During much of Les Miles' run over the last decade, LSU has been more talented, bigger and badder than most other teams. As a result, the wins have piled up. The issue that troubles me and many others is LSU tends to lose games when teams are close or superior physically, and they are vulnerable against teams who have inventive schemes and game plan well. I don't believe it is unreasonable to expect a coaching staff as well-paid and with as many assets as exists at LSU to every now and then be the real difference makers in winning a game. I am waiting for the day when I watch an LSU game and see what appears to be a practiced strategy for attacking offensively and defensively that both maximizes our strengths while exposing the other teams weaknesses. Les clearly is not a gifted offensive mind, but his teams bear the burden of his offensive philosophy which seemingly never changes regardless of who we're playing. The only time I can truly recall Chavis getting it right is when we played A&M the last couple of years. Aside from that, the defense is wildly frustrating and often looks like a total cluster f---. If Les and company fail to develop a coherent strategy this particular group of players can actually execute, Auburn is going to turn this game into a highlight reel. If the coaches step up, I think we have the talent to win, which would be an enormous confidence boost for a young team with a freshman QB.
I've had similar thoughts myself. I cut him something of a break because he has many wins, a NC, highly rated recruiting, lots of players in the NFL, and considering how many talented players we lost coming in to this year.
Dismantling of Miami, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, Oregon. We can cherry pick games where the coaching was the difference in a good way, too. Ultimately, our early departures are killing us, which is why I think we're seeing fewer supposed marquee wins.
I feel Les is deserving of a lot of criticism over the last few years. Yes, he has a lot of great wins, where he coached a wonderful game. However since the '11 SECCG he has been outcoached in a lot of games. I really feel since winning the BCSCG in '07 we have seen a downslide. I think Miles has tried too hard to outcoach with X's and O's. That is not his strength. Miles was at his best when he coached to win, showing the utmost confidence in his team. I feel Miles changed in '07 when he became known as, "The Hat," or "The Mad Hatter." I know we have had a lot of departures but that does not excuse how poorly the team has played in a lot of games. How predictable and conservative the gameplans have been. LSU came out flat in 3 of 5 games this year with horrible gameplans. Thankfully UW is down this year and New Mex St is nowhere near the level of LSU. Miss St should not have beaten LSU. I don't feel right culture of cultivating the talent that LSU was known for is currently here. I also feel Chavis deserves a lot of criticism. Many of the losses last year and the Clemson game the year before could be put on Chavis. He gave up way too many yards, making it easy for the oppsing team to march down the field and eventually score. His team looks lost this year. The tackling is horrific. He is suppose to be a LB coaching guru, our LB's are mainly JR's and they look clueless. When you have that many players lost, you can't put it on the players. You have to ask the question about coaching. I think Les should maybe look at over stepping Chavis a lil more and leave Cam do his thing a lil more.
Think what is like to be a Georgia fan. Based on talent alone they should win a big game occasionally.
When the team wins, the fanboys all praise the players. When the team loses they all blame the coaches. I have never understood this.
I don't understand how people overlook the fact that in 2011 Miles took a very young team with mediocre qb play at best, to what I believe was the greatest regular season in college football history. LSU laid an egg in the BCSNCG but that doesn't negate what that team did during the previous 13 games. That team was very young, being bombarded with quotes like greatest team ever and had already beaten the team they had to play in the super dome at their house. I'm not sure that Belichick could've gotten a team that young and that over confident to practice and play with the intensity neccesary to beat what was probably the best Gump team of the Saban era for a second time that year. I remember hearing that LSU and Miles were in a downward spiral in '08, '10 and now again. it's just plain silly. We compete in the toughest division by far in college football and consistently compete for the divisional title. There is no questioning that we have a very young very talented team, they may not be ready to finish first this year but it's coming.
