*mod edit- This was posted in October, 2001 I have always been & will always be a Tiger fan, however, we need to be realistic. LSU is a team that beats losers & loses to winners!! It's just that simple...wish I could see LSU's record over the past ten years against Div.1 teams posting a .500 or better winning percentage. Its got to be awful..love'em, but they are weak sisters !!
Re: Tiger's Record I don't have exactly what you are looking for, but we must be thinking on the same wavelength as I did a little statistical work earlier this morning. Since 1990 thru the debacle against Ole Miss last night: LSU's Winning Percentage = 49.62% Tiger Stadium Winning Percentage = 56.76% LSU's SEC Winning Percentage = 42.70% At home vs. Non-Conference Patsys = 66.66% Pretty pathetic. A losing record, barely winning half of your home games, a losing record in the conference, and losing 1/3rd of you home games against non conference patsys (remember UAB). Where does Saban fit in these numbers?: Overall Winning Percentage = 63.16% Tiger Stadium Winning Percentage = 72.73% SEC Winning Percentage = 53.85% At Home vs. Non-Conference Patsys = 83.33% Saban's record is definitely padded by beating all of the "Patsys" except UAB. Worst of all is his SEC Winning Percentage of only 53.85%. That will never come close to winning a SEC West Title or an SEC Championship. The coaching performance last night, and for that matter all year, has been pathetic. Offensive and defensive calls have been atroious. The players consistently come out flat. Adjustments are not being made on a timely basis. Most disturbing of all was Saban not taking responsibility for the 3 running play series before the half last night that resulted in a blocked punt and the resulting TD for Ole Miss. Sorry Ole Miss fans, you did not win that game, LSU gave it to you on a gold platter.
I know almost nothing about Saban , however, the best pilot in the world, with the best airplane in the world, will never get off the ground without ENGINES!! LSU does not, & has not, had he talent to compete in the big leagues . Not since the days of Charlie Mac has LSU really been competitive.Win a few against patsies, get lucky now & then & beat a winner, fire the coach, get a new coach & start the process all over again! What is so sad is many,self included, love the Tigers , & will still go watch them & pull for them!! I think I have gotten to the point I can enjoy them even more knowing they will beat losers & lose to winners . I have learned to accept it.They may not be competitve athletes but they are still my Tigers !!
This is the biggest crock of BS and if you too, along with too many of the current players, have accepted mediocrity as the standard by which to be judged, I pitty you. I was there from '69 to '73 and let me tell you there is no comparison between the two teams. That team beat winners and losers and wasn't a bunch of underachievers. Coach Saban is trying to get back to those days and instilling a sense of pride in his team. Pride also means that you do not accept mediocrity and losing. I am a more avid fan than most, and it hurts to see what has happened to the program. I hope Saban can turn it around. I know that I much preferred watching the Nebraska-Oklahoma game than LSU-Ole Miss, not because we lost, but because of the level of intensity of the players and coaches. No slackers in that game. They left everything they had on the field.
I think you guys picked the right one for LSU. Saban will get you to the right place, but he has to have time. Time to learn the SEC, time to learn how to recruit here, time to learn what the fans expect. He'll get you there if you have the patience to let him figure out how to do it. He's still cleaning up all of the past problems and trying to teach your kids how to play hard, consistent, smart football again. After he retrains them on the basics, then he can teach them how to win every game.
How many years do you guys think is reasonable to 'rebuild' a program once you take it over? I think that 3 seasons into his time at LSU, Saban should be showing improvement in how well the team plays, how hard they play, and how smart they play. After that, he needs to start winning more.
Turning Program Around I have always believed 5 years, that way all members of the team were recruited by that coach and he has no excuses.
There are many different places to place blame if you feel so inclined and I can already hear Booty's name coming up again after reading the Advocate today but I don't really want any Mannings anyway (unless there's another one in high school that plays QB). Just don't let that Booty with the two names come to LSU. Billy Bob Booty? I think the program is in the right hands now and we can compete for the SEC West every year (maybe not this year) in the best conference in the nation. What else can you ask for? LSU has good talent and will continue to get good talent. If the coaches cannot produce an SEC West Champion in the next 4 years, then they need to move on. Until then, they have my complete support. LSU wins Sat. night maybe 7 out of 10 times against a good SEC team but the ball didn't bounce right. It hurts that the Auburn game may mean nothing, but what a great day of tailgaiting it was on a beautiful fall day with the type of pre-game atmosphere you can only dream of!!! It turned out to be a classic game pitting past rivals and they'll come back next year as even bigger rivals. Enough already, can someone start a "Super Bowl bound Saints" post? How about if Haslett becomes a player/coach and becomes the QB of the defense as a middle linebacker again?
Arkansas has now become my new favorite team, along with Georgia. Mathmatically it is still possible for LSU to win the West, although we certainly don't control our own destiny. If Arkansas beats Ole Miss and Georgia beats Ole Miss and Auburn, and LSU wins out then we win the West. Go by some Bulldog and Hog game gear and start rooting. Keep in mind last year we were 4-3 as well, granted only two losses in the SEC but still 4-3 and we ended up in the Peach Bowl, very respectable. I certainly don't see Saban going backwards, although it may fell that way after Saturday's loss. He is recruiting impact players that can come in and play immediately. Clayton, Wilkerson, and Spears to name a few. Our players are slowly developing an attitude of we are supposed to win, not we can maybe win if everything goes right and refs like us today and it isn't too cold. I for one and glad to see the change, and I think coming slowly is a sign that Saban is here for the long haul, and is doing things the right way: Slowly building a program, not a team. Programs compete for years, even decades, while teams are good for an occasional bowl appearance. Saban is doing it right, and moving the PROGRAM in the right direction.
Team vs. Program I like you differentiation between a team and a program. Successful teams are often the product of successful programs. Right now LSU has neither, but Saban appears to be focused on the program. Let's hope so.
