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re: It wasn't ALL Saban - tl;dr
Posted on 6/28/12 at 6:41 am to Tigerpaul1969
Posted on 6/28/12 at 6:41 am to Tigerpaul1969
Thanks for posting and I showed this post to my Bama wife. She said, "Yeah sure and RTR". No ween for her now until I have to have summa dat. 
And..... 
And..... 
0
Posted on 6/28/12 at 7:31 am to Tigerpaul1969
After watching those highlights it seemed like it was meant for the LSU to win that one no doubt...Saying that you wonder how in the world they only won three games that year.
Posted on 6/28/12 at 7:43 am to Rocket
"Blew out the powerhouse like Arkansas"
How times have changed!
How times have changed!
Posted on 6/28/12 at 7:45 am to motorbreath
quote:
Mark Emmert deserves almost as much credit for LSUs turnaround as saban IMO
The initial driving force to commit to spending the money necessary in hiring a great coach with Saban.
Posted on 6/28/12 at 8:09 am to Tigerpaul1969
Posted on 6/28/12 at 8:11 am to 2007lsuno1
As I said this wasn't meant in any way to discredit what Saban built here. Only that it wasn't the greatest reclamation project of all time. That team had serious NFL level talent. As someone else mentioned, it took someone who could change the mentality of the program to get them to start believing again. Also remember we were only two years removed from only the third or fourth 10 win season in the history of the program. DiNardo had the misfortune of getting the Gators every year during their most dominant phase under Spurrier. He at least did beat them once.
Posted on 6/28/12 at 8:19 am to Tigerpaul1969
Posted on 6/28/12 at 8:40 am to Tigerpaul1969
I'd say for me the turnaround started with Troy Twillie's interception in the end zone against Auburn in '95 and then the dismantling of Michigan State in the Indy Bowl at the end of that season. '98 & '99 were setbacks, but the hopelessness of the early 90's was gone. It seemed pretty clear that a new coach would be able to pick right up and move the team along - as Hal Hunter showed in the Arky game.
Luckily LSU drew an inside straight with Saban.
Luckily LSU drew an inside straight with Saban.
Posted on 6/28/12 at 10:17 am to WildTchoupitoulas
Regarding Dinardo-
for those too young to remember, he built a very promising program. Offensively, his teams were high-scoring, talented and potent.
His fatal flaw was to bring in Lou Tepper to coach the defense. Tepper's scheme was beyond awful; Dinardo's last year with Herb Tyler and Kevin Faulk we were scoring close to 30 pts a game on average, and still losing. At some point that season, the coaches lost the team, and Dinardo was finished.
Saban brought a great defensive scheme in, but even a solid/average one under Dinardo would have been good enough for 9-3 or better.
for those too young to remember, he built a very promising program. Offensively, his teams were high-scoring, talented and potent.
His fatal flaw was to bring in Lou Tepper to coach the defense. Tepper's scheme was beyond awful; Dinardo's last year with Herb Tyler and Kevin Faulk we were scoring close to 30 pts a game on average, and still losing. At some point that season, the coaches lost the team, and Dinardo was finished.
Saban brought a great defensive scheme in, but even a solid/average one under Dinardo would have been good enough for 9-3 or better.
Posted on 6/28/12 at 10:28 am to The Egg
quote:
it's never about talent at LSU, but rather the program's mindset. saban changed that on day 1.
This. I remember very early on, in an interview, Saban mentioning the team had a 'deer-in-the-headlights' look that had to be gotten rid of. Regarding Dinardo and Saban, ultimately a 3-8 team is exactly what it says it is...a 3-8 team, that became an 8 win team then a Conference Champion team, and so on. Kudos to Saban.
Posted on 6/28/12 at 10:28 am to WildTchoupitoulas
quote:
I'd say for me the turnaround started with Troy Twillie's interception in the end zone against Auburn in '95 and then the dismantling of Michigan State in the Indy Bowl at the end of that season.
I went to both of those games. The Auburn game was one of the hottest I ever remember, even though it was a night game. The air was completely still, humid and suffocating. Then, the I-Bowl that year was one of the coldest games I've ever attended. Both were really fun though. Wasn't it in the I-bowl when Faulk had a long TD run (like 50 yards), then Mushin Muhammad ran back a 90+ yard KO for a TD, then Eddie Kennison did the same in reply? It was like three TDs in about 20 seconds. And wasn't Saban wearing glasses for that one? And wearing a hat?
Posted on 6/28/12 at 11:02 am to Tigerpaul1969
quote:
Wasn't it in the I-bowl when Faulk had a long TD run (like 50 yards), then Mushin Muhammad ran back a 90+ yard KO for a TD, then Eddie Kennison did the same in reply? It was like three TDs in about 20 seconds.
