LOVE: After Further Review
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| Tide taking home title a good thing for LSU
Alabama coach Nick Saban, right, shakes hands with Rahim Alem in the aftermath of the Tide’s 24-15 home win over LSU this November. (Photo by Kent Gidley)
By BEN LOVE
Tiger Rag Acting Editor
First thing’s first: In no way, shape or form am I asking anyone in LSU country to stand up and actively cheer the recent exploits of Alabama football.
You don’t have to like ‘em. Hell, I don’t even care if you respect ‘em.
But don’t for a minute think that the Crimson Tide’s national championship triumph over Texas is a bad thing for LSU. Because it’s not.
For starters, there’s a heck of a ring to the following sentence: The SEC has won the last four BCS national championships.
After all, one’s an accident, two’s a trend and three’s a pattern. Well, what’s four? Dominance, that’s what it is. And that’s exactly what the Southeastern Conference has exuded since Florida wiped the floor with the Buckeyes in the Jan. 2007 title tilt in Arizona.
Since that game, LSU conquered crystal in N’awlins, Florida doubled its pleasure in Miami and, most recently, the Tide rolled over a McCoy-less Longhorn team in Pasadena.
This string of successes has two major ramifications, and one directly feeds into the other.
First, the Bama title sets up every true SEC contender (yes, that does include LSU) to be able to continue the chain of championships. It’s not that much of a stretch for me to see a Tiger team - reloaded with talent and more experience at key positions, as well as a fortified coaching staff - back in national powerhouse form with a more agreeable 2011 schedule. Well, thanks to Alabama doing its part, an LSU title would then be the sixth straight crown going south of the Mason-Dixon line (oh, did I mention the ‘11 title game is back in New Orleans?).
Not saying it’s going to happen, but it wouldn’t even be possible to make that claim had Texas tripped the elephants from Tuscaloosa.
The second result is even more important: The more the SEC continues to heap on the winning, the more often its teams will continue to receive the benefit of the doubt come ranking time for pollsters. It’s no mistake that the conference title game in Atlanta has turned into a national title play-in game in the latter part of the Aught Decade. If you need a refresher here, see the two-loss 2007 team LSU produced that still got the nod come BCS time.
But, if you dig deeper (and throw in some good ol’ fashion hypotheticals), the Alabama championship could have resounding effects in another way.
It could speed up the process of Saint Nick’s relocation. C’mon, you don’t really think he’s a Bama lifer, do you?
Aside from widespread reports that his wife Terry can’t stand T-town (and that she still has an apartment here in Red Stick), there’s the obvious consideration that Nick enjoys a challenge.
Resurrect LSU’s program? Check. Breathe life back into Bama’s sleeping giant? Check, and in a hurry.
Something has to be next. Five years ago this month, that something was a bolt to the NFL and the Miami Dolphins. What’ll it be next time around (say circa 2012)? Some have predicted a return to LSU. Others still - including people I trust - say Saban to Happy Valley to replace JoePa is a very real possibility. (He is after all a West Virginian by birth, not too far from PSU’s Beaver Stadium).
Anything’s possible, and that’s what the Bama win really signifies for LSU.
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Ben Love is the acting editor of Tiger Rag. Reach him at ben@tigerrag.com.
Interesting, open minded way of seeing the LSU point of view Mr Love.
It does seam very hard,to have the good,without the bad…But the every day bad, of life, is one thing…What LSU seams to be cursed with…Is a incompetent head coach…That talks a lot of bull,and takes Miles into another year,at 3.7 million dollars.
Dont LSU deserve better…A head coach, who can really teach…Instead of useing,everyone like that,inclueding you.
Tinker
Well, Saban being the mercenary that he is, will certainly leave before too long. The man has no loyalty. However, being an SEC fan, I’m definitely pleased to see our dominance in the biggest game of the year the past four seasons.
Yeh, Lyke that genus David Williams sez, Miles bees a dummy. And I is a grate tiper like David so I nose the differnse
When Tennessee started their comeback in the second half at Tigerland (just after he got to LSU), Miles “looked like a deer in the headlights”. I stated he was clueless then and he has done nothing to change my opinon since then. I would like to see LSU beat a ranked SEC team from start to finish. Just once, without all the “DRAMA” and last second “HEROICS”. Win like a Champion!
