I hear you. And maybe that's true that he couldn't have built LSU from nothing. Or maybe he could've, who knows. But the whole notion that any idiot can win when he takes over an established program has been proven false over and over again. Anyone at USC after Carroll. Ronnie Zook took over a Florida team that was demolishing the SEC and ruined it in about five minutes. Will Muschamp - same. Mark Helferich just got his ass fired in year four. Rich Rod at Michigan. Bob Davie at ND. Whatever your team is doing in your third year.....that's how good of a coach you are. That's when it's your team and most of the remnants of your predecessor have washed away. The shitty coaches listed above had shitty teams in year three. Les Miles won it all in year three.
LSU has a damn strong football team. The defense will continue to be in the top 10 nationally. The offense is the trump card... What would a real offense, with a year under a real system, done in the Alabama game? I think that's a "W".
The LSU Great Depression of the late 1980s and the early 1990s is over. The Tiger Market will have significant uptrends and some downtrends but the long-term looks bright for LSU.
The program will never return to the days of Hallman and Dinardo. The facilities are some of the best in the country. 7-4 will be the worst it gets for LSU. The only team that is dominating colllege football is Alabama. Everyone else seems to have a few good years then has a few rebuilding years.
All of the reasons that prompted Saban to choose LSU when he reverse interviewed for the job still remain. Fertile recruiting grounds as there is in college football with no major in state rival, a tremendous conference that should you win it proves you're as battle tested as can be for the BCSNCG/playoffs, a rabid fanbase willing to bolster the program financially with TAF, and tradition that makes for a growing brand beyond the southeast. Throw in fantastic facilities with the academic center, a nationally cultivated brand, tremendous inroads made into Texas and Florida with recruiting, and several guaranteed marquee match ups with the likes of a resurgent Florida, a dynasty in Bama and the occasional hot Auburn or Ole Miss or aTm or.. and you soon realize this university is more than ready for a return to the upper echelon of the sport where each year you are on contention for your conference which automatically puts you in contention for the playoffs. O simply needs to cultivate the right staff and recruit like there is no tomorrow and LSU is back.
Don't be so sure. Saban had the academic Center built and never got to use it. That was what? 12 years ago? What is the weight room like? When was the last time any money was spent to renovate the facilities? This plays a big part in recruiting and there are plenty of schools that have poured a lot of cash into it recently. I agree that those days should be done for LSU but they can't sit back on their laurels and think they are shitting in high cotton. It's a constant grind. I hope they figure it out before it's too late.
You're right in part. Fortunately LSU is still upgrading their facilities. The weight room was totally rebuilt this summer as were some other facilities.
