2009 Previews: LSU
By Tim Cottrell
Sports Writer/Designer
Published: June 30, 2009
The smell of corndogs fills the air as we head to LSU for Preview No. 14. Previews of all 65 BCS conference schools, plus Notre Dame and state schools, in no particular order, will run daily through Aug. 22
Esteemed O-A News sports editor Mike Szvetitz and I were discussing the other day the various ways coaches have made things difficult for reporters over the past decade or so.
Closing off access, not talking to reporters as much, misleading information and the like.
This led to a discussion of something new Auburn coach Gene Chizik often says in his rare appearances with the media.
“I’m just trying to win football games.“
An admirable goal for a coach, to be sure. But is it really so hard you can’t take five minutes to talk to a reporter? Or to just try to live the life of a normal human for a moment?
All this is to say, winning football games is definitely not easy, but it can’t be that hard. Les Miles has won 70 of them.
The Mad Hatter is back for his fifth season in Baton Rouge, coming off a disappointing but not totally unexpected 8-5 season in 2008.
But there’s plenty of reason for optimism, and it starts at quarterback.
After rotting on the bench for the majority of the year while Jarrett Lee and Andrew Hatch submarined the season all by themselves, Jordan Jefferson looked fantastic in the loss to Arkansas (which wasn’t his fault) and the throttling of Georgia Tech in the Chick-fil-A Bowl (I will give Miles this: Give him a solid month to prepare and he will destroy you, just ask Larry Coker, Charlie Weis, Jim Tressel and Paul Johnson).
Jefferson is back for his sophomore year and while not officially the starter, I doubt you’ll see Mr. Seven Pick-Sixes again.
Bruising running back Charles Scott and solid wide receiver Brandon LaFell are also back, giving Jefferson plenty of options.
The Bayou Bengals do have to replace a couple starters on the offensive line, but the line hasn’t been a problem for them in quite a while, so I doubt it will be this year.
Defensively, there’s a bit of work to do.
The Tigers must replace No. 3 NFL draft pick Tyson Jackson and two other starters on the line, but they’ve also churned out defensive lineme like no one’s business over the years.
The linebacking corps and secondary return mostly intact, but neither were particularly great last season, so new defensive coordinator John Chavus will have plenty to keep himself busy with.
They also have to replace kicker Colt David, who I swear has been there since I was in high school, but still have Trindon Holliday to return kicks, which is a nice thing to have.
I maintain that LSU is on its way down and the fans will want Miles out by the end of next year, but they should be pretty good this season.
Here’s the schedule:
Sept. 5: at Washington
The Tigers have made a living out of getting Pac-10 teams when they’re not very good over the past decade. But, while it’s such a longshot it’s probably not even on the Vegas board, I could see in the wildest of wild scenarios an upset here.
Sept. 12: Vanderbilt
This isn’t the cakewalk it once was, but LSU should win.
Sept. 19: Louisiana-Lafayette
The Tigers give their in-state brethren a nice paycheck and then beat them to death. How altruistic.
Sept. 26: at Mississippi State
Super-mild upset potential here, but LSU should win handily.
Oct. 3: at Georgia
I never thought I’d see the day where an SEC team played three of its first five on the road. Anyway, as I’ve said numerous times I’m not a big believer in Georgia this year. Tigers get some measure of revenge from last year’s debacle in Death Valley.
Oct. 10: Florida
LSU should be 5-0 heading into this one. Florida will beat them enough for two losses.
Oct. 24: Auburn
While Auburn’s not going to be very good this year, this is probably the only time they’re going to get just manhandled.
Oct. 31: Tulane
Rivalry renewed. LSU really should be playing Tulane in New Orleans every year for the next decade or so to help them after all their Katrina problems.
Nov. 7: at Alabama
The Tide will struggle early, but should have their act together by this point and will send Miles packing.
Nov. 14: Louisiana Tech
More Louisiana fun!
Nov. 21: at Ole Miss
LSU seems to play better in this series when the game’s in Oxford, and vice versa, but I think Ole Miss wins here. But more on that when we get to the Rebels.
Nov. 28: Arkansas
Maybe with the game moved away from Friday weird things will stop happening when these two play.
The only sure loss on this list is Florida, but they’ll drop two more (Alabama and/or Ole Miss or an upset) and put together a 9-3 season.
