After watching folks thrash around here, I'll add my $0.02 re: LSU's Offense...

I have no particular problem playing keep away provided its effective. The gameplan we used early was fantastic and showed a diversity of formations. One back, pistol, shotgun, multi (3 or 2 w/TE Flexed), etc. I saw the TE's get into passing routes, and one actually caught a pass (Gasp!). I saw us try to use swing passes, screen passes, PA passes, traditional I-Formation PA passes, zone-read, etc.

A number of things coalesced into a bad, off-script gameplan for the 2nd half-and the 4th quarter especially. The overt reliance-or the larger than expected amount of checks to run plays vs. run defenses with 8 or more men in the box-on the rushing attack kept putting our defense back on the field in the 2nd half.

What annoys me about this is that a lot of people are ignoring what makes this especially troublesome. Which is our next opponent and what they like to do on offense, and-most importantly for my point-how they like to do it.

Look by now everyone realizes we ran out of gas late. We simply got tired on defense and with the offenses inability to move the ball and keep the defense off the field long enough to get rest, we not only shrank the game down, but we put ourselves in a position to lose it if not for a poor kicking game and a bad penalty on State's part.

But to do that late vs. Mississippi State on the road when you have a very respectable but sputtering Auburn team coming to town is questionable. We have a 2:30 kickoff time, a typical forecast of high temperatures, a somewhat thin and inexperienced level of depth behind the front-line starters on the DL, and an opposing offense that loves to run a ton of plays.

We needed to not just try to run the ball. We needed to try and possess the ball. The run-heavy calling and checking was not conducive to that. When the threat of the pass is such that you can simply ignore it, or your staff is okay to keep putting your Defense on the field without understanding the context of the season as a marathon and not a sprint, it won't show up right away.

We can beat an MSU even though we get leaky on Defense late. But we hadn't gotten far enough away from State on the scoreboard to do it just yet. We called the dogs off-playcalling wise on offense-before we put enough distance between us and them. Which meant we have to continue to give max effort on defense and it burned through our kids.

With Auburn coming that's a cause for concern. If it continues to be a habit-and there's no saying it is or it isn't here-then the results of this philosophy will rear its head and express itself on the back end of our schedule as our defense simply runs out of gas down the stretch.

So yes, Pollyanna/Sunshine Pumpers/PosiTigers...yes, I get that we averaged over 5YPC and we didn't "have" to pass the ball to win. You are 100% correct.

...and Yes, NegaTigers/Realists/Pragmatists...yes, I get that we will face teams that don't give us the ability to run it for over 5YPC and we will need to pass the ball to win and develop the passing game before we have to lean on it. You are 100% correct.

Anyone making either point is making a fantastic one. The problem is-like an iceberg-that relying on just running the ball over and over again is not going to be a problem now. It's the problem you don't see (the one under the surface). It will be a problem later. When we try to pass and when we try to play defense.

We have to diversify while we can, regardless of the success of one current aspect of our offense. You don't need balance when one thing is working. You need balance when that one thing isn't working. That's the whole point of it.