By Justin Goar-Blogger

Wasn’t that the show with Chris Elliot…?

Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez told Wolverine fans to “get a life” this week. Yeah Rich, that’s exactly what you want. The hundred grand worth of fans that show up in Ann Arbor on Saturdays taking leisure classes or gardening or volunteering at a soup kitchen instead of packing your stadium and cheering for your team.

I don’t know how things work in Michigan, but in Baton Rouge we put our lives on hold for football season. We schedule weddings, births (not always possible, trust me), and other events around LSU football Saturdays.

Several charities scramble to hold their fundraising events on bye weeks in order to get people to show up. And if an event has to happen on a game day, then the game is incorporated into the event, such as my daughter’s birthday parties for the next 18 years.

College football fans are some of the most dedicated fans in all of sports. Trust me Rich, you don’t want them to get a life. If they do, it’ll mean they’ve stopped caring, and that’ll mean you’ll have to “get a job.”

Now we’ll test the true power of this fully operational battle station...

With ESPN’s new deal with the SEC and with the BCS, look for:

- ESPN to finally push the SEC! Just think, such a move last year might’ve caused every single person on the ESPN Pre-game set to pick LSU instead of Ohio State before last year’s BCS Championship, instead of the other way around.

No one remembers that, do they? Everyone picked against Ohio State at ESPN. Everyone—Lee, Chris, Kirk, Desmond, Mark, Lou, guest commentators, interns, the sound guy, the camera man, runners, the teleprompter guy...!

- South Carolina to become Dr. Lou’s main talking point instead of Notre Dame.

- Fox analyst Charles Davis will jump to ESPN. This isn’t really a joke. He’s not horrible—for some reason I like him, and since Fox’s main network hosts about seven whole games a year, why not?

- Everyone at the worldwide leader to all of a sudden be OK with this BCS format instead of a playoff system. Which will prompt ESPN to hire the senior Jim Mora: “Playoffs!!!???? Don’t talk about playoffs!!! Are you kidding me, playoffs???!!”

- Everyone else in the nation to hate the SEC even more. Don’t hate...appreciate. Maybe the BCS championship could just be the SEC championship game. I’m just kidding.

-Oh crap, does this mean LSU will have to play Mississippi State right after “GameDay” with Pam Ward announcing?! Please God, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Get Excited, It’s Magnolia Bowl time!!!

What, you haven’t heard of the Magnolia Bowl?? Why, it’s been played 96 times since 1894. It’s the new name for the LSU-Ole Miss game. These two rivals hate each other and always seem to hook up late in the season. LSU and Ole Miss have taken turns spoiling each other’s seasons since the two schools started playing football.

This might not be a well-known rivalry across the nation, but the two fanbases are well aware of the history of hatred between the two schools. But since the game has lost some of the intensity through the years (mainly after those years ending in '50s or '60s), the game now has a new name.

The “Magnolia Bowl” was a joint creation by both schools' student governments in order to rejuvenate the rivalry. There will also be a traveling trophy awarded to the winner every year.

That now makes three rivalry games that LSU fans couldn’t care less about:

1) The Tiger Rag: the LSU-Tulane game

2) The Battle for the Golden Boot: the LSU-Arkansas game

3) The Magnolia Bowl: the LSU-Ole Miss game.

Be on the lookout for other fabricated rivalries in the future, like the Battle for the Platinum Overalls: the LSU-Mississippi State game.

Real rivalries don’t always need a name and a trophy. LSU fans are well aware the pest that Ole Miss has been to them in recent years, and it would make the Rebels’ season to beat LSU just about every year. No need to try and dress this thing up.

Other fun facts for this weekend:

LSU will try for win No. 700 of its program’s history against Ole Miss. Only 11 other programs have won that many games.

This will be the first time since 1997 that Ole Miss has played at Tiger Stadium during the day.

Why does that sound familiar to LSU fans?? Because it was the week after LSU upset No. 1 Florida 28-21. LSU came out and followed up Gerry DiNardo’s biggest win with a crippling loss, 36-21.

LSU’s win over Troy marked the 11th time in four seasons the Tigers have come back in the fourth quarter to win under Les Miles.

The month of November has been very good to LSU. The Tigers are 20 for their last 22 in November games.

Houston Nutt’s last visit to Tiger Stadium was a win when his Arkansas Razorbacks beat LSU in a 50-48 triple OT thriller last season.

Prediction? Pain

I didn’t like the intensity exhibited by the team in last week’s game, and the coaches did a poor job of preparing the players.

Maybe it was a one-week brain fart, and in light of it the Tigers will come out more focused this week, but inconsistency still runs amuck in the offense and defense in Baton Rouge. Ole Miss is not a pushover, and even when they are, they’ll play the Tigers tough. It’s just the nature of the rivalry lately.

When it comes down to it, I like Ole Miss’s offense to put up more points than LSU’s offense. It’s plain and simple, and a pretty disappointing senior day for the Tigers.

Ole Miss 34, LSU 28

Wee and Special Guest Co-Host Nootch discuss what went right about the Troy game, what went wrong, and what we should be worried about for Ole Miss. This episode is brought to you by a listener contribution from Richard Daigle.

Come to discuss the greatest comeback in LSU history and the *ugh* Magnolia Bowl.

LIVE CHAT AND STREAM http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/27523
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Call ID: 27523

by Justin Goar- Blogger

The biggest comeback in LSU history.

That’s what LSU’s 40-31 victory over Troy was Saturday night. After trailing 31-3 deep in the third quarter, the Tigers flipped the switch and Troy fell apart.

So if you’re savoring this win, I’m happy for you, but don’t let the result blind you.

LSU should never have gotten behind by four TDs in the first place. The fact that LSU won this game is a testament to LSU’s players and coaches for not quitting, but you should feel more negative feelings about this game than positive ones.

The biggest problem is LSU is not improving as the season progresses (see: Florida).

That’s the red flag.

This game turned into a runaway kid. You know, the kid that gets angry with his parents and decides to run away from home. After hours of being missing the parents are worried sick, but in the end, the kid gets found and the parents are so happy to see their little darling they don’t punish him, because in the end he wound up being safe.

Ground that kid for life!!! He still needs to learn his lesson. If no lesson was learned in this game, then next time there'll be no comeback.

This game brought on some other points...

1) The “agent of change”

When trying to decide what I was going to write about this week while it seemed LSU was going to drop a laugher, I thought that this game in the long run wouldn’t be a bad thing since it would probably mean the end of the dual defensive coordinator experiment.

I thought this game would force Les Miles’ hand to scrap the Doug Mallory and Bradley Dale Peveto arrangement at DC. Les is known as being loyal to his players and coaches, and I thought it would take a glaring trespass to remove these two guys.

Losing to Troy would be glaring. But after being torched by Troy’s spread for 31 points (err, make that 24—Jarrett Lee gave the other seven), the defense looked abysmal. No pressure, no coverage, no intensity, and they looked confused.

The defensive backs constantly played with too much cushion. I understand that comes from a coaching staff that doesn’t trust its DBs, but change it up every once in a while, will ya?

Troy dinked and dunked its way to 200 yards passing in the first half. LSU was picked apart like a Thanksgiving turkey.

If Les Miles, whose background is offense, wants to succeed, he’ll need a strong defensive coordinator. He used to have one in Bo Pelini. Miles thought by establishing Mallory and Peveto as the co-DCs and promoting from within he would be able to establish continuity in the defense, as well as stay loyal to his coaches.

The problem is, it’s not working out, and the shaky play of Jarrett Lee is overshadowing the real problem—the defense.

Losing this game would have insured that Miles would’ve made a change at DC. Now with what’s considered “good” defensive performances against Alabama and the ability to shut down Troy in the latter parts of Saturday’s game, this may keep these two guys in the same spots next year.

That’s not a good thing.

2) The offense

So many want to say it’s Offensive Coordinator Gary Crowton’s fault for putting Jarrett Lee in tough situations, but it’s not always the case. The main gripe is that we don’t run the ball enough, but those that watched the game knew that Charles Scott was getting stopped over and over again. No one seems to remember that for some reason.

Troy did exactly what you should do against LSU: Stack the box and make the QB beat you. Neither Lee nor true freshman Jordan Jefferson was able to do that until the waning moments of the third, where a dual effort by both QBs ended a drive in the end zone. From there, the defense stiffened and the two units fed off each other.

3) Jarrett Lee

You can heap as much praise as you want to on the kid for the comeback, and it’s well deserved, but he dug that hole in the ground that created the mountain he and the rest of the team had to climb.

Lee has spotted six out of the last seven teams he’s faced seven points each. He spotted Georgia 14.

The fact that LSU has only managed three losses (all to teams currently in the top 10) while basically starting each game with a -7 spot is incredible.

The simple fact is that Lee is young, inexperienced, still making mistakes, and is the victim of some bad luck as well.

What fans are worried about, though, is Lee’s lack of improvement through the year. Lee will never suffer for arm strength but has trouble with his progressions and reads. He sometimes forces balls he shouldn’t be forcing.

Little simple missteps that should be avoided through repetition are finding their way into his game week after week. So the question becomes: How much time does Lee need?

Is it too much to expect him to become more efficient as the season goes on, or does he need a whole year or two under his belt before he can pay dividends?

I’m not saying he needs to come along right now, but other than second halves against Auburn and Troy, little improvement has been shown. But again, he is a freshman.

4) The fans

OK, first off I can write anything critical I want to about Lee within reason. I can say he does things wrong mentally or mechanically and not be off base because this is still football we’re talking about, and those mistakes are happening in front of our faces.

I would never question his heart or his will to succeed even if they were in question because honestly, I don’t know the guy. (Not that either of those attributes are in question anyhow.)

I don’t know the time he puts in every week working to become better. But I do see where he makes mistakes on the football field and can comment on that.

But fans, c’mon, you can’t boo the guy. I don’t care how much you pay for your seat, you just can’t boo him.

Every week it gets worse.

Some disguise their actions by saying, “I wasn’t booing him, I was booing the coaching staff.”

How about not booing at all? Is that too crazy?

If you want to show discontent, don’t renew your season tickets or call in to Les Miles’ radio show and ask him a question. But the booing of Lee needs to stop. Period. He is trying his best, and after Saturday night, I don’t think there’s any question that he is our best option at the position right now, so deal with it.

Next issue...

If Tiger Stadium holds 92,000-plus, then about 60,000 people headed for the exits around halftime.

I know the weather had a lot to do with that. People down here don’t like the cold, and many go to games with wives and kids, which makes it difficult if you’re outvoted on staying and watching a team playing like garbage while suffering through a windy 30-degree wind chill debacle. Not to mention sitting through homecoming halftime, which lasts like 40 minutes.

So there were many strikes already working against the fans on this night.

And let’s be honest, this kind of thing happens all over the nation so don’t get too worked up about what other people (like ESPN) are saying about you.

Do I really care that so many fans left early?

For some reason I don’t. I’d rather someone leave early than boo. LSU basketball coach John Brady got fired when people refused to come to games. The fans’ message was finally sent and received.

While Les Miles praised the fans who did stay (and my hat's off to them as well), maybe the louder message was sent to Miles by those who left. That the first 30 and the ensuing 14 minutes of so-called football LSU put together was uninspiring, unwatchable, and unacceptable.

Since the game was only televised locally through pay per view, it took a real fan to stay in a seat or tuned to the radio after three quarters of such a horrid performance.

I was one of those pay per view guys who sat through the whole thing in the comfort of my living room. But I really wanted to watch the whole thing to see if the Tigers could put forth an effort at some point. Of course, they finally did, but the outcome of this game shouldn’t overshadow deficiencies that nine times out of 10 lose that game against an inferior opponent.

So in a way, I think it’s OK to leave, but another part of me dislikes the direction some of the fans are taking these days.

This fan base has become too spoiled in recent years, and it showed Saturday night. In my own very humble opinion, this is what happens when you price your regular fans out of the stadium and you get the richer fans who look at this as more of a social event or a chance to wine and dine clients, rather than the one of a kind football experience that it is—or at least it used to be.

The Athletic Department would tell you that it’s the cost of doing business if you want to be an elite program.

The fans responded by saying the price of your cost of doing business is only 30,000 fans in seats after halftime if your elite program lays an egg against a team like Troy.

It works both ways.

Could the fans have been better? Yes.

Could the players and coaches have done better? Yes.

Let’s wipe the slate clean and focus on the Rebels, because they’ll be exponentially more trouble than the Troy Trojans.

LSU avoided disaster last week—can they do the same against Ole Miss?

If they don’t, here’s one fan who wouldn’t be surprised.

I’m back...
 
How dare I neglect you all to help my newborn daughter along in the first two weeks of her life??!! How selfish! It won’t happen again.
 
Or maybe it will. I don’t know. I forgot what free time looks like.
 
Lil' Samantha says “Go Tigers!!”
 
Actually she doesn’t say anything yet, but I write “Alabama,” “Auburn,” “Florida,” and “Ole Miss” on every diaper, and you should see how she treats those.

Expectations
 
Just about every year since 2004, I have to have a little state of the union in the preseason with LSU fans regarding expectations.
 
They can be poison for a program. Nick Saban recognized it when he was here with the infamous “chicken little” syndrome.
 
Most Tiger fans knew with having to replace so many starters that LSU would suffer some tough losses this year. The general consensus was about three losses—where the Tigers sit now.
 
Those three losses were to the No. 1 team in overtime and two lopsided losses to the No. 3 team and No. 12 team in the nation. The No. 12 team lost to the No. 1 and No. 3 teams as well.
 
So with a few days to digest the tough loss to Alabama, LSU fans are coming around to the fact that they can finish 9-3. But just like preseason expectations, they best not count their chickens.
 
LSU will play Troy this weekend in a game that was postponed due to Hurricane Gustav.
 
Despite playing in the Sun Belt, Troy is a team that can surprise you.
 
Nationally, Troy is ranked in the top 20 in several important offensive categories. Also, the Trojans are No. 8 in the country in sacks, No. 4 in tackles for a loss, and No. 5 in interceptions.
 
Interceptions???
 
LSU fans are a little too familiar with those this year, especially the Pick Six variety.
 
After Troy, the Tigers take on Ole Miss, which gives LSU fits recently, especially in Tiger Stadium. Ole Miss beat the Florida Gators earlier in the season in the Swamp, and Alabama (and Wake Forest too) barely escaped the upset versus the Rebels.
 
Then LSU ends the regular season by going to Little Rock and taking on Arkansas, which won’t be as easy as most think either.
 
All that before the postseason. If the SEC champ goes to Miami and the loser of the SEC CG goes to New Orleans for the Sugar, then look for the Tigers to end up somewhere like the Cotton Bowl and taking on the odd man out in the Texas Tech-Oklahoma-Texas BCS Derby.
 
Any one of those three teams would spell trouble for the Tigers in Dallas.
 