Yes!!! I like LES, I like his family, I do not like his coaching, in the seventy PLUS years that I have been in and around football, it is my opinion that Les should turn the complete coaching and all decisions over to FRANK WILSON the new QB coach and let Frank run the OFFENCE and “CHIEF” the Defence and LES play CEO but stay out of decision making, I cannot take it any longer and I am sure the kids ARE tired of it, When you cannot find a way to get your best play maker in the game, that has to be pretty DUMB!!! IT IS HIGH TIME TO MAKE SOME CHANGES!!! NOW!!! NOT NEXT YEAR, NOT NEXT SEASON!!! NOW!!! I AM SICK OF “SHEP” ON THE SIDE LINES AND “JJ” SITTING ON THE SEAT OF HIS PANTS FOUR OR FIVE TIMES A GAME…SHEP IS THE BEST ATHLETE AND THE BEST QB, AND it is HIGH time for a change. PENN STATE was not as good a team as the BENGALS, THEY WERE OUT COACHED, NOT BY JOPA HE HAS NOT HAD A GOOD IDEA IN YEARS, THE SUCCESS OF JOE IS GAYLAN HALL, HE IS THE NEW COACH AT PENN STATE, HAS BEEN FOR YEARS, IT JUST HAS NOT BEEN ANNOUNCED YET. The best coach in this country is retireing in a sea of sadness, AND DISGRACE, BY his own ex player kickING him out and after BOBBY has done so much for FSU, SUCH A SHAME…and they have the wrong man in FISHER, he will not be able to cut it, he is not the coach or the recruiter that BB is!!! We were glad that he went to FSU, and left LSU, and now we must find a good coach to replace MILES, I would like to see LSU hire BOBBY BOWDON!!! I believe that he would be great for us, AND FOR HIM, a new start and a wonderful recruiter, HOW ABOUT IT BOBBY??? HOW ABOUT IT LSU!!! LETS GET IT ON WITH EITHER BOBBY OR STEVE AND LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL!!! THERE HAS ONLY BEEN ONE COACH THAT WAS BETTER THAN BOBBY!!! THAT WAS THE GREAT GENERAL NEYLAND OF TENNESSEE!!! HE WAS THE GREATEST OF THEM ALL, BOBBY IS CLOSE…MARANATHA!!! JOHNMULLINIKS@BELLSOUTH.NET LSU DESERVES THE BEST FOR THE MONEY THEY PAY…FANS VENT YOUR THOUGHTS, LSU NEEDS A GOOD CHANGE…
Initially I was a big Les supporter, and though I still am (somewhat), he makes it harder and harder to do so. I don’t watch ALOT of Saban’s press conferences but when he says something about his program they generally come out in the games obviously showing improvement on whatever he wanted to emphasize that week, but for the life of me I can’t figure out why Les can’t seem to get his teams to do the same. “We want to get the plays in quicker and smoother”, doesn’t happen; “We want to get Russell the ball more”, doesn’t happen; “We want to hand the ball off more”, doesn’t/can’t happen. It’s frustrating. Let me say this for the record you can have an All World running back, but if you have an All City offensive line, there’s no running game; I watched LSU offensive lineman get literally pushed into the backfield far too many times this year. I know they see it on film and I hope they take it personally, both the sacks and the fact that the running game was poor.
PLEASE FIND A COACH THAT CAN TEACH FOOTBALL. LSU IS HEADED
DOWN THE DRAIN WITH WHAT WE HAVE NOW. IF YOU THINK LAST YEAR
WAS BAD, JUST WAIT UNTILL NEXT YEAR.
WHAT A MESS, WHAT A MESS. IF YOU THINK LAST YEAR WAS BAD, JUST
UNTILL NEXT YEAR. WHAT A MESS, WHAT MESS.
miles is the worst coach in the sec lsu is 8-8 in the sec over the last 2 years that is unacceptable we do not need to waste another year with this idiot
Hey, Mr. Jon
Why don’t you grow-up and instead of making fun of some ones typing or spelling ability, just stick to the subject at hand. Maybe you are so dumb that you do not have the knowledge to do so. It is a shame that people like you are allowed to make posts and criticize others.
So, I say to you Jon, read the comments, make your own comment about the subject or keep your mouth shut.
Myself, I would like to see LSU replace Mr. Miles.