ahead before the last play of his game (or the first of two "last" plays) with LSU last month, this is what he saw - Miles kicking his head back and squirting a big swallow into his pie hole. It was only fourth-and-goal from the 1 with no time left after one of the worst conceived last-second plays in LSU history. And LSU scored for the win. Your dad told you there’d be days like that, Derek, but not coaches like that. <br /><br />Needless to say, Petrino has been holding his own Miles Marathon this week. Call it the Field Whisperer Film Festival.<br /><br />“Yeah, we always have to spend time with their trick plays and special teams, the fakes and everything they do,” Petrino said. “We keep a file on it, and we have to bring it out.”<br /><br />The temptation is for opposing coaches to try this stuff at home. This is a dangerous game. That’s the thing about Miles. What fits the Mad Hatter does not necessarily fit anyone else. It’s an acquired taste – like grass. Brainiacs need not apply.<br /><br />“We used one (the fake field goal), and it didn’t work at all against Texas A&M,” Petrino said. “Maybe we should have kept that file in the closet.”<br /><br />Careful in that batter’s box today, Bobby. Miles outs himself just about every Saturday. You never know what’s coming.<br /><br />Here are five things to look for in today’s LSU-Arkansas game.<br /><br />1.BLITZING – LSU’s defense loves to play a pocket quarterback like Arkansas’ Ryan Mallett. LSU got three sacks against Alabama’s traditional Greg McElroy. Look for that many or more today.<br /><br />2.SCORING – Arkansas is No. 2 in the SEC in points scored with 37.9 a game and No. 7 in points allowed with 22.7. LSU has scored 84 in its last two games. Sure, one of those opponents was Louisiana-Monroe, but still LSU has not put up that many in back-to-back games since 2007 with 89 in a 41-24 win at Ole Miss and a 50-48 loss in triple overtime to Arkansas.<br /><br />3.FIRST DOWN PASSES – Since the second half against Alabama, LSU has thrown on first down more than at any point under quarterback Jordan Jefferson. Look for the aggression to continue today as the Tigers continue to climb the offensive charts - 11th in the SEC and 108th in the nation in passing.<br /><br />4.RUNNING HOGS – Mallett is one of the best quarterbacks in the nation, but tailback Knile Davis is third in the SEC with 1,031 yards on 148 carries.<br /><br />5.JOSH JASPER – This one could come down to a field goal like it did last year with the LSU kicker making a 41-yarder with four seconds to play to send it to overtime and a 36-yarder to win it. No one in the country has more field goals than Jasper, who is 23 of 27 on the season. He is also one of the best pooch punters in the game and runs like a tailback. After a ridiculous snub by the Groza Award people, Jasper may be ready to kick some Hog.<br /><br />PREDICTION: Jasper kicks LSU into the Sugar Bowl with a 50-yard field goal with :02 remaining for a 31-28 win. Miles goes Hog wild.Glenn Guilbeauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13072087859870184831noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30062898.post-89926240117805756322010-11-19T17:30:00.000-08:002010-11-19T17:33:29.498-08:00One more Nutt to crackBATON ROUGE - LSU coach Les Miles is already nearly finished his get-even shopping.<br /><br />Florida coach Urban Meyer ... faked and beaten.<br /><br />Alabama coach Nick Saban ... reversed and beaten.<br /><br />Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt ... clocked and beaten?<br /><br />Miles can enjoy victories over those three coaches in the same season for the first time in his career if his No. 5 Tigers (9-1, 5-1 Southeastern Conference) can crack Nutt's cracking Rebels (4-6, 1-5 SEC) at 2:30 p.m. today in Tiger Stadium.<br /><br />Miles was 0-4 against Meyer-Saban over the previous two seasons as Flora-Bama appeared to call closing time on the rest of the SEC for years to come. Didn't happen. Miles is ahead of both in the SEC and BCS standings at the moment, and he is dead even with both over his career - 3-3 versus Meyer and 2-2 versus Saban.<br /><br />Miles has usually been ahead of Nutt in the standings, but he is just 2-3 against him straight up. And Nutt has beaten Miles with teams that had no business beating LSU.