So Tiger fans, please don’t assume the rest of the season is a cakewalk, and please don’t expect to win the bowl, even after winning the last three bowls.
 
Besides a dominant performance by Texas in ’02 and a Hail Mary by Iowa in ’04, the Tigers have won every bowl they’ve played in since 2000.
 
This year may prove to be a little tougher, and LSU fans must accept that. But with the current No. 2-ranked 2009 recruiting class according to ESPN, I wouldn’t consider the 2008 W-L record as the beginning of a trend, no matter how many people that may disappoint.
 
On the same track, I urge you to check out an article by newcomer Kevin Strickland about expectations, Nick Saban, and Alabama. He brings up great points.

Tide is high...
 
No way Alabama drops a game to Mississippi State or Auburn before they face Florida. There’s just absolutely no way. It just won’t happen. If I were a betting man, I’d wager just about everything I own on the fact that Bama will be undefeated going into Atlanta.
 
Even though Croom usually has his guys psyched up to face his alma mater, the Bulldogs won’t sniff a lead against Alabama because they can’t score. I mean, barring some kind of unlikely offensive explosion and a massive letdown in play because of a hard-fought, emotional win in Baton Rouge last week, this is a virtual lock for the Tide.
 
And after the meltdown at Auburn this year, it looks like the streak will finally be broken. I’m sure the Tide fans know how important this game will be in getting to the National Championship, and I’m sure they won’t go in with the foregone conclusion that they’ll destroy Auburn and will look ahead to the Gators, so the fans won’t mentally be into the game as much as usual. That would never happen.
 
So two easy wins for the Tide as they cruise into Atlanta to face the Gators for a right to play for the National Championship. But for the next two weeks, nothing to see here, just the Tide cakewalking to Atlanta and then Miami. Nothing, and I mean nothing, could ever possibly stand in their way now. I’d wish them luck, but they would never need it in two games they could sleepwalk through and still win.
 
I’m naming what I just wrote as “passive aggressive voodoo.” RTR.

Guns up b!#&*^$...
 
I’m not quite sure why, but I kind of like Texas Tech. I can’t really explain it. I’ve been friendly towards UT through the years (mainly because of my aversion to the Aggies), and I’m not the biggest Oklahoma fan you would find. But as I look down the list for potential NC contenders, the Red Raiders are a team I want to see in Miami for these reasons three.
 
1) Offense, Offense, Offense!!!
 
Don’t get me wrong—I think defense wins championships. But all this crazy offense and point scoring is the exciting mistress to my happily married defensively dominating SEC way of life.
 
2) Mike Leach
 
I think he should have his own reality show. The stuff that comes out of this guy’s mouth is Gary Busey-esque. Yet he’ll be a sought after coach in the offseason. But given what he’s done in the conference/division he’s doing it in and getting quality players to commit to four years in West Texas, the dude deserves the run he’s getting.
 
3) The underdog/feel-good story
 
With the loss of Penn State and Joe Pa trying to go out on top as a potential movie-like storyline, TTU could be a Cinderella story, especially when looking down the list of all the titans residing in the Big 12 (oops, my bad, I meant the Big XII) this year.
 
Then, there’s the rest of this list.
 
USC—do we really want to see them in this game? Florida and Alabama? I know I’m supposed to cheer for the SEC, but why would I wish a crystal ball for teams that recruit in the same circles as my team? No thanks!
 
Who else is there?
 
I would love to see Texas Tech get a National Championship. What better way to recognize the fact that parity is here to stay (somewhat) in college football. Go Red Raiders!!!

“It seems like you left the stem off the apple”
 
I’ll leave you this week on personal note. Words fail me as I try to describe the feeling of being a first time dad. I can, however, offer you a quick story...
 
My daughter was born the morning of Nov. 1, and my wife went into labor around 11:00 p.m. Halloween night. So besides a 30-minute “resting my eyes” session around 4 a.m., I had little sleep, and with all the action that occurred that day, I never had a chance to eat until the early evening that Saturday.
 
With family keeping the baby company and the wife resting, I was told to go get something to eat. With the excitement finally dying down, my appetite agreed.
 
As I walked down to the cafeteria by myself, I thought about how beautiful my little daughter was as she slept peacefully after a tough day on the move.
 
Then I thought back to how my friends and I would joke that I should have a boy, but I probably wouldn’t. I never had a brother growing up and always wanted one, and I’d honestly be lying if I was saying I wasn’t slightly pulling for a boy, being a sports nut and all.
 
All of that disappeared, however, the first time I laid my eyes on my daughter.
 
As I got to my table with my food I started to eat, and the guy at the table across from me gave me a look of recognition as if he knew today was a special day for me.
 
“First child?” he asked.
 
“Yeah, a little girl,” I replied.
 
“Looks like someone got it right,” he smiled.
 
“What do you mean?” I wondered.
 
“My wife had our third boy last night.”
 
“Wow, three kids, how old are you?” I asked, not realizing that the question may be inappropriate.
 
“I know I look young, but I’m 30. It's because I'm short.”
 
Trying to change the subject back, I say, “So three boys, huh?”
 
“Yeah, no girls yet. I’m dying for a little girl. Maybe next time.”
 
“We could trade,” I joked. “My wife is tired, she might not know the difference.”
 
And on that joke we playfully ended our brief interaction as he started to take his tray from his table. Or so I thought.
 
As he passed me, he stopped and said, “I just have to ask, how tall are you?”
 
“Six four,” I answered.
 
“Man, that’s tall, she was probably a big girl, eh?”
 
“Yep,” I nodded.
 
“Well, I guess it makes sense with you being a big guy...” he thought out loud.
 
Then he said something that was probably so innocuous to him, but I think I’ll remember it and this story for the rest of my life.
 
“Little boys don’t need daddies that big,” he stated as he was walking away.
 
“No, I guess they don’t,” I thought to myself.
 
Until next time...Go Tigers!!!
 

Wee and JJ breakdown the heartbreaking loss to Bama, what we can do to salvage the season, and what to do about Jarrett Lee. There's a Troy preview in here somewhere too. Special thanks to our caller for the night, tigerdro.

Wee and Pat break down the less-than-stellar Tulane game, then Larry Copack from The Tidecast joins us to discuss Saturday's blockbuster matchup in Death Valley

Well, what would you suggest then???

LSU fans should’ve known how Saturday’s game against the Georgia Bulldogs was going to turn out. LSU’s live mascot “Mike VI” refused to get in his transport to be taken to the stadium to make his usual pre-game appearance. Thus, he never showed because, let’s face it, are you gonna make a 700-pound tiger do something he doesn’t want to do?

Word is, this happens every once in a while, and Mike’s handlers are never going to make him do anything by force. As Georgia Dawg suggested, maybe he was scared of Georgia’s live mascot, UGA?

Nah. In fact, let’s schedule a play date for the two mascots, seeing as how the play date for the two teams didn’t really work out for me.

I think the real reason is that the game was way too early, but that’s just my opinion.

What really grinds my gears...

No one is trying to discredit Florida’s National Championship in ’06 by saying that Urban Meyer won with Ron Zook’s players. Yet everyone seems to think LSU coasted to a National Championship last year due to someone else’s recruiting. Apparently, I could’ve coached these guys to a Championship. Who knew?

To add to that fact, LSU’s 2003 National Championship was discredited in a sense by USC’s claim to the AP National Championship.

Every time we win something, someone tries to take it away from us. That kind of thing could give a fanbase a complex.

Now since Alabama is undefeated and because LSU has dropped two games, we get to read articles about how LSU is crumbling with Miles at the helm. All hail Saban!

But if you look at LSU’s schedule since 2000 (Saban’s first year), you see a commonality in the ebb and flow of the win-loss records year by year.

LSU’s record since 2000

2000 8-4

2001 10-3

2002 8-5

2003 13-1

2004 9-3

2005 11-2

2006 11-2

2007 12-2

With the exception of 2006, even-year schedules tend to be down years for LSU compared with their odd counterparts. Scheduling has a lot to do with this, but it’s become a fact of life.

But since 2000, LSU has NEVER won the SEC West in an even year. NEVER.

Maybe fans were spoiled in ’06 when Miles got the team to the Sugar Bowl and an 11-2 record in an even year, and then a conference championship and national championship the following season. Although Saban had more even years than Miles has had so far, Saban never lost less than three games in even years, something Miles may do this year but hasn’t yet.

When Saban did struggle, it was because he had inexperience at QB and in the defensive secondary. Sound familiar?

All this stuff about “Miles winning with Saban’s players” and now the purple and gold retort of “Saban is winning with Shula’s players” is childish and ignorant, and it needs to stop.

Some writers take great pleasure in trying to bait reactions from opposing fanbases (and I’m not talking about a certain respected writer’s one-time foray into the Gator art of smack).

Lisa Horne did a great article on trolls a while back. Well, guess what? They don’t just appear on message boards.

I don’t know about you, but I didn’t have to pass a screening process to get on B/R. Neither do these guys. Take everything you read with a grain of salt. The fair, rational, intelligent fans know who speaks the truth and who is just out there to flame other fans under the guise of being a writer.

I’m not saying no one should ever write with the intent of eliciting a reaction. Most writers want reader reaction, especially if the author has given us something to mentally chew on. Heck, some successful columnists and radio hosts make an entire career out of getting under your skin.

Why?

Because we keep taking the bait.

But most intelligent readers can tell by a writer’s tone and demeanor in their work exactly the kind of person they are dealing with. I would think most could tell the difference between a writer with a valid opinion (that may in fact differ from yours) over one who tries to build their read and comment count by venomous yellow journalism.

I mean, I might come up with some pretty outlandish stuff sometimes, but at least those of you that know me know how to take what I say.

And another thing, Tiger and Tide fans: Remember that no arguments will be won in 2008. If you really feel the need to duke it out, let’s meet back here in a few years, say 2011, and we’ll let the smack fly then.

Alabama fans need to enjoy their run this season, and LSU fans should focus on their team trying to finish strong.

And both should look forward to what will hopefully be a great match up on Nov. 8 in Baton Rouge.

It’s possible to do this in a civil way, LSU and Bama fans, I promise.

I’m about to be a dad—don’t make me come back there!

Or you know what, just go nuts on each other. Who cares. What am I...your mother?

(The preceding was directed to the small number of LSU and Bama fans who act this way and is not representative of the majority of fans...I think.)


It’s in the numbers...

4----No. of TD passes Tennessee quarterback Nick Stephens has this season.

4----No. of TD passes LSU quarterback Jarrett Lee has to opposing teams this season.

19----No. of interceptions SMU QB Bo Levi Mitchell has thrown this season, seven more than the two players tied for second.

23----No. of times Bo Levi Mitchell has been sacked this season, second only to Arkansas’ Casey Dick (24).

5----No. of SMU offensive linemen that owe Bo Levi Mitchell a round at the bar.

1----University of Louisiana-Lafayette’s rank among all FBS schools in rushing yards.

118----UCLA’s rank among all FBS schools in rushing yards. Only SMU and San Diego State were worse.

887,739----No. of LSU fans that cringe whenever University of Louisiana-Lafayette is referred to as “Louisiana.” Don’t be in that number. Call them Ooooh Lah Lah. They love that.

6 ----No. of times the confederacy, a confederate general, civil war jokes, or saying “we” when talking about the South in the Civil War was mentioned by Georgia fans in the first hour I spent with them this past Saturday. (I really liked them though, but “Hello culture shock!!”)

 

I’m no expert...

Through my years of college football fandom, I fancied myself a good prognosticator. Then a couple of years ago I got the idea to pick against my wife for the college bowl season. I did this the first year and won, and it got such a good response (mostly for my wife’s less than football knowledgeable girly system of picking) that I brought it back for a second season.

So we did it a second season for last year’s bowl games, and lo and behold, the wife beat me by one game. My pride hurt a little, but that faded away as her apathy for the game didn’t really lead her to rub it in my face—which kind of made it worse, like she just picked names off a page and then flipped back to her What Not to Wear marathon.

To avenge my loss to the fairer sex, I agreed to pick against Lisa Horne in her effort to beat down all the fellas from the B/R college football community. Then I absolutely embarrassed myself against the spread, going three for 10. Which is good in baseball, right?

So why should you listen to my picks? Well, because like a gambler after a series of bad beats, I’m due. But due to swearing off picking against women until bowl season and the fact that my dog had trouble fitting me into her schedule, I’m going to start picking against inanimate objects.

I mean, what good is a dartboard if you can’t blindfold yourself and throw sharp objects at it? Don’t worry—this time I'm going to do it sober.

I simply assigned even or odd to a team for each game and blindly chucked a dart at the board. So just two 911 calls and a container of caulk later, I bring to you this week’s picks: Me vs. Dartboard.

It’s time to bring the rain…


Auburn +6.5 at Ole Miss

Auburn is on life support, and Ole Miss has a chance to position themselves for a better bowl.

Justin says: Ole Miss 22-20

Dartboard says: Auburn +6.5

Pitt +4.5 at Notre Dame

I think the Irish are finding their groove. Are they going to be able to tackle LeSean McCoy though?

Justin says: Notre Dame 28-21

Dartboard says: Notre Dame

Tennessee +5.5 at South Carolina

The Gamecocks’ D makes the difference in Columbia.

Justin says: South Carolina 20-13

Dartboard says: South Carolina

Nebraska +22 at Oklahoma

Maybe one day Bo Pelini will have his boys ready enough to make this rivalry a great one again. But this won’t be that day.

Justin says: Oklahoma 44, Nebraska 20

Dartboard says: Nebraska

Florida State +2.5 at Georgia Tech

This is a statement game for both teams. Which team will make more noise?

Justin says: Florida State 26, GT 23

Dartboard says: Georgia Tech

Florida at Georgia +6

Hope the Dawgs didn’t get too high after last week’s win over LSU. Tim Tebow promised me he’d play harder than anyone else in the country. I think Knowshon could give Timmy a run for his money. Still, I like the Gators in this one.

Justin says: Florida 41-31

Dartboard says: Florida -6

Texas at Texas Tech +4

Not only do the Red Raiders get a chance to spoil a rival’s season, they also get a chance to make their own claim to play in Miami. Everything tells me to take the Horns (mainly defense), but I’m not going to.

Justin says: Texas Tech 45, Texas 41

Dartboard says: Texas -4

(Touché dartboard, well played.)

 

Speaking of gambling with our future...

Well, while most of you are choosing who our next president will be this coming Tuesday, my wife and I will hopefully be welcoming our first child to this world.

We decided to be surprised when it came to finding out the sex of the baby, and this has led to some wagering amongst friends.

So why stop with friends?

Feel free guess the sex. Heck, you can even suggest a name if you like. The wife ruled out “Mike the Tiger Goar” for a boy or “Valley” as in “Death Valley” for a girl, so I am out of ideas.

