One small comment on the 2011 defense and this defense

I think you can say that we have equal or more talent compared to '11 and no one will disagree with you.

It all comes down to the coaching now. Get ready for a fun season.

Reid started the last few games of the season in 2010 and was very productive in the bowl game. We were pretty sure he was going to be a pretty special player.

Sam Montgomery's season was cut short by injury in 2010, but he was on his way to being one of our better defensive players that season. I think he was even freshmen all-conference. The biggest question going into the 2011 season was how he'd come back from the injury.

Mingo, Minter, and Brockers definitely had huge breakout seasons in 2011, though, you are correct.

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Valentine > Brockers

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I won't really argue this, just because I haven't seen Valentine play a single down yet.

However, Brockers was really, really good. He was arguably the most important player on the team in 2011, besides Mathieu.

Aranda has me optimistic..

also, Bennie Logan came out of pretty much nowhere in 2011. from 3 games played and 5 tackles in 2010 to starter with 57 tackles/ 15 TFL in 2011. he basically put up Nevis' stat line.

besides that one dude from his hometown who'd been singing his praises/ defending his recruitment, no one saw that coming. and I doubt even that dude could have envisioned that.

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but this team is completely different IMO

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Not really. LSU returned 18/22.

We changed like 3 players on O (linemen) and like 3 on D (just a quick glance on the depth chart) and many of these players were already getting playing time last season so was it really that big of a change? Seems like essentially we are rolling 2015 2.0.

I think we will play great, however, I'm still a bit hesitant to say we are Playoff ready.

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Sam Montgomery's season was cut short by injury in 2010, but he was on his way to being one of our better defensive players that season

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Didn't he get hurt in the first game? Which would have been his first LSU game considering he redshirted in 2009.

Maybe I was thinking of someone else?

Brockers, Logan, and Minter made that 11 defense go. No one could run up the middle. It wasn't going to happen. Made the rest of the D fall into place.

Can this D do the same? Gilmore and Riley have to step up big time.

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he thing for me is, it is hard to see last years team (essentially this years) improving that much over the off season. I hope new coaching does the trick.

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This is dumb.

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In no way am I saying this defense is as good as that defense as of now. I remember a thread a week ago saying you can't compare them when matching them up. Going into the season this defense has a lot more proven players. People seem to forget that Mingo, Montgomery, Minter, Reid, and Brockers were all unproven players going into their sophomore year that year. Badger was the only sophomore player that proved himself on the field before this. These players combined for eleven starts going into this year.

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I feel ya man

Ever since I walked with my head down 5 years ago in NOLA around all those 'Bama fans celebrating, I was hoping for revenge this year. I totally predicted this so I can go out again and cheer my boys on at another 'ship. Somehow or another we were robbed of the championship and I want it back! That crystal is ours.

Everyone does forget about the optimism that is allowed when the first game starts playing anyway (LSU/Wisky this weekend) so when our boys play, we will forget about the last 3 years no problem until we, not only if we happen to lose, but most of all perform poorly, that's when we will all be negatigers. But I have a feeling that Les and Co. have made so many adjustments from last year (especially the game concerning his job) that he and others do not want another scenario like last year towards the end. We are a second-half team and will always be a second-half team. The only thing I want different is if we were an -allgame team.

Let's do this!!!!