DEVILLE: Can anyone say “Bueller… Bueller?”

When following college football these days, you’d better take the advice of one Ferris Bueller

by Matt Deville
Tiger Rag Senior Editor

(At left) Matthew Broderick was the king of cool as Ferris Bueller back in 1986

I’d like to open this column by quoting one of my favorite movies of all time.

“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and take a look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

For those of you out there who grew up in the 1980s, these words should be very familiar to you.

“Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” is widely regarded as one of the greatest movies of that decade.

For those of you not familiar with the flick, Ferris Bueller, played by Matthew Broderick, and his friends decided to take a day of from school. Bueller, his girlfriend Sloan (Mia Sara) and best buddy Cameron Frye, played by Alan Ruck (also of Boston Legal), decide to play hooky and spend the day knocking around Chicago.

The only problem was Bueller’s authoritative principal (Ed Rooney, played by Jeffrey Jones) decided he had had enough of Bueller’s antics and tried in every way to spoil the kids’ fun.

By the end of the movie, Bueller had hoodwinked the befuddled administrator in every way and came out smelling like a rose.

Just before the movie faded to credits, the ever-so-smooth Bueller leaned back on his bed and uttered those famous words as if issuing the most important advice to young people everywhere.

The movie had a cult following in its era and if you haven’t checked it out, I’d highly recommend it.

At any rate, the memorable musings of the brash Bueller not only apply to life in the 1980s, but to college football as well.

In this day and age, Bueller’s advice has never been so appropriate than when applied to college football.

Things can change in the blink of an eye, with the flip of a coin – and with the outcome of a single game.

Remember, way back in December when the LSU football program was doomed. The Tigers stumbled to their worst regular season record since 1999. LSU became the first defending national champion to finish the season with a losing record in conference play.

The Tigers lost four of their last six games, ended the season outside of the top two in the SEC West for the first time in almost a decade and appeared ready to sink back in the pack as an SEC power shift appeared to be in full swing.

LSU had major quarterback issues, it’s once dominating defense had reverted back past mediocre and there was chatter of chemistry issues inside the program.

The Tigers were headed for hard times for sure.

Heading into a Chick-fil-A bowl matchup with Georgia Tech, national opinion makers had Les Miles’ bunch fitted for a toe tag.

(At left) How could anyone forget the most famous Ferrari of the 1980s?

ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit said Miles and the Tigers were – without a doubt – the team most in need of a bowl victory.

ESPN.com columnist Pat Forde grouped LSU in with Notre Dame and Washington as one of the most disappointing teams in 2008.

Miles was drawing comparisons to former Miami coach Larry Coker, who managed to transform the Hurricanes’ program from elite status to ordinary in a span of four seasons.

Needless to say, things weren’t good.

But before you could say (insert monotone Ben Stein voice) “Bueller… Bueller,” the entire outlook for LSU football was different.

To call it a complete 180 wouldn’t do this transformation justice.

The speed at which opinions of LSU football changed would out-distance that of a “cherry-red” 1961 Ferrari GT250 California.

Heading into the New Year’s Eve clash with the Yellow Jackets, the Tigers had been written off and were expected to victim to Georgia Tech’s punishing rushing attack.

Besides, the way LSU played in its final three games, who in their right mind would give them a chance to beat Georgia Tech, a team which Herbstreit proclaimed, was one of the three hottest teams in the nation heading into the bowl season.

LSU’s program was at a crossroads heading into the Chick-fil-A Bowl, much the way it was prior to kickoff of the same bowl game in the 2000 and 2005 seasons.

It didn’t take long to realize what direction Miles and his team would choose at that proverbially intersection.

Just seven plays and 60 yards into the first quarter, LSU had enough points to claim victory over the clearly overmatched Yellow Jackets.

True freshman quarterback Jordan Jefferson, making his second career start, completed his first nine straight pass attempts as LSU built a 35-3 halftime advantage.

Jefferson’s performance rivaled that of Rohan Davey in 2000 and Matt Flynn in 2005 as the 18-year-old Destrehan native gave Tiger fans a possible glimpse into the future.

Jefferson’s career is about to take off quicker than Jennifer Grey’s did on her way to Dirty Dancing.

And what about that beleaguered LSU defense?

The Tigers put forth their best defensive effort of the season in throttling the Yellow Jackets in dominating fashion. Despite a poor statistical showing this season, LSU’s defense displayed the talent on that side of the ball.

With that being said, considering Miles’ announcement last week of the Tigers’ new defensive coordinator, the quarterback position isn’t the only aspect of the 2009 season that has people buzzing about LSU.

John Chavis, longtime defensive coordinator at the University of Tennessee, brings one of the most distinguished coaching résumés in the country to Baton Rouge.

Sure enough, Chavis was let go in Knoxville after coach Philip Fulmer was fired following a 5-7 season. But the blame for the fall of the Fulmer regime has nothing to do with Chavis. His defense ranked No. 4 in the nation in total defense in 2008.

When Miles announced Chavis would be LSU’s new coordinator last Monday, he mentioned Chavis’ excitement about getting the opportunity to coach such a talented group of players.

These latest developments have done quite a bit in bolstering LSU’s status heading into next season. Folks are chatting about the Tigers faster than Edie McClure while sniffing Liquid Paper. But when you toss in the fact Miles and his staff are on the cusp of completing the nation’s top recruiting class, it’s like icing on the cake.

When the final polls were released last Friday after Florida’s 24-14 win over Oklahoma in the BCS National Championship Game, LSU was nowhere to be found in the top 25.

But that doesn’t matter at all.

It’s way too early to pay attention to preseason rankings. The notion of putting out such a list in mid-January seems preposterous. But in this business, people like rankings and enjoy prognostications.

ESPN.com columnist Mark Schlabach has LSU ranked No. 9 in his list of top teams for 2009. Sports Illustrated’s Stewart Mandel must be a big believer in Chavis because he tabbed the Tigers fourth in his early-bird picks.

Unbelievable considering where the Tigers were the day after Thanksgiving.

But in this day and age of college football, you’d better stop and look around once and a while, (cue up music… chick, chick, chicka, chick aaaaahhhhh) … because you could definitely miss something.  (Oh Yeeeeeeah!!)

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Matt Deville is the senior editor of Tiger Rag. Reach him at matt@tigerrag.com.