All the pieces are in place. There is experience at all positions and that experience ranks among some of the best and highest in the country. I am sorry folk but the truth is that no body wants to win more than the players. I think they carry over the momentum from the Capitol One Bowl and the older players have handled winning in the past. These players have been coached hard with good dicipline. That will show as the season kicks off. There will be more senior leadership this year than last. I see this team chemistry coming together this fall. I am SORRY folks but.......There is a hungry team in Baton Rouge that is ready to come alive....... Any Thoughts???????? :helmet:
I'm not sure how "hungry" they are in comparison to teams in the past, but I like this group of players. I think Miles has a great staff put together, and I look for HUGE things this season. IF we can stay relatively healthy on the defensive side of the ball, especially the secondary, I think we'll be okay. With a little luck, and a confident QB (whomever it may be,) we can do great things--mostly offensively though. I think our offense has the potential to be as great as our defense was in '03 on the national level. Only time will tell, and the season is getting closer every day!
IMO, all CFB teams are "determined to win football games" at this time of year, but it's going to come down to JaMarcus Russell and his ability to both lead and execute the offense. As an outsider looking in, the Miles portion of the offensive equation is somewhat neutralized by the presence of CJF, so it primarily comes down to JR. He's got the OL, he's got the Receivers, he's got the RB's and he's got a D that can keep him out of the dangers that poor field position can often create. It's all there for the taking. If JR gets it done, LSU could go the distance. If he falters, or if Miles decides to revolve QB's, it will remove the opportunity to "synergize" all the offensive pieces into a cohesive, productive unit. Just my $0.02.
It's going to come down to coaching, plain and simple. When you're talking about winning championships, the variables that differentiate your top-shelf team from other top-shelf teams are few. You can't overwhelm another top five team with superior physical abililty and talent because they have it, too, and in spades. Maturity is the key, and experience combined with coaches using the right touch and approach is key as well. Coaching ability is even more important in the NFL, of course, and the separation b/w guys who are good coaches and guys who are good coaches in the regular season, yet can turn it up in the post-season is noticeable. On balance, Marty Schottenheimer and Bill Bellicheck are excellent game-day and pre-game prep coaches, but who is the superior coach of the two is crystal clear...and all for one reason.
Thanks for the honest analysis. Only thing I'd add is the importance of special teams stepping it up this year. Skyler's return to full health and both kicker's having another year of expeirence (and, one would think, Coach Miles placing greater emphasis on place-kicking instruction this season) all point towards better execution. In 2003, one small but important key to LSU's success was outstanding field position, due in part to Skyler's great punt return averages. If he consistenlty gets good returns, that shortens the field greatly. Couple that with placekickers who, you know, actually make FGs and PATs and LSU's very, very tough to beat...unless they beat themselves via turnovers.
If one of the 3 QB's steps up and plays well, smart and consistently, we should be incredible on offense. The only question will be how the players pick up Miles' system, which will surely be a little different. Fisher should certainly help with that though. I'm a little worried about corner, but we've got some good guys to step in, they're just unproven. If they play well early on, our D should once again be awesome. That is if Pelini doesn't water down the defense too much. If the talent on this team plays to their potential, we could certainly be in CA come January.
Is this team hungry? I think so. A heartbreaker in at Auburn, a beatdown from Georgia, a heartbreaker in the Capital One... These boys are thirsty & want to win, and win big. I've said this before, but in 2003 Coach Nick Saban said that the team came to practice in the best shape he'd ever seen & that showed their commitment & hunger. So far this year, I believe we've had 3 players make their personal best weight lifting scores. That should tell you something. Retaining Jimbo was HUGE. All the terminology is the same & I think all Miles will do is open up the playbook which will allow for much greater success.
Good point. :thumb: And don't forget Donnie Jones. The importance of a very good punter can't be overstated. Although Chris Jackson impressed me last year in his first stint as punter. Hopefully he'll be as good a kicker as he was a baseball player.
The part about being in shape coming into camp in the fall will be key. Last year, it was widely reported that most of the players came in very out of shape. That could easily have contributed to our exceedingly poor showing against OSU. QB, of course, is another vital part of the equation, but that's been hashed and re-hashed to death. Still, I think we'll see a lot more from Jamarcus Russell this season. Having RP at LSU is going to make JR work really hard for his job.
That's what I remember also, but I wasn't sure if that was the truth, or whether Saban was trying to "motivate" a few of the linemen to step-it-up a bit. Any thoughts?