<br /> <br />In 2007, Nutt's last Arkansas team was 7-4 and unranked when it entered Tiger Stadium to play No. 1 and 10-1 LSU on Senior Day. The Hogs apparently busted LSU's BCS hopes with a 50-48 victory in triple overtime. Arkansas put up 513 yards against an LSU defense that has been incorrectly referred to over the years as great. Then-defensive coordinator and now-Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini must have successfully whited-out that game on his resume.<br /><br />In 2008, Nutt's first Ole Miss team was 6-4 and unranked when it came to Baton Rouge to play No. 18 and 7-3 LSU on Senior Day. The Rebels were up 21-10 at the half, and it got ugly. Ole Miss outgained LSU 409 to 215 and won going away, 31-13, for one of its most dominating win over the Tigers in history.<br /><br />In 2009, Nutt's 7-3 unranked Ole Miss team outgained No. 10 and 7-2 LSU 426 yards to 290 in a 25-23 win. People mainly remember Miles' malfunctions on the sideline, but Ole Miss dominated the game.<br /><br />News flash: It's Senior Day again today, and Ole Miss is unranked while LSU is rolling.<br /><br />"We can't let it happen again," LSU tailback and Natchez, Miss., native Stevan Ridley said. "We've got to make sure we get this one."<br /><br />A loss today to the worst team Nutt has had anywhere in years would largely erase what Miles did against Meyer and Saban. But it won't happen.<br /><br />Here are five things to look for:<br />1. ZACH METTENBERGER - The Butler Community College quarterback star will be on the sidelines on his official visit to LSU. The former Georgia quarterback kicked off after a "Boys Gone Wild" arrest last spring break will be LSU's starter at some point next season.<br /><br />2. BETTER PASSING GAME - Ole Miss is ninth in the SEC against the pass with 241 yards allowed a game. Look for LSU quarterbacks Jordan Jefferson and Jarrett Lee to return to their form shown in the Alabama and Florida games.<br /><br />3. RUN RIDLEY RUN - LSU tailback Stevan Ridley is from Natchez, Miss., and has had to live with two straight losses to Ole Miss. He will go over 100 yards on the day.<br /><br />4. INTERCEPTIONS - Ole Miss quarterback Jeremiah Masoli has thrown for 1,601 yards this season, but lately he has been interception prone. He tossed two pick sixes in a 52-14 loss at Tennessee last week. Look for junior cornerback Patrick Peterson to get one in his last LSU home game.<br /><br />5. KILLING THE CLOCK - Miles struggled to get a timeout called at crunch time in LSU's loss at Ole Miss last season. He'll be running out the clock this time with a comfortable lead.<br /><br />PREDICTION: LSU 34, Ole Miss 10Glenn Guilbeauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13072087859870184831noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30062898.post-43995542019289765192010-11-18T21:41:00.000-08:002010-11-18T21:53:15.648-08:00On Les and the BCSI know what Les Miles was trying to do by planting the seed for a one-loss (read LSU) SEC team in the national championship game -- provided the Tigers win their last two games.<br /><br />But there is a risk involved. It's called backlash and if you don't believe me, check out the L.A. Times where college football writer Chris Dufresne has his national rankings.<br /><br />Dufresne ranks LSU sixth and says: "Only Nebraska (2001) gets a title-game shot without winning its division.''<br /><br />And then he ranks Arkansas No. 12 with this comment: "Please beat Louisiana State so it quits yapping about deserving a BCS title bid.''<br /><br />The point is there is backlash out there. What may seem like a good idea -- lobbying for his team -- may not be the best path for Miles to take right now.Scott Ferrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15081967247253696622noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30062898.post-70228943544419878062010-11-17T12:12:00.000-08:002010-11-17T12:16:59.872-08:00Hard times in HoopsvilleOK, it ain't exactly like we're talking Chapel Hill and Lexington when it comes to basketball. But losing to Nicholls State? At home?<br /><br />That's not a good sign.<br /><br />I think most LSU fans expected this men's basketball season to: a)be better than last season and b) include some transitional moments with so many new faces being worked into the rotation.<br /><br />I don't think LSU fans were counting on a home-court loss to a Southland team.<br /><br />If this team has any postseason aspirations -- and who among the 300-plus Division I teams don't -- then this is a bad loss. LSU will need to win a game it's not supposed to win to just offset the loss of a game wasn't supposed to lose.