I’m planning on getting a lot less sleep and trying to perfect the art of changing the diaper in true calf roping or NASCAR pit crew time, so you may not hear from me for a little while. But I’m also taking off from work for a while, so who knows. Nevertheless, I’ll be back and hopefully with more life experience the next time we meet.

Until then...Go Tigers!!!

Wee, JJ, and caller Nootch break down the Tigers break down against UGA, what needs to change for the Tigers to remain successful, preview the UGA/FL game, and discuss a little about Tulane

By Justin Goar, Blogger

If I’ve ever done anything in my writing, it’s try to provide the fan’s side of things (especially with LSU) without getting too up or too down after a game.

I try to be a bit more positive than most, attempting to be the voice of reason while showing some perspective.

Fans have a short memory. They don’t remember how Matt Mauck (who won a NC in ’03) struggled as an underclassman, or how JaMarcus Russell (eventual NFL No. 1 pick) made crucial mistakes before he started to blossom.

We don’t live in that kind of world now in college football. When you are a championship team, there exists no world where players get a chance to develop their talents. It’s win and win right now. Fans get spoiled. LSU fans are (for the most part) spoiled.

They have short memories.

Now is the point where you would think I remind fans how short their memories actually are and defend the LSU program. But instead, give me a little time to agree with those purple and gold crazies.

What they’re worried about

The QB Situation

If Miles says he’s thinking about getting true freshman Jordan Jefferson some more time, then something is definitely wrong. Be glad that Miles is aware of it. Be glad that both Jefferson and Jarrett Lee get some experience this year, and be happy two outstanding QB recruits are headed to Baton Rouge next year.

LSU’s two losses are to two preseason Top Five teams quarterbacked by Tim Tebow and Matthew Stafford. Last time I checked, both were pretty good QBs.

This isn’t a panic situation, but it’s not good either. Honestly, though, it’s what was expected. Jarrett Lee has shown some upside by tossing 15 TD passes. He has shown some inexperience in that four of those 15 were to opposing teams.

In fact, Lee’s three picks against Georgia totaled 17 points for the Dawgs. The game was decided by 14 points.

Lee’s not going through his progressions, and I think that stems from the game moving too fast for him and his nerves getting the best of him. He rarely looks to more than one receiver on a play, and the Bulldogs game-planned for this and executed well.

This isn’t the bad thing though. LSU’s success in the recent past has been sustained because of the defense’s ability to bail the offense out when they make mistakes.

What they should be worried about

The Defense

There were some key losses from the defense after last season. Three of four in the secondary were new starters this season. Both OLBs are new, and there are a couple of new starters on the DL.

Yet most Tiger fans thought this wouldn’t be a problem. But it is.

It’s compounded by another problem: the new defensive coordinators.

When a DC leaves, usually the defensive players have to adjust to a new scheme. When Miles promoted Doug Mallory and Bradley Dale Peveto (the secondary and linebackers coach respectively) to co-DCs, his thought process was to provide continuance and consistency in the scheme.

Overall, not a whole lot has changed scheme-wise, so production should be similar (with a small expected drop-off), even with newer players, but it has not been. The drop-off has been astounding.

The Bayou Bengals are getting destroyed in big plays this year.

LSU is ninth in total defense and 11th in the SEC in scoring defense.

There’s also a stat that both offense and defense contribute to: turnover margin. The Tigers are ninth in the SEC.

Basically LSU has been put in the position of trying to outscore teams while using a freshman QB. In the SEC, that’s not going to happen.

Especially when you look at the fact that the Tigers are dead last in red zone defense, it’s a miracle the Tigers are where they are. Fans should maybe rejoice that the Tigers only have two losses in this situation so far.

I don’t usually suggest the drastic, but it’s time to maybe admit that Les’ decision to promote Mallory and Peveto was a poor one. The great thing about it is that both are position coaches and both could just be returned to their position coach duties for next season. That is, unless pride gets in the way and sours things.

But yes, I’m suggesting a change after just one season. While I expected a drop-off, I did not expect one this drastic. LSU has never in its history given up 50+ points twice in one season. Never.

We’re seven games into the season now. Blown coverages are fine once a game, but not as often as they occur now. Players are out of position and confused. The linebackers and secondary are struggling, and the defensive line looks as if they are overrated. I blame the DCs.

Miles is hands-on with his offense but a little less with the D. He needs a strong coach on the defensive side in order to make things run well. The current situation is not the answer.

Or maybe I’m the one who’s spoiled now?

What they should stop worrying about

Offensive Coordinator Gary Crowton

LSU is second in the SEC in total offense and third in the SEC in scoring offense. LSU is second in sacks allowed, so you know his line plays well. The offense is the reason LSU is still ranked in the Top 25 and not looking at a .500 season.

I’m willing to make a bet that Gary Crowton knows more about offense and his own offense than anyone reading this sentence (author included). We should just leave it at that.

If the running game is working, you cannot run on every single down. Eventually it will be stopped. The key to any offense is balance. That’s a game plan Crowton tries to install every week. If you were content with the Saban/Fisher days of trying to get a lead and then sitting on it, then maybe you should follow another team.

Crowton is nails, I promise you. What his team does on the field is beyond his control. Turnovers can kill any offense, and you’d have to think that if LSU didn’t have the turnover ratio they have, they’d be even better.

This offense put up 500 yards and 38 points against Georgia, who statistically has one of the better defenses in the SEC. In fact, LSU rushed for 188 yards against the top-ranked rush defense in the conference.

The offense is averaging 412 yards per game to this point even with the mistakes.

If Gary Crowton is your main area of concern, I urge to find a new avenue of discontent. Quite simply, he’s the best assistant coach LSU has ever had.

He’s better than Bo Pelini, he’s better than Jimbo Fisher, and he’s better than Will Muschamp (that D was Saban’s).

Don’t worry about Crowton. He’s not the problem.

What they’ll never have to worry about

Giving up

Say what you want about Miles, but his teams don’t quit (unless you count offensive players trying to tackle the guy who just made the interception).

Put in countless come from behind situations, LSU never seems like they’re out of a game, even when they are. They make other teams nervous with the lead.

Give Les a bit of credit. Even when this team has swords against their throats, they never say die. I like that in a coach and a team.

I had to give you some kind of positive in all this.

Want some more positives??? (Sure you do!!!)

- LSU is beating the teams they are supposed to beat this season. Coming into the season, most wouldn’t have thought that the Tigers would take Florida in the Swamp or the preseason No. 2-ranked Bulldogs. It’ll be interesting to see the line on the Alabama game.

- If LSU loses to Bama and wins the rest of their games, that makes them 9-3. With a bowl win, they have a chance to have their fourth straight season with at least 10 wins. There are many teams across this nation that would strangle you with a piece of wet spaghetti if you turned your nose up at that. A 9-3 record in a supposed off year in a tough conference—I’d take it and run.

- LSU currently has the No. 3-ranked recruiting class coming in for 2009 and still has a few more spots to fill.

Just something to think about.

Wee and pat get you pumped up for the home stretch opener with UGA. Special Rival Guest: Derek from The Dawgcast

By Justin Goar- Blogger

O-H-......Oh no!!

If you’re a Buckeye hater (which I’m not, but I know they have many), you have to be thinking, “Just when I think I’m out, they pull me back in.”

You want Ohio State football to drop off the map and the title picture—and it totally could’ve happened had they lost in East Lansing. But they quietly destroyed the Spartans, and now they get a home game against the Fighting Joe Pa’s that, if they win, puts them right back in the title hunt. They have a healthy Beanie Wells and seem to have found their quarterback.

If Tressel and company get this win, give them some credit. They’ll have to go to Northwestern the following week and then play a revenge game against the Illini on the road before coming home to host a hapless Michigan team. None of these are gimmes, but the toughest test ahead for the Bucks is this Saturday at the Horseshoe.

Pass it, and things are looking up in Columbus.


Wasn’t that guy Bubba on “1st and Ten”?

My favorite commercial this past weekend was the Miller High Life Commercial. You know the series of ones where the delivery guy comes in and confiscates beer from snooty people not living by the “guidelines of the High Life.”

Well, in this one the delivery guy stops by a corporate skybox at a baseball game and no one is watching the game, so he takes the beer—I would guess in order to give it to the homeless or something.

Which brings up the question...what kind of corporation has Miller High Life as their beer of choice in their skybox???

Is the economy really THAT bad?!?!

I’m pretty sure that Miller’s skybox doesn’t have Miller High Life in it.

“We're gonna be getting rid of these people here... First, Mr. Samir Naga... Naga... Naga... Not gonna work here anymore, anyway.”

Mark me down as severely intrigued when it comes to the head coaching vacancy at Clemson after they 86’ed Tommy Bowden. With two potential candidates at SEC schools now (Vandy’s Bobby Johnson and Auburn’s Tommy Tuberville), as well as speculation that former Nick Saban, Tuberville, and now Texas DC Will Muschamp is also in the mix, I think this could make for some good rumor fodder for a long time.

Buffalo Wild Wings referees strike again...

Two of the better plays in the South Carolina/LSU game were made by the umpire. I think he had some flashbacks to his Polk High days. Actually, he played linebacker at Kentucky.

Check this out.

Some Carolina fans argued that this changed the game, but actually a few plays later, Spur-Dog and his boys scored on a fourth and goal play right before the half where it seemed the ball never broke the plane.

I’d take six points over an open field tackle any day.

Add that to the same umpire running a pick on an LSU linebacker on Carolina’s only other TD, and this guy should get the “player of the game” award.

Someone get me a helmet, quickly!

Les Miles joked in his Monday press conference that the umpire wasn’t following proper technique. Miles joked, “We teach our guys to wrap up.”

Best sign I saw on ESPN GameDay...

“Chase Daniel has a fupa.”

I chuckle every time I think of it.


You know what really grinds my gears...

Am I jaded? Can I not appreciate the fact that college football is more popular than ever? And that people with varying knowledge levels watch the game together sometimes?

My wife lovingly puts up with my college football addiction, and she tolerates football but doesn’t really like it, so to speak. When she doesn’t know something, she asks questions, and these questions are taken by me as an interest by her wanting to know more about my hobby. I think it’s sweet and answer her question, no matter how basic it is.

But there is nothing worse than watching football with someone who thinks they know what they are talking about but in actuality have no clue.

These people are usually the loudest in the room or in your section if you’re at the game.

It always pains me to hear someone calling out a WR on a drop when the QB puts it two feet behind him. Or a tailback who gets blasted in the backfield because someone missed a block but Lombardi over here is calling out the running back. This also happens to a QB when he gets .5 seconds to throw before getting mauled, and then you hear...

“C’mon (insert QB’s name here), get rid of the ball!!! What are you doing??!!!! You gotta be smarter than that!!!”

My sentiments exactly. You gotta be smarter than that.

See, these players had to excel in high school and work hard on and off the field. They had to come to college to compete with very talented guys to win a role on the team. Then after all that hard work and sacrifice, they finally get their shot on the field, and they have to listen to some moron whose football IQ happens to mirror his shoe size tell them how to play the game.

They work hard to get where they are, but all you have to do to criticize them is pay for a ticket or flip on the television.

That’s not really fair.

These same fans think football should operate like a game of Xbox. Like, let’s say your team is a three-and-a-half point favorite and they win by twice that margin, but there’s Mr. Loudmouth lamenting the fact that his team didn’t win by four touchdowns.

There should be fan tryouts or something or maybe a written test. Unless you show that you can be trusted to not say something stupid or falsely lay the blame where it doesn’t belong during a game, you have to be quiet and let the grown-ups talk.

In football terms, you get to ride the pine. You can still watch the game, but you no longer are an active participant in it. Let’s face it, you can’t be trusted, and all you do is pollute the air with your lack of knowledge. So you’ll have to be muzzled.

The majority of LSU fans know their football, but it never fails when at the game, I sit in front of the loudest guy in the stadium who fills the air with his football ignorance. I usually say nothing.

But let’s change that. From now on, when someone says something stupid, let’s vow to correct them. You’re doing them a favor in the long run, and most reasonable fans will thank you for doing so. This is not recommended if everyone in your section is an idiot.

We must stop the proliferation of football idiocy. Heck, this guy could be teaching his children his ways, and then my kids will grow up and have to go to games and listen to his kids spew misdirected venom.

It’s a vicious cycle. But we can break it. In the next game you watch with someone who knows less than they let on, point out that they are wrong, won’t you? You could be doing the college football world a great service.

This has been a public service announcement furnished by the “Coalition for better fans.”

And another thing...

I know that song “Kerkraft 400” by Zombie Nation is popular in places like Penn State and such (I actually like PSU btw and respect the "White Out"). In a way I expect that, because up north you get more of a pro sports environment.

But in the beginning of the season I remember thinking, “no self respecting SEC team would have this soccer stuff blaring in their stadium.”

Then a week later I heard it at Florida (for the Miami game I think).

Then this past weekend, I heard it at South Carolina for the LSU game.

I just shook my head.

How awful. When did college football games become no better than NBA TV timeouts???

I know canned music is going to happen nowadays (LSU plays piped-in music leading up to kickoff before the band gets seated again), but a song from a German techno band?? Is that really what the kids are listening to these days????

I weep for the future.

Maybe I’m getting too old.

Live! From Mariner's Bar. Wee and JJ break down last weeks collapse at Florida and get you ready for a USC game that will make or break the season

Wee and JJ celebrate the newest tiger fan, discuss LSU's gameplan for Florida, and the origins of PodKATT. Special Contribution from Geaux Show Fan #1, Chicago Phil (video was removed at phil's own request)

I swear this has never happened to me before…
This isn’t a mystery people. It happens all the time yet we make a big deal about it. It’s called playing down to your opponent. Florida did it to Arkansas, Alabama did it with Kentucky, it affected Penn State at Purdue, and Kansas let it happen against Iowa State.
 
It’s not a reason to get overly worried. You need to worry when it happens and your team is on the losing end. (Cough*Auburn*Cough) That’s a bad thing, but in this “every week counts” world of college football getting the win is all that matters.
 
Florida is going to put up a much better effort when they play Georgia. Alabama won’t play like they did against Tulane in the Iron Bowl.
 
What you should be focusing on is whether or not your team wins the big important games. There’s a handful of those coming up this weekend with Texas/OU, LSU/Florida, Penn State/Wisconsin, etc.
 
For example, I’m much more impressed with Alabama destroying Clemson and UGA than I am unimpressed with them sleepwalking through Kentucky and Tulane.
 
Too much importance is placed on how a team wins against inferior competition. Good teams have bad weeks and vice versa. I know it seems to be over in a flash for the fans but for the players the college football season is long and grueling and it takes some major focus and mental grit to play a high level every single week.
 
Sometimes bad weeks can help your team better prepare and make them aware of what to work on for the next week. Also, it can lull an opposing team into a false sense of security about their chances and possibly force them to play at a lower level.
 
It seems to me that those that follow college football are too reactionary these days. Do I sound like an old man complaining?
 
