Agreed. It's hard to comprehend a list if it isn't broken down by position. What exactly does best player mean? You can't really compare Flynn to Dorsey. Holliday may not be one of the best players but he sure can make a difference.
1. DT Glenn Dorsey, Sr. 2. WR Early Doucet, Sr. 2. DE Tyson Jackson, Jr. 4. RB Keiland Williams, Soph. 5. LB Derry Beckwith 6. CB Chevis Jackson, Sr. 7. OT Ciron Black, Soph. 8. QB Matt Flynn, Sr. 9. LB Ali Highsmith, Sr. 10. G WIll Arnold, Sr. 10. CB Jonathon Zenon My list would have to be in this order for now.
I agree he missed the mark on the most talented offensive player but an argument can certainly be made on who will be the most important/impact on the offense, and I believe that despite the changing of the guard at so many skill positions, our offensive line will make the biggest difference for us. If they are able to start the season the way they finished last year, there probably won't be anything we can't do offensively. He also said that anything less than a NC would be a disappointment. We all know how many things have to fall in place for that to happen, but considering our schedule and team strengths, I know that at least I have the highest expectations for the season, and from what I have read , many here have the same. I think the really nice part of this statement is that it gives LSU legitimacy in the eyes of the press before the season. Respect is something that has not come easily, but I think, as the man said, "The worm has turned". I for one, don't mind people thinking that we should win the title, and I hope every team circles us on their calender. For most of my life, LSU has been the underdog on the national scene and I find it to be virgin territory(highly enjoyable!) to be the team that so many others are worried about. Nice to see the press is tumbling to this too.
They seem to be in love with our defense, which they should. I like Chevis being rated where he is and think Zenon should be higher. Our CB's dont get much pub but wait until they are gone...we will see how good they were. It is a VERY good thing you dont hear their name a lot.
An interesting stat. Pellini really focuses on getting turnovers, but for some reason our defense really hasn't done a great job of that. Hopefully, we can change that this season. Here's what they had to say about Murphy. LSU fans have a lot of hope for what this young man can do, let's hope he shows & us the rest of the country what he's all about. They give our RBs a rating of 8.5, which I think is too low. We should be a 9 with Keiland as a starter and tons of depth. For the record, he was only a 3 star prospect according to Rivals & Scout, but ESPN did have him as one of their top WRs... They give our WR corp a rating of 8, which I think is too high right now. We only have one proven WR, and they seem to be higher on LaFell than even most LSU fans. They give our OLine an 8. If 2 Olinemen get kicked off the team as it is being speculated, we have very little depth. I feel good about our starters, but we're in trouble if injuries take their toll.
We had the perfect opportunity in '04 to cement ourselves among the elite. We were coming off the NC and had a top 3 ranking on opening day with College Gameday in Baton Rouge. Then...in Nick Saban's final year with us: the players arrived in camp fat and out of shape, we barely scraped by Oregon State (and it shouldn't have been a contest), and we then have a "successful" but boring season--where we lose on a Hail Mary to end the Capital One Bowl. Les Miles, make no mistake, is the man who has brought us to the "next level" where we are today. He didn't win that NC in '03, but he is the coach who has built on it--not Saban, who had us in reverse in '04, while we watched the other top dogs in '03 (OU and USC) go to the NC game. Fortunately, Les Miles came in, sustained a traumatized team through Katrina, and put us up again at the top of the mountain. I, too, am happy he's receiving the deserved respect in the media.
Exactly. If the season ends up with multiple undefeated or one loss teams it will be to our benefit to be talked about early and often. The Tigers just need to take care of business.
CFN has basically said the same thing about us every year since '03, that we are talented enough to win the NC. Their has been no problem with preseason respect the past couple years here at LSU.