<br /><br />There is no reason for LSU's basketball program to be as down as it has been for much of the last 15 years. You can live off that one Final Four trip only so long.<br /><br />Apparently, it's going to take longer to get to the point where the program is strong on a yearly basis.Scott Ferrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15081967247253696622noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30062898.post-80347905272753482622010-11-16T14:19:00.000-08:002010-11-16T14:23:23.478-08:00It's all about the greenYou had to know this was coming. LSU staring at a double-digit win season in football. A national top-five ranking -- and budget cuts.<br /><br />So along comes Scrooge -- this time it's parking.<br /><br />You'll have to pay to park for football games on campus starting in 2011?<br /><br />Here's the <a href="http://shreveporttimes.com/article/20101116/SPORTS0202/101116017/1001/SPORTS"><strong>link</strong></a>.<br /><br />As an LSU fan, do you mind paying the parking or does this hack you off the way it did when they raised ticket prices after the 2007 national championship?Scott Ferrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15081967247253696622noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30062898.post-41515651777920219302010-11-14T16:28:00.000-08:002010-11-14T17:49:19.348-08:00Down the stretchSo the SEC Championship Game is out.<br /><br />The national championship game is a looooooooooooonggggg shot for LSU.<br /><br />What to make of the rest of the season?<br /><br />Well, there is some serious motivation against Ole Miss after having lost two in a row to the Rebels.<br /><br />And Arkansas the following week would carry the motivation of possibly earning a spot in a BCS bowl.<br /><br />So there is plenty to play for in the final two weeks. Besides, it's hard to complain about a double-digit win season (although this year may have been the exception).Scott Ferrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15081967247253696622noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30062898.post-4379048616490392222010-11-12T17:11:00.000-08:002010-11-12T17:14:14.807-08:00Consider Miles off the Coker trailBATON ROUGE – I came up with it first. I will abort it first.<br /><br />LSU coach Les Miles is no longer taking the road traveled by former Miami coach Larry Coker. After the landmark victory over Alabama and Coach Nick Saban last week, he is back on the Saban-Meyer Super Highway for now.<br /><br />After five seasons at LSU, Miles and Coker’s career path was hauntingly similar.<br />Coker in 2001 inherited an elite, national championship-type program loaded with talent from NFL-bound Butch Davis and went 35-3 in his first three seasons with a 20-1 Big East record, a national championship and a national championship runner-up finish. Then he slipped to 18-6 overall and 11-5 in the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2004 and 2005 despite continuing to recruit nearly as well as his predecessor. He fell to 6-6 in 2006 and was fired. He’s now coaching at Texas-San Antonio.<br /><br />Miles in 2005 inherited an elite, national championship program loaded with talent from NFL-bound Nick Saban and went 34-6 in his first three seasons with a 19-5 Southeastern Conference record, a national championship and a SEC championship runner-up finish. Then he slipped to 17-9 overall and 8-8 in the SEC in 2008 and 2009 despite continuing to recruit nearly as well as his predecessor.<br /><br />Miles has not fallen to 6-6 in 2010 and will not be fired – maybe ever from LSU.<br /><br />Reset your clocks. Miles will not coach at Texas El Paso. He could have been 4-4 with some very scary wins over North Carolina, Tennessee and Florida, but that is moot now, unless you work for ESPN.<br /><br />Miles is 9-1 and 5-1 in the SEC going into tonight’s six o’clock homecoming game against Louisiana-Monroe (4-5, 3-3 Sun Belt). Tonight’s game matches two of the four teams that have regular season victories over Saban and Alabama since Nov. 17, 2007, when Saban did something Miles will never do – lose to ULM. Auburn and South Carolina are the other two.<br /><br />Miles is 2-2 against Saban. He is also 3-3 against Florida coach Urban Meyer. Saban and Meyer are the best two college football coaches in the country, and they are better than quite a few of those in the NFL as well. They’ve both slipped a bit this year, but they’ll come back. Just like Miles came back.