Predicting champions in September, counting teams out in early October, and jumping teams around the Top 25 like it’s the stock market is just a little too crazy for my tastes.
 
Am I the only one who thinks this is a recent trend?
 
Get off my lawn!!!!
 
 
It’s nice to be back to normal…
After one week of being berated for losing to Oregon State, the USC Trojans beat Oregon like a rented mule and they’re back to being the greatest team ever. Thanks, my delicate system wasn’t ready to exist in a world where USC isn’t lauded every week.
 
My favorite part of this game though was after Joe Mcknight muffed a punt in the early going, there were some boos among the crowd. I don’t remember who was calling the game but the exchange went something like this:
 
Play by Play guy: “There are NFL type expectations among this crowd.”
Color analyst: “That’s because they’re an NFL type crowd.”
 
I don’t think that was a compliment.
 
And whoever it was covered quickly by saying “What a recruiting advantage Pete Carroll has here to be able to prepare guys for what the NFL is going to be like.”
 
Think that comment came from him or from the headset?
 
Can someone get Kenny Chesney a booster seat…?
Ok, c’mon admit it. If you were like me you were thinking that Vandy has made a nice showing this year but Auburn’s going to wipe the floor with them. It looked that way in the early going but then Auburn decided to stop playing football and the ‘Dores kept it close and gutted it out.
Auburn’s offense is bad, I can’t say much more. The fans want to blame Tony Franklin but I think it’s their talent in the quarterback position (or lack thereof).
 
That game had LSU fans thinking two things:
1) Awesome, Auburn lost!
2) LSU’s win over AU doesn’t seem that special now.
 
Of course, another thought that may have crossed your mind is whether or not Vanderbilt is actually that good. It basically comes down to the fact that they are an opportunistic team that took advantage of Auburn’s punch less offense and won the game the same way they have all season, ugly. But whatever, a win is a win especially when this year is shaping up to be another crazy one.
 
But honestly I think this game was more of a statement of where Auburn is and not Vanderbilt. If the Commodores can get a win against either Georgia or Florida then I’ll be on board.
 
But you have to give Vandy head coach Bobby Johnson credit, as I’m sure his phone will be ringing off the hook with offers by season’s end.
 
My favorite ESPN Gameday Signs from Vanderbilt…
 
1) “At VU, we use three fingers.” (So does Arizona State by the way)
 
2) “The Geeks Shall Inherit the Turf” (Musberger messed this up at the end of the game trying to repeat it).
 
3) “Philip Fulmer ate my other sign” (maybe not original but chuckle worthy nonetheless)
 
4) “4-0. It’s not just our GPA anymore.”
 
And this one time at band camp…
I guess “American Pie” was right on the money here.
 
Wisconsin’s band has been put on probation because of misconduct including hazing rituals and sexualized behavior. I kind of feel bad though. You know the band kids in your world when you were growing up. The jocks picked on them the fratty pack looked down upon them and now they act like those two groups and they get into trouble for it.
 
I don’t think it’s fair though. I don’t know the whole story but I’d be willing to say that not all 300 members of the band were behaving badly.
 
Why punish the whole band? Why not just do what they do on a team and suspend the guilty parties? Sure “On Wisconsin” might not sound as grand when the entire wind section is absent because they like to shave heads and dance around naked but you know the reputation those crazy ass party monster clarinet players have to uphold. They’re straight from the Woodwind section yo, it’s a double dub thing, you wouldn’t understand.
 
Higher or lower…
This week the National Debt calculator has run out of room. I’m not joking.
 
So this week we play higher or lower than the National Debt. These should all be lower, but by how much?
 
# of times Verne Lundquist and Gary Danielson drool over and audibly express their man-crushes for Tim Tebow this Saturday night.
 
# of attempts by LSU fans to Cloak and Dagger their way into finding out Tebow’s cell phone number this year.
 
# of LSU fans that quit such a venture in favor of getting schnockered.
 
# in ounces of projectile saliva collected from a ten foot radius of Lou Holtz this season on the ESPN set.
 
# of pounds in mayonnaise that Mark Mangino consumes in celebration of victories this season. Or defeats.
 
 
 
What’s in a name…?
 
Did I read that right? Is Southern Miss’s kicker named Britt Barefoot? Was Johnny Mistletoe or Peter Thundershoe taken? That’s like an Xbox “create-a-player” name. That’s like having a golden boy quarterback from Texas and naming him “Colt McCoy.”
 
Wait….oops.
 
That’s even more impressive when you can get regional with it or make a name correspond to something within the school like Notre Dame’s WR Golden Tate. Why not just change his last name to “Domer”?
 
Seriously, if my wife and I have a son next month, we’re gonna name him Remy Threauxdeep so he can play QB for LSU.
 
(I’m kind of unsure of my execution of that last joke, is there a more Cajun sounding first name than Remy?? Should I have gone with Pierre or something? Or should I just name him “Tiger”?
Man, I’m having a Sage Rosenfels type day, or should I’ve said a “Kimbo Slice” type day? I’m going to stop typing now)
 
Why don’t you comment with a “create a player” name of your own. Give me the player’s name, position, and school. For example, if I were to create an Alabama QB, I’d name him Fratboyhaircut Hatfield or something like that. (Ok, it’s definitely more like a Sage Rosenfels type day now).
 
See you next week!

A special welcome to our newest listener. Congrats to proud papa JJ!

By Justin Goar, Blogger

Now that we’ve gotten through September and LSU has a bye week before taking on three tough October dates with Florida and Carolina on the road before returning home to face Georgia on the 25th. Let’s take a look at the one month progress report grades for the Tigers…

Quarterback: B-
This is still a question mark since the play of Jarrett Lee and Andrew Hatch have been consistently inconsistent. But the Tigers get a jump in letter from C to B- with a great second half at Auburn.
No doubt Lee has more physical talent than Hatch especially in the arm strength department but Hatch brings nice mobility and seniority for a change of pace.

Running Backs: A
Two words: Charles Scott. Scott is the answer to the question of who would replace Jacob Hester in the backfield as the guy who gets the tough yards. Actually Scott not only gets the tough short conversions, he gets the long highlight runs and all yards in between. He’s a large part of the big discrepancy in rushing yards between LSU and their opponents. LSU have out gained their opponents 884-363 this season.
Scott is averaging 133 yards per game and 7.5 yards per carry. That’s useful.

Wide Receivers and Tight Ends: C+
Maybe I’m a little too hard on the WR’s. They’ve done their jobs haven’t made too many mistakes but at the same time haven’t overwhelmed me either. The guy carrying this group right now is Brandon Lafell. In most statistical categories, Lafell is doubling the stats of any other WR. Other than doing the obvious of making the catch (which wasn’t a given for the guy nicknamed “JoJo” last year) Lafell is doing a great job of getting open as well as blocking downfield when he doesn’t have the ball. Lafell turns this corps’ grade from a C- to a C+.
Richard Dickson has been great as a tight end both catching and blocking.

Offensive Line: A-
Once again I’m probably too hard on this group that probably deserves a solid A or A+. Ciron Black and Joseph Barksdale have been anchor bookends at the tackle position. Lyle Hitt and Hermann Johnson have been solid at the guards and center Brett Helms is the captain of that line. My one knock on Helms is he is sometimes overpowered by bigger lineman and he’s probably a better run blocker than a pass blocker. But with a crew this good, I’m just being nit-picky. LSU has been an excellent run blocking team and pretty decent at pass blocking as well.
I’ll add fullback Quinn Johnson to this crew. Johnson is an offensive lineman with a running start on every down. He’s a wrecking ball disguised as a football player.

Defensive Line: B+
This is kind of an unfair grade when you take into account that LSU basically rushes these four guys during pass plays and drops their linebackers in to coverage. The line has done a superb job against the run and holds their own in the pass rush. Tyson Jackson is doing plenty to disrupt opposing offenses and since LSU has the best depth in the country on the line.
Rickey Jean Francois hasn’t been making as much noise as the experts had wanted him to having just two solo tackles and a sack in four games, but guys like Rahim Alem, Kirston Pittman, and Marlon Favorite have stepped up in his place.

Linebackers: B
This is probably one of the spots that is up in the air. On the run, they are an A. Against the pass, they are a C. They average out to a B. Perry Riley has been great so far and Jacob Cutrera actually had pretty decent game against State filling in for injured MLB Darry Beckwith but this crew won’t be the same until Beckwith returns. They need to improve against the pass since most don’t spend time pass rushing.

Defensive Backs: C
If I was grading on a curve this group would be higher. The reason they are not a C- is because of safeties Curtis Taylor and Harry Coleman. The corners have been doing as well as expected for being new starters but there’s a blown assignment every once and a while from either the corner or the nickel back. Both Chad Jones and Danny Mccray have struggled in pass coverage at the nickel back position this year. This squad is saved by the safeties but they’re in danger of having the worst grades in the class.

Special Teams: B-
I have to break this down into units. The return game has been ok but there is no one that can field a punt apparently on this team for like the third straight year.
Coverage teams are doing ok as well but there have been some decent gains this season by opposing returners.
Punting started off horrible but made hay in the Auburn game when it mattered so they get good marks.
Finally kicking has been solid as Colt David seems like he’s ready to have a great year.

Let’s face it, grades aren’t going to be very low when you haven’t lost a game. The Tigers need to tweak some things but have all the tools in place to make an SEC title run this season.

By Justin Goar, Blogger

“I’m not drunk, I’m just tired from being up all day drinking…”

The good news for LSU fans is simple: the Tigers remain in the Top 5 after beating an inferior opponent in a workmanlike manor.

The bad news is: The Tigers didn’t look great doing it. Keep in mind that the Bulldogs of Mississippi State were never really a threat in the game and a late MSU touchdown made the score closer than the actual game was. But a sluggish Tiger team only beat State by ten points in a series where LSU usually beats the Bulldogs by five scores. Some untimely turnovers didn’t hurt LSU in the win-loss column in this game but might later in the season.

The Tigers will take on Florida at 8 pm EST on October 11th on CBS. Last year’s game was epic and was probably lost in the shuffle of the Tigers playing in so many exciting games last year. No game last year was tougher than Florida for LSU and I’d be willing to say vice-versa.

Cheer up, you guys act like this was a motherf%$#ing funeral…

Anyone afraid of Bama yet?

Maybe “afraid” is too strong of a word. I’m afraid of prison. I’m afraid of zipping my fly and not being totally “out of the way.” I’m afraid of maybe one day having a teenage daughter.

But I’m not afraid of Alabama.

How about “concerned?” Is that a better word?

Yeah, maybe that’s it. I’m mildly concerned like I am about that mole on my head that I really need to get checked out or about that chili I had for lunch that “is not sitting well.”

What about “respect but fear”? You know like with electricity or 25 foot long snakes.

As an LSU fan, I have to respect the performance of Nick Saban’s crew as they absolutely rolled over Georgia in Athens.

And the first thing I thought was “Uh-oh, what does Bama’s schedule look like the rest of the year?”

Meaning I know right now that LSU has two potential losses against Georgia and Florida, two potential letdown games against South Carolina and Ole Miss. And that’s before we talk about the meeting between Alabama and LSU in Baton Rouge.

That’s 5 games where the outcome is up in the air for LSU. What about Alabama? Give the way they are playing now, how many games do they have like that? If LSU is one you would think maybe Kentucky could be a potential letdown game along with Ole Miss. But is Bama going to drop a game to Mississippi State this year?? Tennessee?? Probably not.

The Iron Bowl is beginning to look even better for the Tide. How many potential losses is that? Two?

Alabama made a major stride in winning the SEC West in September by winning a game they were expected to drop in the pre-season. It looks like this team will go as far as John Parker Wilson will take them.

How tough is their remaining road? It doesn’t look so tough all of a sudden.

Heck let’s say LSU beats Alabama in November but drops the Florida, Georgia, and either South Carolina or Ole Miss game. For those of you that say LSU would never lose to South Carolina or Ole Miss might I refer you to last season. Will Alabama lose more than two SEC games this year???

And I don’t even want to think about some beyondo world scenario where Vanderbilt gets in from the East and Bama cake walks to an SEC title and maybe a National Title shot.

So listen up, Bama’s for real. They cannot be stopped and LSU fans must consider the possibility that even if they beat Bama, the Tide could still be rolling to Atlanta in December.

The 2008 season is over for all intents and purposes. Roll Tide Roll!!!

I mean there is no way, I mean NO WAY that Alabama loses this weekend to Kentucky. That’s impossible. That’s just not gonna happen.

Or am I just writing all this in hopes to jinx the Tide? Hmmmmm…would I do that???

Ridiculously hard as pie…

In honor of USC coach Pete Carroll who said after the Oregon State game that the Pac Ten is “ridiculously hard”. Here’s a top ten list of other things I find “ridiculously hard”:

10) Dunking on a six foot goal using a trampoline.
9) Playing hide and go seek with my dog.
8) Finding a Clemson fan willing to pack Tommy Bowden’s bags.
7) Saving money on my car insurance by switching to Geico.
6) Counting all the Pac 10 teams in the Top 25.
5) Following the directions on the side of a “Pop Tarts” box.
4) A-B-C, which in fact is also just as ridiculously hard as 1-2-3.
3) Playing dodge ball with 1st graders. Blind 1st graders.
2) A Sunday morning.
1) Finding a guy willing to go on a date with Erin Andrews.

Ladies and Gentlemen I give you Alabama’s opponent in the 2008 BCS Championship Game, the USC Trojans. Think I’m kidding?? I’m kind of hard to read today, eh?

Uh, actually don’t answer that.

Therapeutic ravings I should probably keep to myself …

---Ok, can we stop all the “black out” talk in Athens? You actually have to show up to play in those black jerseys you wear. It’s foolish to think some gimmick can win a football game. But since you like them so much feel free to wear them in Baton Rouge on the 25th. We wear white at home. But only because we play better when we wear white……and also when we play at night.

---Kentucky, if y’all want a shot to upset Alabama, try getting an early lead. Saban loves to play with a lead and this year it shows. Want to guess the number of times Bama has been behind this season??? I’ll give you a hint, it’s the same number of times you’ve gone out on a date with Erin Andrews.

---All you peeps who thought this year would be a more “normal” year than last season, I humbly submit to you the events of this past weekend. 2008 is just 2007’s late blooming cousin. If I were you, I’d make sure to keep your hands and feet inside the ride while it is in motion.

Wee and JJ are back and better than ever taking your calls after a great win against MSU. Special thanks to this weeks callers: Nootch from south LA and Shane from OK.

EDIT: Thanks to the couple dozen of you who joined us. This worked out much better than i thought it would. If you missed it, the recording will be up sometime tomorrow here on www.geauxshow.com

Look for another live show saturday evening(it's not like we've got a game to watch)

As a few of our fans know, yesterday's live show from the MSU tailgate didn't go very well. Besides the connection issues that caused the delayed start, our unpreparedness made for a really bad show.

