I'd go ahead and list Auburn and Florida on your "Tough Game" lists. And TBD sometimes plays us tough... Seriously, I think we have the potential to go undefeated in the regular season, given the talent and the schedule. That would make me ecstatic. 10 wins would be great. 9 wins would be nice, and 8 wins would be discouraging, but it depends on how we lost three, you know?
9 wins maybe 10. 09/03/05 North Texas Baton Rouge, La. WIN 09/10/05 Arizona State Baton Rouge, La. WIN 09/24/05 Tennessee Baton Rouge, La. At Home Lost 10/01/05 Mississippi State Starkville, Miss. WIN 10/08/05 Vanderbilt Nashville, Tenn. WIN 10/15/05 Florida Baton Rouge, La. Lost(might get ugly, just gut feeling) 10/22/05 Auburn Baton Rouge, La. WIN 11/05/05 TBD Baton Rouge, La. WIN 11/12/05 Alabama Tuscaloosa, Ala. Lost 11/19/05 Ole Miss Oxford, Miss. WIN 11/26/05 Arkansas Baton Rouge, La. WIN
anything short of beating Auburn and playing in the SECCG will be uncacceptable considering the talent we have and the overall schedule...I am really worrieed about Arix St coming in and lighting it up against us...proabably premature, but a concern nonethless
I'm in agreement with most here, 8 games is the least he can win and get a 'pass'. I'm with him for two years, but if he goes 7wins or less with our talent, something is wrong...new system or not.
2005 LSU – 5-6 or 6-6 (depending on TBD) Les Miles (+ DC Bill Clay) play their average at LSU – 5-6 or 6-6 (depending on TBD) 09/03/05 North Texas Baton Rouge, La. WIN 09/10/05 Arizona State Baton Rouge, La. LOSS - ASU (9-3) beat Purdue in Sun Bowl - New DC Bill Miller, 27yr vet as DC at Miami, (Fla.), Michigan State and Okla St - Returns 18 starters - Losses to USC, Cal, Arizona 09/24/05 Tennessee Baton Rouge, La. LOSS - Picked to Win SEC East - 16 returning Starters 10/01/05 Mississippi State Starkville, Miss. WIN 10/08/05 Vanderbilt Nashville, Tenn. WIN - still the doormat of the SEC 10/15/05 Florida Baton Rouge, La. LOSS - Their Nightmare year is over - 16 returning starters - New coach - UM – meets with team Jan 4 10/22/05 Auburn Baton Rouge, La. LOSS - 14 returning starters – bill losses in key positions - Strong talent from two great recruiting classes 11/05/05 TBD Baton Rouge, La. ???? 11/12/05 Alabama Tuscaloosa, Ala. LOSS - better get The Sisters of the Holy Trinity to play 11/05 because 3 losses at home will spell disaster in Tuscaloosa in mid-Nov. 11/19/05 Ole Miss Oxford, Miss. WIN - new coach, rebuilding team 11/26/05 Arkansas Baton Rouge, La. WIN - old coach, rebuilding team
I've got uneasy feelings about the Arizona State and Tennessee games. There's going to be a "growing pains" game somewhere early in the season and it might be one or both of these. I think Auburn drops big time due to the fact that they're hemorraging talent due to graduation. Florida might be a beast, but I get the sense that an LSU team with one or two losses and time to lick its wounds would play inspired ball to beat the Gators. I still think LSU beats Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Alabama's thin on talent and the game is late in the season when injuries are a big factor. If Josh Booty tosses the ball instead of playing idiot in 1999, LSU would have 4 straight wins in Bryant-Denney Stadium. Les Miles did beat Oklahoma twice. He did have a pretty good team in last year's Cotton Bowl. And if I remember correctly, Saban had a few 6-5 type years at Michigan State. Miles couldn't beat Texas. So what? Saban couldn't beat Purdue.
05 I would be happy w/ 8-3, could swerve death at 7-4, but anything less and I'll have to find the tallest building and put on my dress blues.... I want victories, but most importantly I want to see consistency and improvement during the season! No more send half meltdowns like in Les's 04 season.:geaux:
Minimum? 10-2. If this year's club can lose 3 games given its youth, inexperience at QB and other skill positions and tough road record, I'd expect no less. Mike Archer went 10-1-1 in his first year with Arnsparger's talent, so I don't want to hear any "we need to temper our expectations" crap.
Agreed, I think Tennessee, Bama, and Florida are our tough games next year... Bama - Shula may not be the best coach for these guys, but Croyle back... very dangerous Tennessee - 3 great QBs Clausen, Ainge, Schaeffer... could get ugly and if we win West may have to beat them twice. Florida - In DV, new coach, Urban will be in awe, should be a W.
In Miles' defense, he went into this season having to scurry to find a QB. Their starter left the team (drafted by MLB) and his orginal backup was injured (either before the season started, or during the first few games) and Miles and his staff had to settle on their orginal 3rd-team QB... The direct result from that was that their passing offense, which was pretty darn good last season with All-American WR Rashaun Woods, went mediocre. You know the playbook was scaled down and Miles' staff put NO pressure on their young, inexperienced QB to do a whole lot, and rather relied on their solid ground game. The results were what you would expect given that situation. A top 5 rushing attack, a bottom-of-the-barrel passing game (which equals 73rd ranked offense), but a 8th-ranked passing rating (which means they were still able to put WR in the right positions to make plays when needed). A second-half collapse shouldn't surprise anyone. Towards the end of the season, teams were gearing to shut down OSU's running game, and forced their young QB with VERY limited experience to have to beat them--which, as we know, OSU couldn't do it. I'm starting to get fed up with people looking solely at statistical rankings. They don't look beyond the redflag stats. :nope: Am I in the minority that feel that Miles had great success given his situation--where his team is obviously less talented than most, but they achieved more?!?!? Now, Miles will have more talent than what he's EVER had! If he can coach a team that's, on average, man-for-man LESS talented than 75% of the teams in their OWN DIVISION, and STILL WIN, what makes everyone so nervous about having him coach us??? Yes, this IS the SEC. It traditionally IS the toughest conference in the country. But Miles has survived in what boils down to be the TOUGHEST DIVISION IN THE COUNTRY, in the Big XII South. And he's beaten OU twice, with inferior talent.
