In the past, the arrival of football season inspired me to prance around like Glenn Dorsey after man handling an offensive lineman, wave my hand in front of my face like I jacked up the quarterback on a Laron Landry safety blitz, or strut around like I was Jacob Hester after a 4th-quarter 4th-and-goal.
These days however, I feel dazed and confused. Almost like I drank a quart of JaMarcus Russel “siz-ur-up “ before trying to teach Jordan Jefferson how to call a timeout.
Yup, this is a whole new experience as an LSU fan.
The days of SEC dominance hace come and passed like a mid afternoon thunderstorm. Championship aspirations are increasingly far-fetched and the image of both BCS National Titles, won just three and seven years ago respectively, are fading from memory quicker than a drunken night with a sorostitute.
It is no wonder that opposing SEC fans have begun to take notice. LSU's guard is down and fans are lobbing verbal hand grenades in LSU's direction. And some of it is warranted. Alabama and Florida are fresh off of National Titles and are returning key pieces from those teams, so sure, it can not be denied that the floor is theirs in the smack talk arena. But Auburn? Arkansas? Hell, even Ole Miss? You gotta be kidding me right?
Right?
Maybe not.
All three have legitimate claims to an SEC West title. Arkansas returns a dangerous offense led by big-time arm Ryan Mallet; Auburn will ride a stellar recruiting class and top JUCO transfer Cam Newton and even Ole Miss, initially considered a bottom feeder, is now a contender with the addition of former Orgeon Quarterback Jermiah Masoli and a defense filled with returning upperclasmen.
And this is why it looks look like somebody peed in my daquari every time i start to talk about the upcoming college football season. I don't know where LSU stands among the crowd of SEC contenders. SEC media predicted a fourth place finish for the Tigers behind Alabama, Auburn and Arkansas, and the current preseason polls have LSU ranked 23rd in the nation.
So why are expectations so low for a school that has landed top ten recruiting classes each of the last 4 years? I'll tell you why.
Experience.
Other teams have it; LSU doesn’t.
It is no secret that experienced teams, especially those playing in the brutally competitive SEC, are the ones most likely to hoist the hardware at the end of the year.
Alabama won it last year, led by experienced players Mark Ingram, Greg McCleroy and Rolando Mclain. Florida won it the year before with vets Tim Tebow, Percey Harvin and Brandon Spikes. LSU won it before them with upperclassmen Glenn Dorsey, Jacob Hester and Matt Flynn.
Experience wins in the SEC, and this uwavering truth confirms what will be the defining factor for the LSU Tigers; whether or not the young players on our roster can grow up on the job and play at a level that they have not shown us before.
LSU's roster is undoubtedly filled with talent and top recruits, yet is young and untested. To be a factor in the SEC, the team will need two, or even three of these untested players to elevate their level of play. They must play like experienced upperclassmen and make plays for us week in and week out. Which is no easy task for 19 and 20 year old kids.
On the upside, LSU currently has, by my count at least, four players on its roster with proven playmaking ability and adequate SEC expierience, plus an additional three who can be expected to make the jump to that status this year.
On the downside, one of them is a kicker.
This is not good.
But before we burn our season tickets and drown our sarrows with a flurry of Jager shots, let's take a look at our roster and determine which of the young players we can count on to step -up and return our team to the level of success that we're acustomed to down on the Bayou
The 5 Star Studs: “This guy was a stud last year and there is no reason to think he won’t be a stud again this year"
Patrick Petterson-
I recently gambled a steak that Petterson would be a top five selection in next years NFL draft. Bold? Probably. Possible? You better believe I don’t want to give away a steak! The dude is a beast. How many 6’1" corners with 4.4 speed have you seen in your life? Petterson, dominated SEC opponents last year. He held Julio Jones to one catch for nine yards last year, (he was not permitted to sub into the game on Julio’s 75 yard touchdown), and gave Georgia All-American A.J Green fits between the hedges.
Kelvin Sheppard-Our leading tackler from last year with 110 tackles, Sheppard is once again going to be a huge part of defensive coordinator, John Chavis’ game plan this year. At 6’2, 245 with a 4.6 40 time, Sheppard has more than enough size a,nd speed to cover the field, additionally he is an emotional leader and a candidate for this years Butkus Award, given to the nations top linebacker.
Joseph Barksdale-
He slides into Ciron Black’s old position at left tackle. As a Senior with size, experience and adequate athleticism he will be counted to protect the LSU backfield. He is currently on the NFL radar as a late first, early second round pick and Les Miles has credited him on numerous occasions as a player with a high football IQ. (And let's not kid ourselves, anything is an upgrade over Ciron.)
Josh Jasper-
Yes, I know you didn’t expect to see our kicker here, but the guy is legit. He is a Memphis native, (I met his mom), and he is an underrated asset for LSU. He was excellent for us last year making 17 out of 20 field goals and he proved his clutchness (yes that is a word) against Arkansas, forcing overtime with a 41 yarder and winning it with a 36 yarder.
The 4 star, on the bubble studs:“This guy hasn’t proven to be a stud yet, but I would seriously consider doubling-down on my student loans, because I am confident he will be a stud by the end of this year."