We hope to correct the situation with a live call-in show tomorrow night at 9:00 pm. We'll be back on topic and ready to give you the completely useless analysis you crave.

JOIN US LIVE! RIGHT NOW!


http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/27523
Phone Number: (724) 444-7444
Call ID: 27523

You heard Coach! Go Vote! The band get $25,000 if they win.

http://promo.espn.go.com/espn/contests/indianajones/voteBand

Wee and Pat are back with a first hand account of the fantastic Auburn game, expectations of Miss St., and the emergence of a starting QB.


We seem to have finally worked out the kinks in getting a live call setup working, so from now on all geaux shows will normally be recorded live and we will be taking your calls. Saturday the show will start at 10 am live from the tailgate and the Midweek show will be live on Sunday nights (time to be determined) We want you, our great fans, to be part of the show, so be sure to tune in.

By Justin Goar, Blogger

If this is the Tiger Bowl, then what’s with the eagle?...

For me, the first time it happened was in 1997. I was in the student section in Tiger Stadium. Auburn got up 14-0 before LSU came back with two scores to tie it up mainly from the running of Cecil Collins.

It was a back and forth slugfest that went down to the wire and had the Auburn Tigers finish on top 31-28. As I sat in my seat when the clock hit triple zeroes, I actually put my frustration aside for a few moments and marveled at the fact that I saw just an incredible football game. It was awful to swallow that loss, but the game couldn’t have been more entertaining. It makes you respect the game. It makes you respect your opponent and it made me respect the LSU-Auburn series. Eleven years later, little has changed and this game continues to be a gift that keeps giving to the world of college football.

Whether you’re an indifferent fan in some other part of the country or say a Bama fan that wanted both teams to lose, you have to respect the show these two teams put on when they play each other.

It’s mega physical without being dirty (except for maybe one infamous play from last year). That goes a long way in my book. You had LSU players popping pads and helmets on defense and I don’t think I need to illustrate the way Auburn hits outside of looking at the play that left LSU QB Andrew Hatch seeing stars like he’s on the red carpet.

But there was never any pushing or shoving and not too much jawing (outside the normal amount these days). With that in mind, between the whistles these guys still hit each other like the other side owes them money.

Cut out all the drama of recent years, the earthquakes, the magic, the fire, the cigars, and for sixty football minutes these guys put on a show.

I would hope that some Auburn fans had the same moment of appreciation for this series on Saturday that I had in ’97 in the face of a frustrating loss. But I know it’s easier said than done.

Before watching the game with my buddy Scott, I was pacing nervously, we both were. And I thought out loud, how cool it would be to not care, for a college football game to not matter this much?

There are people all over this country who don’t care about this game. They’re at work or on a date or hanging with their family or watching “Three’s Company” re-runs on TV Land.

The point is, their heart rate doesn’t hinge on every play, every bounce, and every turn of the game. They won’t go to bed heartbroken because they lost or on Cloud Nine because they won. Their mood for the rest of the week at work or at home won’t depend on the outcome of a three hour contest played by college kids. Why do I do this to myself???!!!


Then after LSU kneeled it out to end the game the four of us went outside for that conversation which if you replaced the words, you could have believed in our demeanor that we’d just robbed a bank without getting caught or escaped a bus crash with our lives.
As we hurriedly spit out the night’s cliffhangers and second guessed decisions made, I stopped for a moment and thought out loud again…

“Oh yeah, this is why we do this. This feeling right here and right now is why we care.”

I’ve been on the good side and the bad side of this rivalry through the years and I’ve suffered through heartbreaking losses to many other teams besides Auburn over the years. As bad as losing is, it makes winning that much better.

It’s the yin and yang. You can’t know true happiness without knowing true despair and vice versa. It proves we’re alive. LSU and Auburn fans won’t have to check for a pulse anytime soon.

Whether it’s the agonizing torture of a loss or the internal high of a great win, the fans of this Tiger Bowl definitely know we’re alive.

My hat’s off to the orange and blue and the purple and gold for leaving it all out on the field Saturday night. Also, to the fans on both sides who make this game what it is every year. It’s great to be an LSU Tiger. It’s great to be an Auburn Tiger. It’s great to be a fan.


“We’re also well above average…”

There’s a mantra I use via text message with my friends that I send out when things look their darkest during game. It was originally used last year in joking, as if to mock the very thought of LSU actually making a comeback in a game.

“We’re a second half team.”

The phrase was born last year during the Florida game. It returned for the Auburn game last season and was legitimized against Alabama.

The last three times I used it was when the Tigers were struggling with Tennessee in the first half of the SEC Championship game, going down 10-0 to Ohio State, and recently going down 14-3 at Auburn this past weekend.

Say what you want about Les Miles, but his teams do not quit. They’re the bad guy in the 80’s scary movie. Michael Myers, Jason Voorhies, Freddy Krueger. Don’t they ever just die???

Auburn had to be thinking that right around the time LSU recovered the onsides kick. They thought about it when we completed the halfback pass. They thought about it when Charles Scott got stopped behind the line only to burst through for a big run on the following play along with countless other “Great Scott” runs. They thought about it when LSU answered their late score with not a game winning field goal, but a touchdown. This time LSU left more than one second on the clock.

And most of all this was personified in Tiger defensive end Raheem Alem whose personal foul with under a minute was just about the last thing LSU needed in order to quell a comeback. Then, Raheem Alem came back on the next play and turned Jordan Hare into Elm Street, Haddonfield, and Crystal Lake all rolled into one. His fifteen yard penalty was followed by a fifteen yard sack and put Auburn in a 2nd and 25 hole from which they would not escape.

If Alem did it in two plays, Jarrett Lee took an entire half to redeem a horrible mistake. Lee took a snap and tried to take advantage of Auburn not having all their players set by swinging the ball to Keiland Williams in the flat. After starting 0 for 5, Lee completed his first pass to a lineman wearing blue who took it for a score.

In a game where every bit of real estate was precious and every point at a premium, a 14-3 deficit on the road seemed too much to overcome especially when starter Andrew Hatch went down in the third quarter with a good case of “you got knocked the #$%* out” syndrome.

But we all saw what Lee did in the second half. I was halfway through a text I started but never finished that said…

“Who is this quarterback?? Are there two #12’s?”

That’s when Keiland Williams took a pitch and played quarterback for a down. LSU would go up 17-14.

Lee continued to play like a different person in the second half against one of the better defenses in the SEC and it didn’t hurt to have the juggernaut knows as Charles Scott opening up the pass game.

That’s what did it, you know? That’s why this sequel ended like the original did last year. Last year, Flynn and the coaches saw something they could exploit. It wasn’t a crazy call it just took too long to set up at the line. Flynn made a perfect throw and Byrd made a great catch and that was history.

This year was eerily like last year. Last year the score was 24-23. A field goal would’ve won it. LSU got the touchdown. This year same thing with LSU down by one 21-20 and were within field goal range for kicker Colt David. With a little over a minute left, most of us would think to run Charles Scott three times up the middle and kick the field goal. It’s what I would have done. But then again, maybe there’s good reason I don’t coach this team.

With a 1st and 10, everyone and their mom expected a run from Charles Scott including Auburn. But offensive coordinator Gary Crowton and Les Miles play to win and look for favorable situations. Instead of handing off, Jarrett Lee dropped back and threw his best ball all night. It was a down and away out route that only Jo Jo Lafell could’ve gotten. #1 did and brought it to the house.

So another Les Miles gamble pays off, but I’ll ask this question for the hundredth time. If gambles work out in your favor 90% of the time, is it still a gamble?

Les Miles doesn’t play his cards, he plays his opposition. He exploits favorable opportunities when his opponents show tendencies.

In this case, the call wasn’t the gamble, believing in a redshirt freshman quarterback to execute the call was.

But hey there Mr. Blue Chip recruit, you want to come play for a coach that believes in his players??? You can come do that in Baton Rouge.

Crazy calls or not, it doesn’t take a football genius to see what coaching staff made the better adjustments at halftime.

LSU has some weak spots that need to be worked on, but all in all, even in games they should probably lose like Florida and Georgia, it would be wise never to assume the bad guy is dead. After all, we’re a second half team.

Stop trying to bring me down…

I wouldn’t start making reservations in Atlanta and Miami just yet Tiger fans. This team has a bunch of things to get straight but the good definitely outweighs the bad at this point and time. One thing that if consistent will always keep LSU in a game is their running game.

The offensive line looked like beasts and it doesn’t hurt to have a fullback like Quinn Johnson opening holes and solid blocking from TE Richard Dickson. With Charles Scott continuing to rack up the yards especially on first down, it puts a defense on its heels.

Enter Jarrett Lee in the second half who began to throw on first down and then the offense really got clicking. LSU gained 257 yards on 31 first down plays for the game. That’s an 8.3 yard average and Miles and Co. will take that every time.

Add in a defense that gets pressure rushing just four and are smothering against the run and you’ve got some headaches for the opposition. LSU has some holes in its coverage and that was to be expected with inexperienced corners and Danny McCray and Chad Jones struggling with coverage at the nickel back position. Good QB’s (read Tebow and Stafford) should be more effective in making the Tigers pay for mistakes.

I was right about…

Two things:

1) Trindon Holliday’s hands. I said he’d fumble punt returns in crucial situations this year. I didn’t want to be right so soon in the season, and twice on top of that. Miles insists Holliday will still return punts. I’d keep him in on kickoffs though.

2) Chris Hawkins is the best corner on the team. This isn’t even a close race at the present time.


I was wrong about…

Two things:

1) Demetrius Byrd being the featured receiver when the season started. Lee likes Brandon “Jo Jo” Lafell and he likes him a lot.

2) Richard Murphy being the go to guy in the backfield when the season started. It’s quite obvious to everyone that #32 Charles Scott is the man.

Moo U blues…

I’m sorry to say that while I’m a pessimist at heart, I am never worried when we play Mississippi State. For some reason, LSU has their number every single time they tangle. The Bulldogs are 1-3 this year with losses to La. Tech, Auburn, and Georgia Tech. The reason why MSU was good in the 90’s was because of their lines. And that advantage has faded away for State. Add in the fact that it’s a night game in Tiger Stadium and I don’t like the Bulldogs’ chances.

LSU should be able to run the ball. If they can’t, and MSU forces LSU to become one dimensional, then that might give State a chance. But I look for LSU’s O-line to be dominant again and Scott should have another 100 yard day. That’s bad news for the Bulldogs who need every advantage they can get in Baton Rouge. LSU slows down a bit because of a hangover from the AU win, but don’t expect an upset this week.

LSU 35 Miss. St. 10

LIVE! from an attic in Walker, The bald bros. C-Dub and JJ give their take on the early SEC picture, how the Saints are doing, and break down the evenings match up. Enjoy an hour of the most sober episode in Geaux Show history.

Edit: thanks for listening, GEAUX TIGERS!!

Wee and JJ stay off the painkillers long enough to rethink their season predictions on our QB, M State, and our running game. Also in this show, your preview of Auburn and a ring side report of "The Quarrel in the Quad"

By Justin Goar, Blogger

The great thing about the Internet is that it allows anyone with differing opinions to get together and voice them to the world. The bad thing about the Internet is that it allows anyone with differing opinions to get together and voice them to the world.

To think that a single fan, most under the guise of anonymity, can express his or her most heartfelt sentiments about their beloved team and post their loving thoughts for the entire world to see just gives you that “Rudy sacked the quarterback in his only play even though that didn’t happen in real life” kind of feeling.

Thought-provoking, point-counterpoint football discussion makes me proud to be an American. But sometimes there are thoughtless drive-by posts that seem to just be cheap shots for the sake of being negative. I think the kids today are calling these net characters “trolls.”

But there’s a big difference between trolls and those actual fans that are just a bit quick to hit the panic button. There seems to be a wave of negativity sweeping the message boards this week. I noticed it with my LSU Tigers.

The catastrophe syndrome. Chicken littles. Call it what you want, it’s out there, man.

What I have for you today is unedited (save for language and some grammar and spelling) statements made from actual fans regarding their own team. All posts are in italics.

We start off with LSU:
“With bad QB play and DB play to go along with USC and Oklahoma blowing their teams out, I feel just down today.”

Pretty harmless, right? Not much venom to it and it only seems a little strange because the poster is mentioning a game in which their team won 41-3.

But then we have...
“If we go 6-6, do we still get invited to a bowl game? I hope so.”

Whoa?! 6-6? The defending national champions? I think most sane fans expect a drop-off, but I think this is a little too panicky.

What about...
“Can't wait till next week when we get our a***s handed to us, you guys are just pure HOMERS!”

And there we are. The lines have been drawn. You’re either way too negative or you’re a homer.

Well, put me down as someone who thinks there is a rational middle ground. I’m someone who thinks that a fan can point out the bad parts of a game or season and still be optimistic that those things will change.

Nevertheless, those supposed “homers” on this particular LSU message board coined a term for those Tiger fans whose perpetual perception of reality is glass half empty.

“Nega-tigers.” Cute, huh?

“Homers” tend to be labeled as such because of the ardent defense of their team and coaches no matter what’s going on around it. While “nega-tigers” are quick to push the panic button, homers don’t have a panic button. It’s the lack of middle ground that has these two groups at odds.

So now we have one side attacking the players and perceived lack of talent at a position, and the other side attacking those attackers and dismissing their opinions as invalid because of their negativity. But what if the criticism is valid?

College football is a passionate sport fueled by passionate fans. Some of these things are said in the heat of the moment. Is it possible to be able to criticize my team without being called a “nega-tiger”? We’ll come back to this in a second.

But first, with doomsday on the horizon and an ever-important meeting with Auburn on the road this week, you must think the purple and gold Tigers have the market cornered on negativity.

Think again.

Enter Auburn fans. I found this next post on an Auburn message board in a thread about whether to boo or not to boo their own team this weekend against LSU...
“If the offense tanks again I think we’ll be past the time for booing. It’ll be time for the rotten tomatoes.”

Then some of the discussion turned to the QB play and the new offensive coordinator Tony Franklin. I mention Franklin because he gets paid, unlike college kids.
“Maybe if we didn't have Brandon Cox Jr. as our only QB we wouldn't go three and out.”

Different post, this time about the OC:
“More excuses. You need a script in order to tell you that inside the five-yard line, to line up in the jumbo package and punch the ball in for a TD??? Maybe we should start calling him Teflon Tony...”

Welcome to Auburn, Mr. Franklin—don’t unpack.

The good thing is for the most part this is the fringe. It’s like the guy 10 rows behind me in Tiger Stadium who apparently didn’t need to pass a football IQ test to obtain season tickets and whose football knowledge is inversely proportionate to the volume in which he verbally displays it.
LSU fans are well aware that a national championship may not be in reach this year. Auburn fans need to understand that implementing a new offensive system with a new quarterback is a work in progress. Most fans get this.

