Quick outlook on the upcoming game.

The defense that bama has played thus far created some great stats. They are probably better than I want to give them credit for, but I keep thinking those stats were generated against middle tenn, southern miss, ol miss, utah state, and miss st., all power house teams. This leaves me wondering.



More to the point is bama's lack of offense. LSU has a much better and faster D than bama has played to date. With the loss of the bama center and LSU's strength at DT, I don't see bama getting it's first O TD in how many quarters against an SEC D.



This will mean a number of punts and I don't have to go into the special team advantage that LSU has. LSU plays a short field all day.



This leads us to the defining point, Time of Possession. LSU will hold the ball and continue to test the bama D. By the 3rd quarter the effects of bama's ineptitude on offense will slowly cause the dam to break. In an effort to catch up bama will make errors, and LSU will pull away even more. The only way I don't see it happening this way is if bama comes out gunning, then the errors happen early and the game is over early as LSU jumps on top and bama cannot come back.



LSU 30

bama 10

 

I wouldn't put a lot of importance on the loss of Closner. Not because we are that deep (we aren't) but because even though he's the only Sr. on the line he's been outplayed by some of those seeing their first action in the SEC.

JB's a great guy, great heart and I have a lot of respect for him off the field. For instance, he's the first of 6 past generations that didn't attend aTm and was recruited by fRan to Bama...but when fRan left he chose to stay with the team he was with.

Point being, even if Closner was still playing Bama would still have trouble out of the LSU DT corps.

Another point on the other side of the ball. There has only been one game this year where the defensive staff worried about both the running and passing aspect of an offense we've faced; UF. In that game we put a lot of pressure on Leak and forced him out of his rythm. I suspect you'll see the same approach this weekend.

With MSU yesterday, it was shut down Norwood.
With UT, it was shut down Riggs.
With UF, it was a focus on Leak knowing if he's off, the team is off.

NOW, with LSU it's Russell and Addai...which is going to take some scheming on the defensive staffs' part.

As to your score prediction...40 total points? I simply don't see that at all.

 

Bama gameplan is easy... when LSU puts in that damn 2 tightend, 1 wr set, stack 9 in the box because they are going to run the ball...

 

I feel we are definitely more talented and are the better team. My concern is that this team has always played to the level of the opponent up to this point. They give too much respect and for some reason, cannot come out and slap a team in the mouth and continue to kick their teeth out. This game will be close cause the Tigers will make it close, not because bama is as good as us.

 

Yup....27-24 LSU. This will be another nerve racking game.

 

THAT offense is going to put up 24 on LSU? wtf... LSU has the best defense bama will have played so far this year... if they put 24 on LSU then they will win...

 

Right. That's why he's still the starter 8 games into the season. :dis:

 

You can believe what you wish but I assure you what I've said is the case.

As example, Capps is a name you haven't heard much of this year yet he's seeing his first action in SEC play. Why? He hasn't had the breakdowns that Closner and Caldwell have had. It's the same situation with Stabler.

He's been the starter for 3 years, not 8 games, mind you. But, he's also been someone that hasn't developed the way a lot do when they hit the league. You have to realize, that out of the 5 on the OL (6 if you include the TE) 3 (4 w/ TE) of them are seeing their first year starting and beginning this year didn't have a full grasp on the blocking assignments. In the first several games when the team approached the line you could only hear Closner calling the blocking assignments. Now, all of them are talking as they approach the line because they understand more of what assignments and responsibilities they have. That's the primary job of the center in our scheme.

I saw Britt miss several blocks yesterday. But, no more or less than I've seen Closner miss for several years now.

 

Very True.