<br /><br />Now do not get all carried away as many of you did in 2007. Miles is neither a genius nor a moron. His failure to put one hand on top of the other and call a timeout at Ole Miss in 2009 did not erase his brilliant 5-for-5 fourth down run against Florida in 2007, just as his brilliant tight end reverse call against Alabama Saturday did not erase what he let happen at the end of the Tennessee game this season. Miles quite simply is up and down. He’s inconsistent. He’s still just 13-9 in the SEC since 2008. Saban is 20-2 over that span. Meyer is 19-4. And all three have equal talent. Don’t get carried away. I would not roll over that contract either. No one should have a buyout of double-figure millions. His should be no more than $4 or $5 million like so many others, period.<br /><br />But do enjoy the ride. After all the negativity from media and fans as well as LSU athletic department and Board of Supervisors personnel - most of it very deserved - we have all almost missed a great season. We all realize now that this is a great team, and only three regular season games remain. <br /> <br />Miles is 60-16 overall at LSU and 32-14 in the SEC, and it looks like he has turned the corner well off the Coker path. And do not yet count him out of the BCS national championship race. He is one of the only coaches to win a national championship with two losses. Could he be one of the only coaches to get to a national championship game because a player was ruled ineligible? <br /><br />The way this season is going, my money, my clock and my laptop are all on Miles – not Cam Newton.<br /><br />After all the emotion and drama from last week, I am actually looking forward to tonight’s LSU-ULM game that will be refreshingly uneventful. Here are five things to look for:<br /><br />1. A REPLAY OF THE LSU-BAMA GAME ON THE BIG SCREEN – That will keep everyone interested, including LSU’s players and coaches.<br /><br />2. A REPLAY OF GEORGIA’S UPSET OF AUBURN ON THE OTHER BIG SCREEN – That will keep everyone interested, too, including LSU’s players and coaches.<br /><br />3. A REPLAY OF ULM’S UPSET OF ALABAMA IN 2007 ON A SPLIT SCREEN – That will keep everyone from ULM interested.<br /><br />4. MORE PASS PLAYS – The last thing LSU needs to do is to put its pass game away for a week so as to hide things from future opponents. Quarterback Jordan Jefferson played his best game of the season last week. He needs to stay hot. Come out firing. Run the ball in the second half.<br /><br />5.LIVE COVERAGE OF MISSISSIPPI STATE AT ALABAMA ON THE OTHER SPLIT SCREEN – Kickoff is at 6:15 p.m. Saban has been so down since the LSU loss, he may lose again. But more importantly, LSU owes both schools. They turned in Newton.Glenn Guilbeauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13072087859870184831noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30062898.post-53381498000002067392010-11-05T12:20:00.000-07:002010-11-05T12:25:12.200-07:00LSU has the exact record that Alabama has, so why doesn’t it feel like it?BATON ROUGE – It’s right there in black and white, but most see only crimson and white. LSU is 7-1 on the season and 4-1 in the SEC. Alabama is 7-1 on the season and 4-1 in the SEC.<br /><br />Yet few, including those most rabid and self-absorbed LSU fans, are talking about the Tigers running the table and getting into the BCS national championship game, while many are saying that the Crimson Tide can do that as if it is a foregone conclusion.<br /><br />“Of course, that sounds about right,” Georgia-born LSU middle linebacker Kelvin Sheppard said with the sarcasm of a veteran LSU fan who saw the Tigers go 8-27-1 against Bama from 1964-99 while the Tide won half a dozen national championships over that span.<br /><br />“That’s how it always is,” Sheppard said. “We’re used to that by now. I enjoy it. I just laugh at it, because we’re in the same position as Alabama as I see it. We’re both equal going into this game.”<br /><br />On paper, LSU is equal to Alabama. In the human polls, though, Alabama is No. 5 to LSU’s No. 11 or 12. Even in BCS standings, which use cold hard computer facts, Alabama is No. 6 to LSU’s No. 10. Yet, LSU’s lone loss this season – to an undefeated, now-No. 2-ranked Auburn and the best player in the country by a touchdown on the road – is better than Alabama’s loss, which was to a now-No. 19 ranked, 6-2 South Carolina team by two touchdowns. South Carolina also lost to 1-5 Kentucky.