One thing’s for sure: I wouldn’t want to see the message boards of the losing set of nega-tigers this weekend.

Football doomsayers don’t just reside in Auburn and Baton Rouge.
“Hate to say it but we are horrible. Worst Michigan team I have ever seen in 30 years of being a fan. Are we better than ANY Big Ten team? I will suffer faithfully with our team and hope for better days, but am fully expecting a 10th or 11th finish in the Big Ten.”

And from our friends in Tempe:
“...But when you can't even get a first down on offense at home 'cause you're afraid to open up your playbook! Give me a break! We need to delete National Rankings and BCS from our vocabulary for a couple years! And it's somewhat ironic that our seasoned, experienced coaching staff would let this happen to them. Seriously, what's wrong with our OC? I don't know the guy's history like some others on this board, but who's calling the predictable three and four-yard running plays up the middle when we need seven or eight? This is the worst I've felt since the USC game last year.”

I think the biggest problem on message boards is anonymity. Everything you read from me here has my name on it. The line should be drawn on the way we criticize.

Anonymity gives us this cloak of invisibility to attack without knowing who it’s coming from. So those attacks can be either vicious or without merit. It’s the main factor as to why message board banter and information is so easily dismissed sometimes.

Let’s come back to whether or not it’s possible to criticize a team without being branded a negative fan.

If I were to blast the LSU quarterbacks for staring down receivers (which is a popular knock right now), it matters how I say it and how I back it up. It also helps to have a little football perspective and not be so reactionary.

When that thought crosses my mind, a rational thought response would be:
“Well, JaMarcus Russell, Matt Mauck, and Rohan Davey all did similar things in their early starts.”

That would be an even keel approach.

A “nega-tiger” talks in absolutes and might say something like:
“Well that’s it, we’re ****ed for the season. If they look bad now, I’m sure they’ll look the same as the season progresses. Mark my words, this is the downfall of LSU football as we know it!!!”

On top of this, you have trolls who cheap shot and run. Negative fans care about their team, but their defense mechanism is to attack now to later avoid the pain of their self-fulfilling prophecy. Trolls just look to spew venom and are probably much happier when their team’s hopes are in the toilet. Misery begets misery.

Now, most message boards have moderators who try to toe the line between allowing frustrated fans to vent and removing inappropriate content that doesn’t contribute to the spirit of the site.

On that note, we head to Columbus for some examples of posts that will get you banned from a certain Buckeye fan site:
“The boys must have been chugging a big case of Choka Cola again. I can’t take this [censored] anymore.”

I want to add that I do not condone calling out any college player so I’m going to delete the player’s name:
“Why are we keeping up this charade? He just isn't good. Zero poise. Zero talent. Zero smart.
"He's an embarrassment to this team.”

And a final parting shot from Buckeye country...
“It's time for (player name deleted) and Tressel to go.”

Now I’m not saying you can’t point out your team’s weak points. One must keep in mind that we are talking about college kids who are not professional athletes.

And despite warnings from just about everyone involved with their team, many players visit the message boards, and some players must find it hard not to take to heart what is said by some guy typing in his underwear while eating Fig Newtons by the sleeve.

I try to temper my opinions with a dash of reality, but deep down I’m just a guy who wants what’s best for his team. If I see a problem, I’m going to say something about it, but hopefully not in a disrespectful way, and try to find the positives and ways the team can improve in the meantime.

I wouldn’t consider myself a homer or a “nega-tiger.” I’m a pessimist at heart. I believe the coin will come up tails a half second after I call heads. But deep down, I still believe in the purity of the flip.

That comes from being a Saints fan since age six.

When it comes down to it, the Internet is a lot like life. There are a lot of stupid people and a lot of angry people in this world. And sometimes there are stupid angry people. A good fan knows to avoid this group as much as possible.

Lastly, don’t take every statement from every person seriously, whether they’re a troll, a homer, or a “nega-tiger.”

Starting today, Long time LSU blogger and recent Geaux Show guest Justin Goar, will be writing for us here at the geaux show. He'll be covering everything from football and baseball, to tailgating and life as a fan. Justin has authored more than 150 columns since 2000 at his personal site (http://www.tigerreport.com/) and is now the LSU Community leader at The Bleacher Report (http://bleacherreport.com/users/9359-Justin-Goar). We hope you enjoy his writing.

After 2 weeks of hurricanes, The Geaux Show makes it's triumphant, LIVE, tape delayed return. 2 weeks of semi-expert analysis jam packed into an hour of drunken rambling. Special Guest: Long-time LSU blogger Justin Goar.

Because of winds and rain from Hurricane Ike, it has put our live Geaux Show in jeoparday for Saturday morning.

If we are able to set up the equipment and not have to worry about rain, we will stream live at beginning at 10:00am. 

Check back during the morning for anymore news.

 

 

Carey (Big Wee)

The game will be at 10 a.m. , which means no live show this week. More to follow.

Wee and Pat return for another year of midweek shows. They let you know what to expect from the tigers this Saturday and give you the most incomplete break down of the Appy. St. Mountaineers you will ever hear.

The whole crew gathers in C-Dub's attic to discuss LSU's outlook for the 08 season. A nearly 2-hour recording of 5 drunks on a couch to get you ready for the season.

The Geaux Show will be presenting its 2008 season preview for LSU Football this coming Saturday, August 16th.

Stay tuned to www.geauxshow.com for actual start time.  The show will stream live for those who want to tune in, and should be available to download on your IPods sometime during the following week.

If you have any questions you want answered on the show, feel free to email the show @ geauxshow@gmail.com.  Or, send them to me at cmontz71@gmail.com

16 current and former Tigers will be competing in the Beijing Olympics this year representing 8 different countries. Many are from our 2008 National Women's Outdoor Track and Filed Championship team, but also notice the Seimone Augustus/Sylvia Fowles reunion on the Women's Basketball team.







Seimone Augustus          Basketball (W)     Athlete        United States
Kelly Baptiste                 Track & Field (W)     100m     Trinidad & Tobago
Neisha Bernard-Thomas    Track & Field (W)     800m     Grenada
Heather Brand                 Swimming (W)     100m Fly     Zimbabwe
Marian Burnett                Track & Field (W)     800m     Guyana
Laverne Eve                    Track & Field (W)     Javelin     Bahamas
Sherry Fletcher               Track & Field (W)     100m     Grenada
Sylvia Fowles                 Basketball (W)     Athlete     United States
Alleyne Francique          Track & Field (M)     400m     Grenada
Lolo Jones                  Track & Field (W)     100m Hurdles     United States
Muna Lee                  Track & Field (W)     100m & 200m     United States
Miko Malberg                Swimming (M)     50m Free     Estonia
Jessica Ohanaja             Track & Field (W)     100m Hurdles     Nigeria
Isa Phillips                     Track & Field (M)     400m Hurdles     Jamaica
Richard Thompson        Track & Field (M)     100m     Trinidad & Tobago
Nickiesha Wilson          Track & Field (W)     400m Hurdles     Jamaica

by:  Carey Montz

 

The 2008 LSU defense looks to rebound from its worst performance statistically since 2001.  No easy task considering what LSU has to replace in 2008.  Gone from last year's national champions is All-American defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey, safety Craig Steltz, linebackers Ali Highsmith and Luke Sanders, and cornerbacks Chevis Jackson and Jonathon Zenon.

Plenty of Tiger fans, including myself, was willing to help Bo Pelini pack his bags for Nebraska midway through the 2007 season.  But, what us spoiled LSU fans seemed to forget was that the 2007 defense suffered some major losses on the D-line that affected the team's play throughout the season.

First, let's start with Charles Alexander, who missed basically the entire season due to injury.  Then, there's Ricky Jean-Francois (RJF), who was suspended the entire regular season due to academic problems.  RJF would play in the SEC and BCS Title games and make a huge impact.  Oh, and let us not forget that Dorsey played much of the second half of the season hurt due to a bad back and bad knee.

The injuries, combined with what I felt was Pelini's inability to adapt to different personnel, was what hurt the defense last season. 

All that said, the season ended with LSU raising the crystal ball.  Okay, so let's move on to 2008.

No doubt that Dorsey leaves the biggest void on defense, but ironically, I think LSU's defensive line will be every bit as good as last season, if not better.  How can that be, you ask?

Well, as I stated above, Charles Alexander was out for the year.  RJF did not play until the final two games of the year.  And, Bo Pelini will not be roaming the LSU sidelines thinking about whom he is going to add to his coaching staff at Nebraska.

Okay, I joke about the last sentence.

In 2008, the defensive line will once again be LSU's strong point.  Tyson Jackson, a potential 1st round pick, comes back at right defensive end.  Kirston Pittman, who was granted a 6th year of eligibility, will start at left defensive end.  Prior to 2007, Pittman spent much of 2005 and 2006 on the bench with injuries.  When healthy, he has been a solid performer at the defensive end position for the Tigers.

Alexander and RJF will start at the defensive tackle positions.  Both men had strong 2006 campaigns serving as backups, and look to make a huge impact for LSU in 2008.

Behind this starting four is a number of able bodied backups, some of them are guys who saw a fair amount of playing time in 2007, the others are highly touted recruits vying for playing time in 2008. 

The depth on the defensive line is awesome.  I am not trying to speak like a homer, but it is the absolute truth.  One thing that Pelini did well was rotate a number of guys in and out, giving everyone good experience against quality competition.  The key backups who figure to get the most playing time are defensive tackles, Marlon Favorite and Al Woods, and defensive ends Tremaine Johnson and Rahim Alem.

Senior Mike (middle) linebacker Darry Beckwith looks to rebound from a subpar junior season to lead the LSU line-backing core.  Beckwith, along with Pittman, are the returning leaders at tackles for LSU.  Beckwith had 65 tackles a year ago, 6.5 for losses.

Perry Riley and Kelvin Sheppard will replace graduating seniors Ali Highsmith and Luke Sanders at the Buck and Will (outside) linebacker positions.  Sheppard is probably most known for being confused for former LSU QB Ryan Perrilloux.  The two shared jersey number 11 last year.  It confused many announcers as well as many LSU fans, often posing the question, "Why is Ryan Perrilloux playing special teams?"  Luckily, this season, we need not worry about that.

Riley and Sheppard both have to improve their game in 2008.  With the injuries accrued along the defensive line in 2007, the line backing core struggled at times.  If LSU looks to repeat as SEC, or even perhaps BCS champions, this is an area where improvement is extremely necessary.

The one area where the biggest questions arise for the 2008 LSU defense is the secondary. 

The only returning starter in the secondary is Curtis Taylor.  However, the talent is rich, but unproven among the rest.  Backing up Taylor will be Harry Coleman, who had a solid game against Ohio State.

Getting the start at strong safety will be sophomore Chad Jones.  Jones follows in the mold of a Laron Landry hard-hitting safety type.  Danny McCray will back up Jones.  McCray needs to improve in pass coverage to get valuable playing time.

Cornerback will be the crapshoot.  Jackson and Zenon were very good cover corners.  Unfortunately, the guys backing them up in 2007 were not. 

Looking to fill the void at corner is redshirt freshman Phelon Jones and true freshman Patrick Johnson.  Johnson was perhaps LSU’s most highly touted recruit back in February.

Overall, there are some question marks for the 2008 defense.  However, I do think the Tigers can improve in 2008. 

A healthy defensive line will go a long way in determining how good this defense can be.  And although LSU    lost some keys guys in the secondary, it think they too can be better, most notably at the safety position.  No disrespect to Craig Steltz, who was tremendous for LSU, but at times, was a liability in pass coverage.  I think better athletes at the safety positions will help the freshmen corners transition into their starting roles.

But if this team is to improve from last season, it most look no further than its most glaring statistic.  LSU ranked 101^st in red zone scoring defense last year, something that is absolutely unheard of at LSU. 

This defensive unit will be called upon this season to make some key plays, especially with the inexperience at the quarterback position.  It will be no small order, but this LSU defense must be up to the task for LSU to have the huge success that is expected of them.

by:  Carey Montz

Despite the loss of Ryan Perrilloux, the 2008 LSU offense will not be all that dissimilar from what it was in 2007. While Perrilloux was the only quarterback with any real experience (Andrew Hatch did see some mop-up duty a time or two last season), the rest of the offense is loaded with experience and talent at every other position.

Coming off of a national championship year is never easy—just ask the 2004 LSU football team. Doing so with little, to no experience at quarterback is even tougher. Again, cite the 2004 squad.

Andrew Hatch, the Harvard transfer, enters his junior year with the only in-game experience the quarterback position can boast of.

Jarrett Lee, the highly-touted recruit from Texas, enters his redshirt freshman year ready to compete for the starting job.

The positive thing is that both Hatch and Lee have the same amount of experience in offensive coordinator Gary Crowton's system. The other positive is that Perrilloux had the same amount of experience.

It remains to be seen whether Hatch or Lee, or both for that matter, will excel in Crowton's offense. However, one thing is certain—the skill players surrounding these guys are not without experience, or talent for that matter.

As much as I don't want to, I would be remiss not to mention the cliche that rings true with so many new quarterbacks. You know the one. All Hatch or Lee has to do is manage the game and not make mistakes.

I would not say it if it wasn't true. Granted, LSU's road schedule is tough, and at some point one of these guys will have to make a play somewhere. But for the most part, managing the game will be the main priority.

Who gets the start to open the season? Hatch would be the easy choice, but Lee will get every opportunity to become the starting quarterback once practice starts in August.

Either way, I expect both guys to rotate in and out of games, much like Matt Flynn and Perrilloux did a year ago.

I spoke of the other skill positions that look to aid in the maturing process of both of these young quarterbacks. Where LSU lacks in experience at quarterback, they more than make up for it at just about every other offensive position on the field.

To start, look no further than the guys who will be lining up in the backfield. The LSU rushing attack netted 3,000 yards rushing for the season in 2007, and all but one of the guys responsible returns in 2008. LSU will have to replace Jacob Hester, but the guys returning are more than capable.

Keiland Williams is LSU's leading returning rusher, having rushed for 513 yards and six TDs in 2007. Williams is a power rusher with a slashing-type mentality. He looks to round the corner more than take it up the gut, but when he gets the corner, watch out, because his speed is lights out.

A perfect contrast to Williams is Charles Scott. Scott is a straight-ahead runner who no doubt will be looked upon to pick up the tough yards that Hester did so many times last season. Both Scott and Williams showed versatility as well, combining for 21 receptions and three TDs a year ago.

The two guys who complement the guys listed above are Richard Murphy and Trindon Holliday. 

Murphy is perhaps LSU's most versatile running back. He can run between the tackles, split out as a wide receiver, and catch the ball out of the backfield. His talent did not go unnoticed in 2007, as he was used more and more as the year progressed. 

