LSU finishes this season with 4 consecutive SEC West opponents, including an improved Arkansas team the week following Alabama. We all know that the Tigers leave it all on the field every year vs the Tide and never play very well the following week. It's too late to change anything this year but in the future Joe Alleva needs to do a better job of scheduling to maximize the Tiger's chances of competing for the SEC West title and possible playoff chances. Below is the schedule and how I would change it. Sept 5 McNeese State Cowboys -- McNeese Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, LA 6:30 p.m. Sep. 12 at Mississippi State Bulldogs --@ Mississippi State Davis Wade Stadium, Starkville, MS 8:15 p.m. CT Sep. 19 Auburn Tigers -- Auburn Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, LA 2:30 p.m. CT Sep. 26 at Syracuse Orange -- @ Syracuse Carrier Dome, Syracuse, NY Oct. 3 Eastern Michigan Eagles -- Florida Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, LA Oct. 10 at South Carolina Gamecocks -- Western Kentucky Williams-Brice Stadium Oct. 17 Florida Gators -- @ South Carolina Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, LA Oct. 24 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (HC) -- Arkansas Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, LA Oct. 31 --- Open Date --- --- Nov. 7 at Alabama Crimson Tide -- @ Alabama Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, AL Nov. 14 Arkansas Razorbacks -- Western Kentucky Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, LA Nov. 21 at Ole Miss Rebels -- @ Ole Miss Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, Oxford, MS Nov. 28 Texas A&M Aggies Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, LA -- Texas A&M There is no need to play a cupcake game the week following Syracuse and LSU doesn't need to schedule Western Kentucky the week before the bye before the Bama game.
The Tigers will step up the week after Bama, I know it. They have done it for 100+ years, so even in the Saban/Bama period, they will! I don't look at as is "what will stop us", only how to get over the hurdles. Must be the military in me, but looking for excuses is for losers, looking for ways to get past the obstacle is how winners succeed. Certainly, Alleva, et al, need to look ahead at scheduling, but it is done years in advance, so no way of knowing how good a team is that particular year, sometimes, well in advance. Maybe they hire an up and coming coach, and are improving, like Arky, and that is just the way it is that year. Also, some things are out of their control, like SEC scheduling, TV demands, etc. Just need to overcome and adapt as a team. That's all. Lay it out, put out the effort, and the results will come. By the way, I am in Maui right now, and it is gorgeous. Just met a "Michigan man", and he says, anyone who is unhappy with CLM is "spoiled" and "crazy", as he said it. He was happy with their HC choice now, but talked about the challenges of picking the right coach, and the hiatus that follows bad choices. His perspective was the Tigers were awesome year in and year out. Now, I am more privy to our offensive woes, and I don't completely agree w/some of the P&G sunglass outlooks on here, but I am a positive person, and think we will continue to get better, and ARE ALEADY PRETTY DAMN GOOD. It's great to be an LSU Tiger!!!
I like your macho attitude but the fact is that 18-22 year old kids are not going to play at an emotional peak every single game. I realize that the other SEC schools have their own scheduling agendas but LSU should be able to pretty much dictate the playing dates to the rent-a-wins. Look at Alabama's schedule. Just about every year they schedule a Southern Mississippi or a Western Carolina or a Chattanooga the week following the LSU game.
Unless they happen to schedule atm in the height of the jff campaign and get beat on their home field. Just sayin...
You'd have to go back to the early 90's (I'm thinking it was '91) to find a game that wasn't SEC the following week. I'm thinking 80% of those games have been against Mississippi State. A&M threw a wrench in when they joined the conference and Bama played them in '12. A few of those years Auburn was the following week.
