re: LSU #11 AP Poll

"Alabama does have question marks but so does LSU. Take off the purple and gold glasses for a second. They have a QB taking over who has been in their system for 4 seasons. Do you realize how valuable that is, LSU has a QB taking over that has 2 starts. Its not like we are returning a 5th year senior here, we are returning a true freshmen who showed promise after 1 good game."


Stop with the "take off the purple and gold glasses" bit. You TOTALLY missed the point of my post. I never said LSU was better than Bama, although I think they should be ranked right next to each other and not 6 spots apart. Alabama is absolutely, in now way deserving of a top 5 ranking for the reasons you stated in your post. Nor is LSU. They both should be 8 and 9.

If I had on P&G glasses, why would I have said that Ole Miss should be ranked 5th?

"Bama finished the season with a 12-2 record and a loss in a BCS bowl."

And what was Bama's main problem that game? Ding. ding. ding. Offensive line.

"LSU also has a question mark on defense, and on special teams. That is also why there is a gap in the rankings. LSU did not magically fix each problem just because of the talent factor."


It wasn't magically fixed. It was fixed by firing the co defensive coordinators. This truly should not be a question mark. Are the qb situation and special teams a question mark for LSU? Absolutely.


"LSU is fine being at 11 just as Bama is fine where they are ranked."

LSU is close to where they should be- 9 or 10. Yellow Cab, you know how important experience is at QB in college football and Alabama is paper thin in that category. Put Bama at 8 and move Ole Miss up a few spots.

quote:

---

USC being up there that high is the one that cracks me up

---

This is nothing new. Neither is another clip of Pete Carroll blathering away on SportCenter.

First and foremost, let me say that this is a good debate and I respect you as a poster, because you make your points without the need to insult and I really appreciate that. That being said:



"You did not watch the game, Smith goes out 3 days before the game. His back up goes down in the game early. Then the 3rd string player comes in and they have to shuffle their line.
Had LSU been in same situation they would have been screwed also. You are then putting a guy who was not expected to play a snap during the season in a critical spot."

Hmm. Sounds a lot like our quarterback situation last year. First stringer gets expelled, backup gets hurt, and then we rely on a redshirt and true freshman. Bama will face this problem all year on their O Line.


"Utah being a very well coached team exploited this confusion and weakness."


So, what you're saying is Nick Saban couldn't hack it coaching in the WAC?


"Defense is still a question mark for LSU. What if defensive players do not adapt as quickly as LSU fans woul like. What if they are still trying for the knock out shot tackle instead of wrapping up? Just to say "LSU hired a new defensive coordinator" and that fixed everything is wishful thinking. LSU fans do not know what has been fixed until they step on field."


And this is where we'll have to agree to disagree. I truly feel their defensive problems were all coaching related. How many high school all americans do we have on defense right now? Mallveto had no experience and Chavis has nearly 20 years coaching in the SEC. More critics than not would agree that LSU's problems on defense were due to coaching. Feel free to let me have it after week one or two if LSU is no better than last year, but I honestly think the defense will not only be improved, but be elite in the SEC.

"LSU should not be 9 or 10, in fact 11 is pretty generous. Most fans will say they expected 12-15 really."

Most fans are nutjobs. If you think 11 is generous, who would you put ahead of LSU? I'm not even saying I totally disagree with you, but who is more deserving of a top 10 ranking?

"Bama deserves top 5 they earned it by their play last year and with their schedule this year they could win 10 games this season also.

Turn the page. Last year, Bama was a totally different team on offense. Did you watch their spring game? I, unfortunately, did. Their starting QB is ok. Their running backs are going to be ok. Julio Jones is from another planet, but I don't know that McElroy will consistently get him the ball. Bama is going to be a top 10 team, but it will be a result of their schedule and not so much based on how good they actually are. But top 5 at this point? No.

Many LSU fans will say they are paper thin at QB. If Jefferson goes down LSU would have to insert Lee and not many LSU fans wish that. Shepard is a highly regarded prospect but is he ready to start in SEC as a true freshmen?

Shepard is not ready to start. Does LSU have lingering questions at QB? Absolutely.

quote:

---

LSU Yellow Cab

---

quote:

---

Hmm. Sounds a lot like our quarterback situation last year. First stringer gets expelled, backup gets hurt, and then we rely on a redshirt and true freshman. Bama will face this problem all year on their O Line.

---

It was an issue with LSU last season as they were playing the #4 QB. That being said I do not think Bama will be playing their #3 LT and having to shuffle their entire offensive line next season. Offensive line will be an issue for both of the teams, LSU and Bama. There was a lot of experience lost for both. Lucky for LSU they have 4 games to fix their offensive line and Bama as VT first game. I doubt you will see the confusion again as Bama will be better prepared for it.

quote:

---

So, what you're saying is Nick Saban couldn't hack it coaching in the WAC?