Holliday is not your prototypical running back. Standing at only 5'5'' and weighing in at 159 pounds, Holliday will be used primarily in end arounds and reverse plays. Expect a trick play or two with him as well, like the well known "hidden Holliday trick."

LSU's wide-receiving corps will once again be among the best in the SEC. While running the ball figures to be LSU's main focal point for 2008, this group of receivers will be ready to make plays when called upon.

Demetrius Byrd and Brandon LaFell combined for nearly 1,300 yards, 85 receptions, and 11 TDs in 2007. Terrance Toliver had a solid freshman campaign in 2007, hauling in three TDs and averaging 25 yards per catch. He and Byrd will look to make big plays down the field, while LaFell will be looked upon to make the tough catches over the middle.

A perfect safety valve for both Hatch and Lee will undoubtedly be TE Richard Dickson. LSU's best-known secret is no more, especially after his performance in the BCS National Championship Game.

However, with the speed on the ends, Dickson should still be able to find some very favorable matchups over the middle of the field in 2008.

Rounding up my look at the 2008 LSU offense is the men in the trenches. LT Ciron Black and LG Herman Johnson may be the fiercest left side LSU has seen in quite some time. Black has been a starter since his freshman season and should be a preseason All-America candidate. 

Brett Helms returns at center in 2008. His experience, leadership, and toughness will be key this season. Rounding up the right side of the offensive line is RG Lyle Hitt and RT Joseph Barksdale. Together these five guys look to pace another solid rushing attack and protect the two young, inexperienced quarterbacks.

The 2007 LSU offense was good. It was Gary Crowton's first year. The 2008 version could possibly be better. It won't be easy. But, as an LSU fan, it should be a fun year to watch on the offensive side of the ball.

Join me next time (whenever that may be) for a look at the 2008 LSU defense.

 

by:  Carey Montz

 

 

About this time every year, avid football fans across the country begin to yearn for the start of college football season.  With that comes another year of tailgating in the south.  The best tailgating in all the land hails in the south.

I posted this article a year ago, but in this dead sports time, I feel it needs to be revisited.

So, here we geaux again.  The Geaux Show in collaboration with Team KATT Tailgating has comprised a list of 10 must haves if you want to be considered a serious tailgater...

 

A TEAM KATT GUIDE TO A SUCCESSFUL TAILGATING SEASON

While the true die-hard college football fan is ready for the start of another football season as soon as the final whistle blows, the average college football enthusiast typically starts to fiend for college football about this time of the summer. 

Both the true die-hard and average fan wish college football was played year round, but most are intelligent enough to realize that football needs a break from time to time as well.  That being said, these same people start to get antsy and begin correlating their fall schedules in order to prepare for the start of football season, more importantly the tailgating season. 

This antsiness (made up word) primarily coincides with the beginning of summer.  We all find ways to cope with the football off-season. There are the NBA guys, us NASCAR guys, and the baseball purists (you know, those guys who don't mind watching a mid-summer's three game set between the Royals and Orioles). 

However, once summer is in full swing, we all become the little kid in the back of his parent's Suburban on a long vacation trip.  That little kid can remain quiet and find ways to occupy himself for much of the travel time, but once he can see the light at the end of the tunnel, he forgets about all things that kept him occupied for the other four hours and 23 minutes. 

So, what do we do to occupy ourselves for the other 45 minutes?  The married men are always given chores to do, but nothing that can truly divert our attention away from the soon to be football season. 

The single guy, other than the occasional one night fling, doesn't have the luxury, or curse depending on how you look at, of having that special someone giving him chores to occupy his time. 

Regardless, all men must find ways to get us through what are the dog days of summer.  So, after this long intro into what I feel will be a very productive meeting, I have compiled a list of 10 things that are essential for your football tailgate.  Thanks to me, I have filled your two months of waiting by providing a list of must haves which are guaranteed to make your tailgate spectacular.  Ensuring that all items on this list are in their upright and locked positions will make these next two months fly by.  Enjoy!!!

10.) Necessary Transportation. The rest of this list is basically irrelevant if your tailgate doesn't have the necessary logistics.  Chances are someone in your group either has a truck or an SUV.  If no one in your circle has either of these, stop reading this article.  Or, go out and buy yourself a truck, then continue reading.  Ideally, having two or more utility vehicles will do, but in reality, if you have at least one utility ride to handle the big stuff, you should be all right.

9.) Arrive Early. Tailgating is almost a national pastime in some parts of the country during the fall.  The lackadaisical tailgater may think its no big deal to arrive at his tailgate around lunchtime.  However, this simply does not apply to those truly serious about being a successful tailgater. 

You must always plan out with your friends what is the best time to arrive for tailgating.  There are certain criteria to consider as well.  Always consider the opponent.  If it is a big time SEC game, chances are people are going to arrive early.  If it is opening weekend, it doesn't matter who the opponent is, people have waited since November to tailgate once again, thus arriving early is key.  If it is midseason, and LSU is playing Middle Tennessee, arriving about an hour or so later than usual is sufficient.

8.) A Good Location. It is important to every tailgate to find a good location where much fun can be had.  You don't want to pick the wrong spot and be stuck tailgating next to a bunch of squares.  Also, you have to think about the intangibles. 

 

First, you want to set up a tailgate somewhere so that your vehicle will remain in the same zip code.  Next, always think about where your closest restrooms are located.  Lastly, you must pick out a spot where there is lots of action.  Having others around only makes tailgating that much more fun.

 

7.) Furniture and Appliances (chairs, tables, ice chests, radio, tv, etc). When you get to your tailgate spot, you gotta have a place to sit.  Investing in chairs and the like is a smart move.  Having tables to put food on is always a good thing.  Of course, you are going to need ice chests to keep the beer good and cold.  Lastly, you must have some form of medium. 

 

Also, you must think about what you will use to power said medium.  An inverter that can plug into a vehicle is good.  And you can always invest in a small generator.  Remember, you must have something for the generator to keep the noise and fumes down to a minimum.  Or spend the extra money for one of those quiet generators.

 

6.) EZ-UP Tents. This is essential to making any tailgate a success.  And not any old tent will do.  You have to go with the EZ-UP Tents.  Too many times over the years my friends and I have watched and laughed in amazement at people who show up to tailgate with either a screened in camping style tent or one of those tents that are in hundreds of pieces.  The EZ-UP is the only way to go.  If you don't already have one, or if your tent resembles a jigsaw puzzle, do yourself a favor and spend a few extra dollars on the aforementioned EZ-UP Tent.  And no, the folks at EZ-UP are not paying me.

 

5.) JJ Clancy. Some of you might be asking yourself what is a JJ Clancy?  Well, JJ can be anyone.  More specifically, JJ is the one friend that no tailgate can do without.  His entertainment quality is second to none.  He is the one guy who is ready to drop anything, regardless of importance, at the drop of a hat if it means tailgating success. 

 

He promises he will take care of the entertainment (television, ice chest radio, Direct TV, etc) but never has the proper equipment so that these amenities can be enjoyed (battery for said radio, and subscription service for the Direct TV).  He provides outlandish ideas without thinking how much money it might cost.  But from that enthusiasm, misguided as it might be, comes commitment.  If you tell him to be there at 6:00am to help set up, he is there. 

 

4.) Good Food and Good Beer. If you are going to take all the necessary steps so far, it would not be complete without a good food menu.  In my opinion, you are not serious about tailgating if you go out there with the idea that you will just grab a bite to eat from the student union.  That is designed for the folks who get out there at 2:00 in the afternoon and need to pass some time before heading to the stadium. 

 

That is just not good enough. 

 

A solid food menu only makes your tailgate more special.  And live on the edge a little.  Don't bring your little grill every week and cook some frozen hamburgers and hot dogs.  Keep the menu diverse.  There are plenty of things that are easy to prepare that don't require plenty of labor.  A good example of how to make your menu diverse is to base it around a central theme of your choice.  It makes it more fun.

 

Let's face it, we can compile another list of 10 reasons why beer is important at any tailgate.  Others might prefer to bring mixed drinks and such, but it doesn't get any simpler than beer.  Also, once you have arrived and your beer is iced down and you are ready to sit and relax, be sure to designate someone as your personal beer bitch. 

 

Finding someone gullible is the key.  The beer bitch is usually gullible and doesn't arrive at the tailgate as early as the others.  Also, he is the guy who comes with his beer, and then asks if he can bum room in someone's ice chest.  This has beer bitch written all over it.  Remember it.

 

3.) Recreational Activities - If you are following these steps to the tee, you must bring along some type of recreational activity.  If you have a good location with plenty of open room, you have to have a football.  It is considered illegal in some states to tailgate without a football.  Another thing to consider is holey board. 

 

When the beer starts to flow and people start to arrive, the holey board games get very intense.  Also, if you tailgate at the parade grounds at LSU and you get out there early, a pitching wedge and a nine iron along with about half a dozen golf balls is a good idea.  Practice your short game while waiting for the slackers to arrive.  If you are a sit down tailgater, a deck of cards is always a good idea.

 

2.) Good Friends - No doubt that a good time can be had at a tailgate with just a core group of friends.  But don't be afraid to let some of your friends invite some of their friends, no matter how much they mooch off of your food and beer.  As far as tailgating is concerned, we believe the more the merrier.  If the mooching continues after a while, then it is okay to kick their ass, but do it politely.  Then, politely tell them that if they want to join in on the fun, it is time to contribute. 

 

I got away from why I had this so high on the list.  You being there with all of your closest friends celebrating one common thing is a high like no other.  It's not like going to a party in college where everyone has their own separate agenda.  Everyone at a tailgate is there for the same reason.  It's a daylong event culminating with a football game at night.

 

1.)  Dedication - Everything listed above is irrelevant if you don't have No.1.  If you are going to tailgate seriously, certain sacrifices will have to be made.  For those of you responsible for hauling much of the equipment, you must accept the fact that your vehicle will smell like ass for the entire fall season and part of the winter. 

 

If you are going to tailgate with friends, make sure you tailgate with those friends who are as truly dedicated and psychotic as you.  This may hurt other friends’ feelings who want to arrive a bit later.  That is their problem.  If they want to arrive later and go somewhere else, oh well.  If they want to arrive later and join you, welcome them with open arms.  Also, be smart about your dedication. 

 

Budget for your tailgate.  Think about what needs to be done and start planning in the springtime. 

 

There you have it.  10 things that are essential to making any tailgate a success.  Please keep in mind that I am aware that there are other necessities, but I felt these were the most important.  Now, that I have laid the groundwork, go out there and do me proud.

^^How I will remember this season^^

The best season of Tiger Baseball in a while (technically the best since '00) has ended. Everything was going our way. The weather helped us get out of a terrible 1st inning. Bradford and Coleman were pitching lights-out. Clark extended his home run lead to 28. White (UNC's Ace) wasn't that spectacular.

But after loading the bases to pitch around UNC's best hitter, the luck ran out. It was only the 2nd home run allowed by Coleman all season.

But I'm not sad. Sure, tomorrow's gonna suck, and I'll grumble about it all week, but after this miraculous season, how could any Tiger fan be disappointed?

The Real bad news is that, with the exception of a few Tigers in the Olympics, LSU sports year is over. The Geaux Show will reconvene soon with a season wrap up, then it's the dead time till Fantasy Football season.

It's 70 days till kickoff. I'd better get the tents to the parade grounds now.

What Paul Maineri has done with this team is amazing. To think that just a few months ago they were barley scratching .500 in SEC play and are now barreling through teams on the way to a National Championship. Not to mention the final 2 games at The Box easily rank among the best games ever played there.

We played better defense than UCI all weekend long, and despite claims that they don't play small ball, they did and it killed them. Monday's game was over after the 6 run 1st.

It is hard to believe we will never see another game at that beautiful park. I can only hope the new stadium has that same close to the action feel.

The Box is Dead! Long Live The Box!

 

A CANDID LOOK AT LSU's RECENT SUCCESS

BY: CAREY MONTZ

 

 

LSU continued it's amazing win streak by blowing away the competition at the Regional this weekend winning 12-1, 13-4 and 11-4 against Texas Southern and twice against Southern Miss. Both Blake Dean and Matt Clark increased their home run totals (at 19 and 25 respectivly) and their was some stellar defensive play by Jared Mitchell. Thanks to some upsets in Nebraska, The Box will close its doors fittingly with a Super Regional Series this weekend against the UC-Irvine Anteaters. All games will be televised on ESPN.

LIVE! from the Abita studio, the crew gets together for a crawfish boil and discusses all manner of topics, including LSU baseball, the QB situation, the spring game, the 5 running back system, pre-season predictions, Brazillian Jujitsu, and the Hornets.

Okay.  Time to rethink everything.  We promised the return of The Geaux Show this Saturday, and we still plan to deliver.  Except, that we will begin around 12:30pm instead of the originally planned 2:30pm.

The LSU baseball team will be playing at 1:00 on Saturday.  Given the history of games rarely starting on time in Hoover, AL., we here at the Geaux Show figure we can give our listeners a solid hour leading into the first pitch on Saturday.

After the longest layoff since it's inception, The Geaux Show will return in full force (hopefully) this Saturday.  We will stream live via remote from Big Wee's backyard.  Air time for the show is tentatively set for 2:30pm.  We will have a 15 minute call in segment as well.  So, for those of you who plan on listening, feel free to call in.

*The Tigers extended the streak to 16 as they completed a sweep of Auburn on Saturday, clinching the West in an impressive victory using a new line up. Mainieri wanted to use players who hadn't gotten alot of playing time this season and it payed off.

*The picture you see is of the new Alex Box Stadium. LSU released a new gallery of construction pics HERE

* Your SEC Tournament Pairings

All Times Central

Hoover, Ala.
Regions Field

Wednesday, May 21
Game 1: #2 LSU vs. #7 South Carolina, 10 a.m.
Game 2: #3 Florida vs. #6 Vanderbilt, 1 p.m.
Game 3: #1 Georgia vs. #8 Ole Miss, 5 p.m.
Game 4: #5 Kentucky vs. #4 Alabama, 8 p.m.

Thursday, May 22
Game 5: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 10 a.m.
Game 6: Loser Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4, 1 p.m.
Game 7: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 5 p.m.
Game 8: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 8 p.m.

Friday, May 23
Game 9: Winner Game 5 vs. Loser Game 7, 3 p.m.
Game 10: Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 8, 6 p.m.

Saturday, May 24
Game 11: Winner Game 8 vs. Winner Game 9, 10 a.m.
Game 12: Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 10, 1:30 p.m.
Game 13*: Winner Game 11 vs. Loser Game 11, 5 p.m.
Game 14*: Winner Game 12 vs. Loser Game 12, 8 p.m.

Sunday, May 25
Game 15: Winner Game 13 vs. Winner Game 14, 3 p.m. 

* Game 13 will be necessary if the winner of Game 9 also wins game 11.

* Game 14 will be necessary if the winner of Game 10 also wins Game 12. If Game 13 is not necessary, Game 14 would start at 5 p.m.

