In interest of being forthcoming, I have never been a fan of Miles as a coach. The affinity his players have for him should be all requisite info needed about his character as a person.

His teams have always seemed undisciplined when juxtaposed with LSU teams under Saban (Saban is a fair comparison because he replaced him). Issues with getting plays in on time, numerous penalties and just an overall feel that the ship wasn't as tight. These were excused because the winning ways continued. Yet, you couldn't help but wonder what would happen if things were more organized. I remember an SI mailbag or article in 06 after LSU blew up Notre Dame stating: with the wealth of talent present on that roster, you could plug in many other coaches and LSU would have won the MNC that year. I could never really disagree with that statement.

Miles as always displayed an affinity for upperclassmen, sometimes at the expense of playing time for a more talented, younger player. He seems to pull the reigns when a unproven QB is at the helm. While I understand this is common practice, Miles goes overboard. He goes back in time to the days of Bo and three yards and a cloud of dust.

Clearly, other coaches are able to make due starting and playing young players. Do they have to ease these players in and simplify things? Yes. Do they go back to the stone age to do so? No. Miles appears to be coaching scared in that respect since 08. 1/9 reinforced this. The QBs weren't young, but they didn't inspire confidence. In Miles' entire tenure he has recruited one single starter at QB that has really panned out as a legit QB at the college level. And that person was first recruited and signed by a guy that has a pretty good track record with QBs, Mark Richt. That isn't satisfactory. 1 Guy in 10 years.

The running back platoon is absolutely ridiculous and nonsensical. I am used to running back by committee, but I don't think it works very well when you are rotating four guys. Also, there should be a method to your madness. Your best back thus far cannot afford to be on the bench until you are down three scores. There is no reason to start your 3rd or 4th best back. Yes, he ran well, but did we get any first downs until we plugged in Fournette.

The biggest issue is the lack of adaptation from a game planning perspective and the misuse of recruited players. Obviously most know what Miles' philosophy is predicated on power running, protecting the ball, and a suffocating defense. The offense have always seemed like and afterthought. Just run straight ahead, don't turn the ball over and we will win this with defense. No one can keep up the kind of defense year in and year out that is required to keep a team winning like LSU requires it to do. There will come a time when you have to play from behind and this up the middle BS will not be sufficient. Especially when everyone knows it is coming.

When you are playing a team that is weak in the secondary [Moo State] you should probably spread it around and throw it some. Not run into the teeth of the defense over and over hoping for a different result.

Players. Why recruit players that operate under the spread and can flourish when in space and bottle them up by running straight into 9 man fronts? Why sub Harris in and let him operate more out of the gun and when he finally starts, it looks like he is using Jennings' packages? Play to the their strengths. To the non Miles' fan it displays a willful stubbornness and an inability to adapt. Which translates into ego. Other coaches have showed they can adapt. You either adapt and overcome or fall behind.

As many have said, Harris was set up to fail. He should have been eased into the game with confidence boosting short yardage safe throws and running intermixed. Not running it 17 out of 20 times and putting him in repeated obvious passing downs in a hostile environment. I may not be a coach but I know that isn't a good idea. I think it is pretty telling when pundits and fans alike didn't expect Miles to do that. They expected more out of the gun work with three wide sets and more passing. You know, the stuff we saw then Harris had previously entered the game. It is also very disconcerting to the fans when it happens. They feel almost hopeless for LSU. As if the team will continue to spiral downward. When Harris came out and started the game under center over and over again I know it was going to be a long night.

It isn't that I don't think Miles lacks the ability to right the ship. It is just that I am not confident he will make the decisions to change to make it happen. I hope. I would hate to see my school become an also-ran.