---

No, it was a one game situation and any coach would struggle given same set of unforeseeable circumstances. Coaches like to be in control and Smith left 3 days before the bowl game then the back up went down. Thus shuffling not just 1 position on offensive line but their entire line. That not only affects running game but passing attack.

Defense, we will agree to disagree. I do not think all the issues last season were directly related to game calling by coaches though. There were many plays where opposing teams broke free of an LSU player attempting to arm tackle then gain an additional 3-10 yards.

quote:

---

Most fans are nutjobs. If you think 11 is generous, who would you put ahead of LSU? I'm not even saying I totally disagree with you, but who is more deserving of a top 10 ranking?

---

Well honestly neither of us can rationally decide who deserves it because we do not know enough about each team out of the 119 in Division 1.

quote:

---

Turn the page. Last year, Bama was a totally different team on offense. Did you watch their spring game? I, unfortunately, did. Their starting QB is ok. Their running backs are going to be ok. Julio Jones is from another planet, but I don't know that McElroy will consistently get him the ball. Bama is going to be a top 10 team, but it will be a result of their schedule and not so much based on how good they actually are. But top 5 at this point? No

---

Wilson last year only contributed 168 yards a game, threw for 9 touchdowns and 7 INT. So it is not like he lit them up and carried the team. It is built on a QB handing the ball off and getting it to Julio. Will McElroy try to force a few pass’s yes, but so will every young or first year starter. LSU fans will see Jefferson attempt to do this also.

Pre-Season poll to me is an expectation of how voters believe teams will finish. I could see Bama inside top 5 and LSU just outside top 10 at end of year. LSU has a harder schedule than Bama thus giving Bama a larger advantage.

quote:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Most fans are nutjobs. If you think 11 is generous, who would you put ahead of LSU? I'm not even saying I totally disagree with you, but who is more deserving of a top 10 ranking?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


"Well honestly neither of us can rationally decide who deserves it because we do not know enough about each team out of the 119 in Division 1."


Here's where we differ. I'm a total nerd and you clearly have a life outside of college football.

Here's how I would rank the top 10, based on returning talent/lingering questions:

1. Florida
2. Texas
3. Oklahoma
4. USC

I don't think most people would disagree with my top 4.

5. Ohio State (Terrell Pryor will be unstoppable in the Big Ten).

6. Ole Miss (QB play is everything in the SEC and Snead is a future top 10 draft pick. Ole Miss returns a ton of talent on defense. The Rebels beating Florida was no fluke, nor was their mauling of LSU last year).

7. Alabama

8. Oklahoma State (a ton of talent returns and their QB is exceptional).

9. LSU

10. Virginia Tech (QB just as unproven as LSU and starting RB is gone for the year.

11. Penn State (Good team, but not ahead of LSU at this point).

I'll stop here. Who would you change in this top 11 or 12? Look at all the teams, you'd be hard pressed not to put LSU in the top 10.

I'm not so sure. Keep in mind, South Florida made it all the way to #2 in October a few years ago. If Utah started at #7 and held a top 2 spot in October/early November they may have been ranked high enough in the final BCS poll to lock up a championship spot.

But who knows? The BCS is a total clusterfrick.

Point being, if they started the year ranked higher, they at least might have had a shot getting to the title game. Coming from outside the top 15, they never had a chance.

quote:

---

Here's how I would rank the top 10, based on returning talent/lingering questions:

1. Florida
2. Texas
3. Oklahoma
4. USC

I don't think most people would disagree with my top 4.

5. Ohio State (Terrell Pryor will be unstoppable in the Big Ten).

6. Ole Miss (QB play is everything in the SEC and Snead is a future top 10 draft pick. Ole Miss returns a ton of talent on defense. The Rebels beating Florida was no fluke, nor was their mauling of LSU last year).

7. Alabama

---

I might agree with most of this however Id swap Ohio St and Alabama. Alabama has less of a question at QB than we do and defense wins ball games. Alabama and Florida have everyone back on D. Look for the Alabama defense to be the real deal. Ohio St will lose to the first good SEC team it plays.

quote:

---

I'm glad we missed the top 10. We went 8-5 last year and didn't finish in the top 25. I know we should be much imporved, but we don't deserve all the acolades that we have gotten this year.

---

I completely agree. Last year was a disaster, no two ways about it and we've yet to prove that anything will be different this year. Until we do, then I say we should stay well below the radar.