If both bracket winners are undefeated, there will be no 5 or 8:30 p.m. games on Saturday and the championship game will be the 13th game, which will be played on Sunday. 

*Butch Pierre, long time Men's Basketball assistant who led the team after Brady's firing, has accepted an assistants job at OSU. Unofficial sources say he left because of differences with new coach Trent Johnson and some idiot on the radio started a rumor that Pierre was the reason we lost J'Mison Morgan. Both Johnson and Pierre deny the rumor.

*The baseball team has extended their streak to 14 after an impressive 6-4 win at Auburn. I say impressive because they clearly looked a little tired still from the 15 inning marathon that ended wednesday morning. With another win today, and some help from around the league, they will clinch the SEC West title.

LSU retains their longest winning streak in the country (now at 13) by beating a tough UNO team, who was riding a 13 game streak of their own.

The game lasted till well after midnight and probably would have ended earlier if Zephyr Field wasn't such a huge park. We used almost the whole bullpen, so who knows what will happen for thursdays early series at Auburn.

With this win, and barring a complete disaster in the SEC tournament, LSU is now a shoe-in to host a regional. Alex Box isnt finished yet!

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!

So the whole "Spirit Ball" thing was pretty awkward. And you'd think with the millions being spent to build the new park they coulda got some better microphones. But overall it was a wonderful salute to a great building.

And the team gave a great salute as well. A 12 game winning streak coupled with the first 3-SEC-series sweep since 1991 has brought this team from disappointing depths to a very real chance at hosting a regional in a few weeks. Maineri should be commended for getting this team on track.

That makes 19 of 20 LSU teams this year that have participated in post season action. We truly are living in the golden age.

Today will be (baring some extremely lucky breaks in Regional Play) the final game in Alex Box Stadium. Fittingly LSU will probably close out with a sweep against MSU, in an embarrassingly lopsided victory. An 11 game win streak is the perfect way to send this stadium out. I personally will miss sitting with the hecklers in Coons Corner on the right field line. I hope the new box has a place for them.

Do you remember the micro machines guy?  You know....the fast talking guy who resembled the real life version of Super Mario.  I feel I need him to do a recap of everything that has taken place since I last wrote any type of blog, or hosted a Geaux Show episode.

Alright, so in the beginning of January, LSU became the first team to win two BCS Championships.  During the winter months the LSU men's basketball team struggled mightily in SEC play, leading to the firing of John Brady (way overdue), while the women's team went to a 5th straight Final Four, only to have their hearts ripped out again by eventual national champion, Tennessee. 

The men would go on to replace Brady with Trent Johnson, formerly of Stanford.  Not a home run hire, but someone who should be able to come in and do some good things.  Given the current state in which men's basketball dwells, I don't think the LSU die-hards could ask for more. 

Now in the spring, the baseball team has shown improvement throughout Paul Manieri's second year as head coach.  The post-season is still within reach for the young baseball Tigers. 

Spring football came and went without much of a hitch.  Those who many thought would step up in the spring did, and some others were not allowed to participate.

The "others" to which I was referring is of course Ryan Perrilloux.  Former major league baseball pitcher Steve Howe didn't get as many second chances as Perrilloux.  Incident after incident over the past year has led to speculation among fans as to whether he would be on the team come the beginning of fall practice.  This past Friday, Les Miles finally decided enough was enough.  After failing to meet unspecified team rules, Miles was left no choice but to dismiss Perrilloux from the LSU football team. 

So, the LSU football Tigers must now move on, minus Ryan Perrilloux.  The logical LSU fan has been preparing for this moment since Perrilloux signed his letter of intent a little more than three years ago.  That may sound harsh, but it is the truth.

The good news is that the cupboard isn't exactly bare.  The bad news is that there is little to no game experience to work with at the QB position.  But alas, there is a silver lining.  How about five starters returning on the offensive line.  A slu of running backs who all had valuable touches in big games this past year.  And a receiving corps that will not skip a beat since the one person who is gone from that group, Early Doucet, missed half the season due to injury.

It would also be unfair of me to focus primarily on how this effects the LSU football team.  Let us not forget how this effects Mr. Perrilloux.  A young man who had an outstanding opportunity and was given chance after chance to straighten out, is now facing the reality of finishing his college career at a Division 1-AA school. 

Who knows what would have become of Ryan Perrilloux had he been able to adhere to team rules and lead one of the top teir football programs in the nation for the next two years?  Would he have eventually become a top draft choice?  Would he have led the Tigers to a 3rd BCS Title?  Would he have emerged as a Heisman candidate in a couple of years?  All questions that will never be answered.  Not just for us as fans, but I would like to think he is somewhere pondering these same things right now.  Then again, it may not matter to him.  Otherwise, he would have straightened his act out already.

 

 

Casey's back with a ladies Final Four preview, Coaching News, and Baseball

The Geaux Show minute returns with our old friend and man on the scene, Casey Gisclair.

Men fall to USC
Spring football practice
Baseball opens SEC Play

Women's Basketball
Monday 6 p.m. vs. #1 UConn (ESPN2, 107.3fm)
Thursday 7 p.m. at. ARK (CST, 107.3fm)

Men's Basketball
Wednesday 6:30 p.m. at. USC (98.1fm)

Baseball
Tuesday 6:30 p.m. vs. Southern (98.1fm)
Wednesday 6:30 p.m. vs. Miss. Valley St. (107.3fm)
Friday 7 p.m. vs. Duquesne (98.1fm)

*Tiger Baseball had a successful opening weekend series with Indiana at The Box, winning the series 2-1. It would have been a sweep if not for some great bullpen work by the Hoosiers on Sunday.

*Butch Pierre's squad notched a surprising 20-point win vs. Ole Miss, a team that entered SEC play as one of the few remaining undefeated in the country. This was the first home SEC win this season and the first home victory since December. Fan support seems to be rallying behind Pierre to be made the next head coach and that may be a good option considering the available coaching talent, but LSU will probably wait till after the season to make anything official.

Sorry for the delays, folks. As some of you may know, Carly Madison Muntz was born on January 31 (All involved are doing fine). It has made getting together for a show difficult, but we will have a new live call-in show soon.

Another recruiting season is in the books, and the National Champion Tigers finished with yet another top 10 class. LSU returns 6 starters on offense and 5 starters on defense; however, LSU fills those holes with players who have significant playing time under their belt. The biggest question for the 2008 LSU football team will be at the defensive back position; and did Les Miles do a great job in bringing in some top guys to replace seniors Chevis Jackson and Jonathon Zenon. Miles and staff signed six defensive backs for the '08 class, the biggest recruit being #1 DB Patrick Johnson from Pompano Beach, FL. Look for Johnson to see the field early in his career at LSU.

LSU should be stacked at the receiver position for a while. Gary Crowton and company did a great job by signing five receivers: DeAngelo Benton, Chris Tolliver, Jhryn Taylor, Tim Molton, and Deangelo Peterson. I expect all except Benton to redshirt for the 2008 season.

Les Miles, being a former offensive lineman at Michigan back in his day, knows his stuff when it comes to the big men. LSU had somewhat of a surprise on signing day when Florida native Greg Shaw (6'5 270) sent in his LOI to the Tigers.

In what was a "down year" in Louisiana as to top recruits in the nation, Les Miles held strong to his duties and received commitments from all of the Louisiana players he offered. Keeping the talent in-state is huge in becoming a top program in college football.

Biggest Impact in '08: WR DeAngelo Benton (6'3 210). DeAngelo committed to the Tigers in '07, but failed to qualify. Benton kept his word and is ready to come to Baton Rouge in 2008. Similar to Demetrius Byrd, who also was a JUCO transfer, DeAnglo should come in and have an immediate impact.

My sleeper: DE/TE Chase Clement (6'5 240 lbs). Chase is a great athlete, he provides a big target at the tight end position, but also has the speed at 4.6 to rush the passer at the defensive end. I believe Chase has the size and speed to be a very successful defensive end in the SEC.

-Jeff Hathorn, Special to The Geaux Show

With one slot remaining on its 2008 football schedule, reigning national champion LSU is working with ESPN to arrange a home-and-home series with an opponent from a BCS conference.

Verge Ausberry, LSU's senior associate athletic director who handles football scheduling, said the school hopes to announce a deal by the end of next week. The first game of the series will be played in Tiger Stadium this fall.

"We're ready to make it happen," Ausberry said Monday. "We just need the other team to make the deal."

Ausberry said he wants to schedule a game in the near future in Houston, possibly at Reliant Stadium. Houston is home to a large LSU alumni base and is a fertile recruiting area for the Tigers.
"We're trying to get somebody in the Houston area," Ausberry said, "maybe a two-for-one (series). That would be very attractive to us."

The word on the street is that LSU has dropped North Texas (Aug. 30 opponent) and are now needing two teams to complete the schedule for 2008.

Wee and C-dub recap a championship season and look forward to signing day.

We are doing another live show this Sunday at 6 p.m. CST. Links to listen and call in will be posted closer to show time.

Big Wee and C-Dub will be hosting and we want to hear all yalls take on this season, recruiting, your hopes for next season, and anything else you want to talk about.

Chances are slim that the Tigers will make the NCAA tourney this year, but you'll still have office pools and you'll still want to watch the games at work. CBS will again be streaming the early rounds for free online. Last year the service worked very well. Even when alot of people tuned to the same game, there was no noticeablenoticable slowdown. Sign-up started this morning and VIP signup is limited, so get registered now so you'll be ready in March.

Click here to sign up.

*Patrick Fisher, our Senior kicker, was doing a video blog throughout the BCS preparations for LSUSports.net. It's a great look behind the scenes.

*Speaking of behind the scenes, LSUSports.net also has a great set of locker room and on-field pictures up now.

*Be sure to catch Les Miles' interview on The Best Damn Sports Show earlier this week.

I have to hand it to the LSU Board of Sup's. They know when it's the right time to sneak a ticket increase by. Listen up, TAF members.

* Tickets go up $5 to $50 for SEC/VT-type opponents and $45 for other games

*$2.50 of the $5 increase goes to the new band hall construction costs

*Speaking of the band, they will move to the north endzone next year, but will still be in the student section. Public seating in the north endzone will not be affected

* Tradition Fund required donation rates raise as follows:

Sideline seats between the 20's: up $150 each year to $950 in 2010
Sideline seats- endzone: $50 less than above
Bowl seats-endzones: up $35 a year to $210 in 2010
Tiger Terrace seats: up $150 a year to $950/$900 in 2010
Upper Deck chair backs: up $50 a year to $500/$400 in 2010
Upper Deck bench backs: up to $225 in 2010

All of these plans will be proposed and probably approved at the next Board of Sup's meeting on the 17th.


More details here: LSUSports.net

Despite our success this year, I don't think anyone is arguing that the BCS works. Even the much-anticipated "Plus-One" system would not have fixed this post season.

Rather than link you too another hair-brained playoff system someone put together on the back of a napkin while watching the GMAC bowl, I instead point to this article by the great Spencer Hall (of EDSBS.com fame) which point out why D-1A will not have a playoff system, at least until the contracts run out...

"All of the Southeastern Conference's television contracts -- with ESPN, ESPN2, Lincoln Financial Sports and the 12-year megadeal with CBS -- expire by spring 2009. This means a firefight over the rights to televise games in college football's most profitable conference.

The SEC also could launch its own television network in the next year or so.

If the "Speed Equals Cash" conference does launch its own TV channel, expect the Big Ten Network to be its model. SEC commissioner Mike Slive asserted earlier this year that his league would not abandon a primary network affiliation but instead would see how negotiations went and then proceed. This essentially is the Big Ten model: Big games go on ABC/ESPN with others broadcast exclusively on the conference channel."

*The BCS trophy will be on tour this weekend at the following locations:

Friday, Jan. 11
All-Star Chevy
11377 Airline Highway
225-298-8000
3 – 6 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 12
Verizon Wireless
7089 Siegen Lane
225-293-1061
11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Brian Harris Chevrolet
15015 Florida Blvd.
225-272-6500
4 – 7 p.m.

Sunday, Jan. 13
Verizon Wireless
3544 Veterans Blvd.
Metairie, La.
504-455-0228
1 – 4 p.m.


*There will be a ceremony at Tiger Stadium on January 19th, presumably to raise a new championship flag and show off the other championship trophies the tigers have won this year. A time has not been set.

*In case you didn't record it, Fox 44 will re-air the BCS Champ game this Sunday at noon.

Another Fantastic Season.

Today is a great day, Great set of big photos here: Tigerforums.com

Best of luck to the Tigers today. It is not often that we get an opportunity to witness an LSU National Championship game. I suggest you savor the moment. Take off work at noon, find a sports bar wherever you are, and wear your purple and gold proudly today. Because tomorrow, NO ONE WILL BE OUR EQUAL!!!

GEAUX TIGERS!!

P.S. would ya look what the cat drug into media day:

Wee, JJ, and a few special guests join us to talk about the last crazy weeks of this season and predict the National Championship game.

Less than 4 hours after watching 4 journalists i used to respect all unanimously decide that Les was still going to Michigan , Michigan announced Rich Rodriguez, alum and coach of WVU, will be coaching the wolverines next season. Now ESPN can finally stop covering Herbie's rear end and start preparing for bowl season.

THREE DAY'S TILL THE POINSETTIA BOWL!

Les Miles made good on his words from Saturday, signing a contract extension which lasts through the 2012 season.

Details of the contract were not released.  But we do know that Miles received a raise to $2.8million/year with the SEC Championship Game win.  Should LSU win the National Championship, Miles is gauranteed to a salary equivalent to the top paid coaches in college football.  This would figure to be between $3.2-$3.5million annually.

Over the next week Glenn Dorsey will be crossing the country on his World Tour of defensive dominance. The tour started last night when he accepted the 2007 Bronko Nagurski Award in Charlotte, N.C. Dorsey now heads to Houston on Wednesday for the Lombardi Award, to Orlando on Thursday for the Outland and Bednarik awards, and LA on Sunday for the Lott Trophy.

If I was Mizzou, I'd be pissed. And WTF is going on with the Orange bowl? Oh yeah, WERE GOING TO DA SHIP!!!! Our professional analysis to follow in a few days

The folks here at the Geaux Show have decided to start our New Year's resolutions early as the season of empty promises will come to a close. 

The Geaux Show WILL stream live Saturday, Dec 1 for the SEC Championship Game from Studio Starvin Marvin beginning at 1:00 pm, leading right into the 3:00pm kickoff on CBS.  In addition to the webcam and live chat box, Geaux Show fans will be able to call the show LIVE!!!  The full crew will be there to answer any and all questions.  The live call in number is the same as the hotline number, (775)288-3223.

So, as you are gearing up for the game on Saturday, join Big Wee, Patrick, JJ, C-Dub, PodKatt, and even Starvin Marvin and Chase for what it is sure to be an action packed two hours.