Terrance Tolliver-
When I first saw him in my freshman health class I couldn’t believe how skinny he was. 6'6" and all bone. The next time I saw him, three years later playing ball at the UREC, he looked like he could be T.O’s twin brother. Dude spent some time in the weight room! We already know he has the speed, the height and the hands to be a big time threat in the passing game, now he has the strength, and (hopefully the quarterback), to take the next step into elite status at the wide out position.
Reuben Randle-
The highly touted recruit, who will line up opposite Tolliver is simply too good to not break out this year. He had 11 catches and two touchdowns last year and came on strong towards of the end of the year. With the departure of Brandon Lafell, the job is Randle’s to loose. He will be given every oppurtunity to be sucesfull, and similiar to Tolliver, the issue might have more to do with whose playing Quarterback play than the amount of talent Randle brings to the gridiron.
Drake Nevis-
While he was not a starter last year, I feel safe in assuming he will be a stud on our defensive line this year. He was 7th on the team with 50 tackles a year ago. He also gathered 4 sacks and 11 tackles in the backfield. As a Senior, he will be looked to for leadership on a young defensive line and I feel that it is safe to say that he will bring his A game throughout his Senior season.
The 3 Star guys: “He should be a star; he has the talent to be a star; I don’t know why he is currently not a star; but our season depends on him becoming a star!”
Russell Sheppard: “AKA Football Jesus”
Um, yea. I didn’t spend all those hours watching You-Tube videos of a high school football player for nothing. I didn’t get excited to see someone four years younger than me walk across campus for just any old reason. I didn’t photoshop wings and a halo over a number ten jersey and consider placing it on a shirt because I was bored. I did those things because I was supposed to watch Jesus play football last year. I don’t know if Shepard's disappointing play last year can be placed on offensive coordinator Gary Crowton's shoulders, or on Shepard's big head after coming into school as the number one recruit in the nation. In any case, there is no way I can possibly continue to chant “Let Jesus throw” for another 48 quarters this year. The offense is expected to feature Sheppard in a Percy Harvin type package, supposedly highlighting his unique skill set and hopefully letting him throw the ball this year. (Wild Jesus anybody?) Sheppard is the X factor this year and if the team is going to take a leap up the standings he needs to produce like the number one recruit he is.
Jordan Jefferson-
I’m not sure how I am supposed to feel about ol' JJ. On paper, I like him. He was a leader and an intangibles guy in high school and he has all the tools; size, strength, speed and strong arm to be a very good quarterback in the SEC. However, I am not a fan of what my eyes showed me over the course of last season. He looked tentative, passive and afraid to make a mistake. He did not show a strong touch passing the football, and he inspired little to no confidence during crucial drives. There is a strong possibility that JJ could finally become a stud this year, due to two years of experience, but he has shown no signs in spring ball of progression or improvement.
Les Miles- Les, we need more from you. Screwed up timeouts, lame play calling, general offensive dysfunction. Are you really holding your players accountable? Why was Charles Scott making it rain at Fred’s last fall weeks before he broke his collar bone in Alabama? Would Nick Saban have let him get away with that? I believe in you Les, but at the same time I need more from you. We are talking about 18 and 19 year old kids here Les, not millionaire pro athletes. Whip there butts into shape, don’t take any excuses and win some freaking ball games.
Have a great day.
The 2 Star Guys: “If this guy can make the leap to stud status, I just might be making two trips to Atlanta this year.”
Michael Ford- At 5’10" 207 pounds, Ford wowed a lot of people with 137 yards on 19 carries in the spring game. He is a former Parade All-American and the highest recruited runner from LSU’s stable of running backs and has all the skills necessary to become the alpha back. In the final game of his high school career he rushed for 466 yards and 6 touchdowns. He could potentially be the first reliable runner our offense has seen since Jacob Hester.
Others to consider: Sam Montgomery, Craig Losten, Steven Riddley.
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Couple things, Im glad you met josh jaspers mom... whatever that is worth.
ReplyDeleteLSU's season will live and die with the offensive line and the running game. Think about those old Oklahoma teams before they started getting pass happy with the spread. They had an amazing defense and if the offense didnt completely screw things up, they won games.
LSU's defense will keep them in every game they play this year. We cannot rely on JJ to be the only guy to move the ball on offense. The running game cannot be 11th in the SEC again this year. If Richard Murphy and the other backs can avoid injury and move the ball, the sky is the limit for this LSU team.
AND we have Jesus on our side, seriously
Do you think they fill up LSU's Gatorade coolers with some of that purple drank?
ReplyDeleteI would be somewhat worried if I was an LSU fan. Alabama is the clear leader of the SEC west but after that it is really wide open. Then you have 4 teams that have potential to be the number 2. I would say MSU would be the last team but even with them they are not that far off not like a Vandy is in the east. I am an Ole Miss guy with a little bias but I try to be a realist. I like our soft schedule and really see us being the number 2 team in the west again. That is assuming Jeremiah Masoli ever gets cleared. With us I think it is going to be the Fresno State and Arkansas games will say if we are a contender or a pretender. With LSU the North Carolina is a good sample of what we will be getting out of them and by the West Virginia game we should know if they are worth talking about or stuck with an Independence Bowl.
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