<br /><br />Alabama has so much more reputation and credibility than LSU at the moment, it’s not even funny. LSU, which in the past tended to be the highest ranked one- or two-loss team in the nation and often overrated, is No. 6 in the nation among 7-1 teams at the moment in both the Associated Press and Harris polls. This is a program that somehow got into the BCS national title game just three seasons ago with two losses.<br /><br />It has one loss this season and can’t even get in the conversation.<br /><br />This is because many across the nation realize that LSU could easily be 5-3 or even 4-4 right now, and its best win is over a Florida team now just holding on at 5-3 and 3-3.<br /><br />But what if LSU wins today? Has anyone considered that? LSU would still need Georgia and Alabama to beat Auburn to get to the SEC title game, but it would be within range of a BCS bowl without a trip to Atlanta.<br /><br />Yet many LSU fans do not seem to really believe a win over Bama today may actually happen. Many LSU fans do not even seem to hate Alabama coach Nick Saban as much anymore either. This has been the deadest Bama week since Dubose was its coach. Has LSU fans’ hatred of their former coach been trumped by their aggravation, apathy and lack of confidence in their present coach? It seems like it.<br /><br />The fantasy is gone. Surely even the most delusional LSU fan does not still believe that Les Miles is as good or better than Saban as so many so fervently did back in 2007, or convinced themselves to feel that way out of revenge. <br /><br />The funny thing is LSU has a better chance of beating Alabama today than it did in either 2008 or 2009 when more of its fan base believed it had a real chance, and it nearly did each time. Ah, ’08 and ’09 -the hallucinatory drugs of ’07’s national title that cast Miles as a genius had not yet worn off. Everyone is seeing clearly now, and Miles has transformed from daring gambler to degenerate clocker.<br /><br />But he could win today. LSU is better this season than it was in either 2008 or 2009 and nearly beat Alabama in those seasons. And Alabama is not as good on defense now as it was a season ago.<br /><br />Yes, LSU has a terrible pass offense, but at least it knows it. Miles and offensive coordinator Gary Crowton refused to see it in ’08. The ’07 drugs were still working, and quarterback Jarrett Lee was allowed to throw 34 times (with only 13 completions) even though he entered the game with nine interceptions and five pick sixes. He threw four interceptions and one pick six in a 27-21 overtime loss that LSU could have won with its defense and its running game. LSU can beat Alabama today with its defense and its running game and just 15 or so passes. But I do not have the confidence to make that pick either.<br /><br />PREDICTION: Alabama 23, LSU 10.<br /><br />FIVE THINGS TO LOOK FOR:<br />1.A START FOR JARRETT LEE – If I keep saying it, maybe it will happen. If Miles and Crowton did decide to start Lee, they would not announce it publicly anyway. So, today is as good as any, considering the extra week to prepare Lee. He deserves it, and everyone deserves to see if Lee can improve and gain rhythm by staying in possession after possession. No one will know until they try it.<br /><br />2.NEW PASS PLAYS – Crowton said he used the extra week to put in some new things.<br /><br />3.CRAMPS – A heat cramp suffered by LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson basically cost the Tigers the game last season as Bama wide receiver Julio Jones beat Peterson’s last second replacement – Brandon Taylor – for a 73-yard touchdown on a short pass. It’s supposed to be in the 60s and 50s today. Forget the Wheaties, Patrick, drink your water. There’s an Evian endorsement deal just waiting.<br /><br />4.D.J. FLUKER – The 6-foot-6, 303-pound Alabama right tackle can dominate a game. LSU has to get some Marcus Spears-like defensive end play from Lavar Edwards or Kendrick Adams or Barkevious Mingo to take some of the pressure off defensive tackle Drake Nevis.<br /><br />5.NICK SABAN – He is 2-1 against LSU as Bama’s coach, but the Tide has yet to play a complete game against LSU, which has handed him the last two. Alabama may need a complete game today to win. Or has it already won?Glenn Guilbeauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13072087859870184831noreply@blogger.com8