I think MSU scored, then Kennison had his 90 yard return, then MSU had a 90+ yard return, THEN Faulk had a long TD.
I don't remember exactly, but at one point shite was just out of control - but fun as hell.
I don't really remember what Saban looked like at the game seeing as how I had no idea who he was besides some little Big 10 coach bringing his team down for slaughter. I do seem to remember him having a look of disbelief on his face at one point, though.
But it sure was nice to finally win a bowl game after 8 freakin years - and win it going away.
Posted on 6/28/12 at 11:17 am to Tigerpaul1969
Nice thread fam
Posted on 6/28/12 at 11:31 am to WildTchoupitoulas
quote:
& '99 were setbacks, but the hopelessness of the early 90's was gone.
I was at LSU then, believe me, it still lingered. There was a lack of confidence that was evident among fans. People were skeptical when Saban was hired. I don't know anyone that thought a national title would be in store 4 years into his regime. That 2000 squad was not fit, mentally or physically, to compete week in and week out for an SEC title(although we might have won a game or two more had Rohan been healthy). But Saban used to talk about how fragile our team was from a psychological standpoint. Players didn't react well when something negative happened. And apparently the team had a fear of Florida. They just didn't have the confidence. It's easy to look back and take it easy on the 2000 team since we've had so much success since then but fans would riot if we fielded a team that physically and mentally weak now. Back then, folks were just happy to win 8 games and go to a bowl.
Posted on 6/28/12 at 11:39 am to Rocket
quote:
But Saban used to talk about how fragile our team was from a psychological standpoint.
Posted on 6/28/12 at 12:02 pm to Rocket
quote:
I was at LSU then, believe me, it still lingered.
Okay. I started at LSU in '83, left in '84, came back in '86 and graduated in '90. I then proceeded to take classes every year from 1994-1999, living within 2 miles of Tiger Stadium. I bought my first season tickets after the 2000 season.
I'm telling you what I experienced, I don't really have to believe what you say. The hopelessness of the early 90's left after '95. Was there doubt after Houston in '99? Yes. Arkansas cured that. Was there doubt after UAB in '90? Yes, but UT and then Alabama cured that. There just wasn't the sense that we'd never compete for a title again - that sense that LSU had turned into Ole Miss.
In that way, that '95 season was more satisfying than 2000. I'm telling you, in '94 I WAS afraid that LSU had gone the way of the Rebels.
Posted on 6/28/12 at 12:10 pm to WildTchoupitoulas
quote:
The hopelessness of the early 90's left after '95. Was there doubt after Houston in '99? Yes. Arkansas cured that
Not for anyone who is a hard-nosed football guy. If you were, you knew something was wrong. You had to be deeply disturbed about what happened in 1999. There was more than doubt that season.
Posted on 6/28/12 at 12:14 pm to Rocket
quote:
You had to be deeply disturbed about what happened in 1999.
3-8 is what happened to the Wyoming's of the world.
Posted on 6/28/12 at 12:41 pm to Rocket
quote:
you knew something was wrong.
Yes, the defense. To be honest, I was willing to give Dinardo another season with a new DC, but when it looked like he was gonna stick with Tepper to the end, that was the end.
quote:
There was more than doubt that season.
The team had given up on the coach, then the AD pulled the plug and the team came around. There really wasn't enough time after that Houston game to really ponder how bad it was, because the change was being made then. It wasn't like the 6-30 loss to Arky back in '92 when it looked like there was no end in sight. Hell, the lowest I probably felt was not after the interception game in '94, but the following game against South Carolina. I swore I wouldn't go to another game until they got a new coach.
BTW, did you know that the loss to South Carolina in '94 is one of only two for LSU vs the Gamecocks - the first coming in 1930?
LSU v USC:
19 games, 0.868 win%, 16-2-1.
Average score: LSU 24.63, USC 10.68
Posted on 6/28/12 at 1:16 pm to WildTchoupitoulas
quote:
Yes, the defense
And the offense, which averaged just 20 points per game that year. That is unacceptable. Our QB play for most of the year was terrible. If we ever allow 20 points per game again, there should be civil unrest throughout Baton Rouge.
And we needed a new strength and conditioning coach and program.
ANd we needed a different recruiting approach to not take so many chances on borderline kids.
quote:
There really wasn't enough time after that Houston game to really ponder how bad it was, because the change was being made then
There were very few bright spots that season. We had major room for improvement in every aspect of the game and needed a different approach to every aspect of our program and Saban had a vision of where he wanted to take our program. Like Donnie Jones said one time, Saban underwent a major renovation of our program when he was here.
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