re: T bob article on last night's game

The reason we lost is they are better, period. We have the better running back but on a whole they are way better. We have been very good obtaining skilled players but they have out done us for a while in the trenches. You can blame coaching or players. Ultimately it's always coaching because CLM is responsible for both.

While I agree with much of what he is saying, I disagree that the OL was an X factor going into the game. It was clear to me that the Alabama front was superior. I don't see why anyone would have thought differently, aside from delusional optimism about LSU winning. The way the LSU OL and TEs (And FBs too. They were overmatched vs. Alabama, but it doesn't matter as much when the guys up front play the way they did.) had been playing, I thought they would get beat and allow penetration. Dillon Gordon being out was also a big factor. Dillon Lee, Denzel Devall, Ryan Anderson, et al. (it's rare that the TEs will block inside linebackers, but they are overmatched there as well vs. Alabama) -- they were too much for the TEs. (Anderson is often too much for tackles. He plays a backup role, and he can beat Alexander and Hawkins with regularity. He is one of my favorite underrated players in the league.) Gordon is a Jumbo TE that can match up with those big LBs in the running game.

I didn't think it would be as bad as it was, though. But, with the mismatches in mind, there are some things LSU could have done to alter the game plan to give the O opportunities to have success. The read option/zone read can work vs. UA. Tennessee showed that. Brandon Harris had his longest run (16 yards) of the night on that play. It wasn't utilized very often, though. I don't know how badly Harris was hurt. His running ability may have been hampered somewhat, so maybe that's a reason it wasn't run more often. If he was feeling good enough to run it, then I think it should've been utilized more often, along with some run-pass options.

Personnel is a big part of this, and there is something I am unsure about. What is going on with DeSean Smith and Jacory Washington?? I don't know why they don't play more, but I like the potential of those two, and I would have looked for them on some quick passes -- and part of that rationale includes the fact that the tackles were very ineffective in pass protection. Vadal couldn't stay with Tim Williams, and Hawkins had some issues also. Another part of the rationale here is that the two TEs that played the most (Jeter and Moreau) were not effective blockers. Given how ineffective they were, I would have even looked at maybe getting Jazz Ferguson into the game at TE to be a big target on short to mid-range passes. I don't know what's going on with Jazz either, but the reports I've seen about his ability as a receiver have all been very positive.

There are a bunch of other plays with Fournette and Guice that I think could have been effective, but I doubt that it would have changed the outcome of the game. Alabama was the better team in all three phases. Their personnel was better. (I think there are some areas where recruiting is insufficient when matching up with a team like Alabama. And that's not necessarily about better players. It's more about types of players.)

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I can't take people seriously when they believe you either run the I formation or the spread and there is no in between.

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the point is we are an I formation power run based offense. You can't just change that mid season. We have been doing more on offense than we have been in past years but it just isn't nearly enough. It's still very still very simple and basic

OUr coaches are still at first grade level when it comes to playing a more modern open football on offense. It's like they are trying to do something that is totally foreign to them when they try to do it. We operate at a fundamentally basic level when we try to implement any spread elements into our offense.

Either Cam needs to learn, if he is capable of it, or we need to hire an OC who can and will. Also MIles needs to stop hiring coaches who are joined at the hip with him in the idea of running a I formation based power run style.

The passing game does not need to be dependant on establishing the run out of the I formation first

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If only we had a coach who's responsibilities were to correct these deficiencies and call more of those type throws in games early season to get ready for these big games!! Need to look into that!

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It's up to both the players as well. He has looked terrible on short and intermediate passes all year. Only he can fix it, the coaches can coach all they want but he has to execute.
He has little poise on short passes, he winds up and hums it. Cost him an interception on our own 30 and a huge play to Fornette Saturday. Harris needs to step up.

I dont agree with TBob at all. So you just keep running into a brick all game long. Thats dumb. You dont have to go all out Texas Tech 6wide offense ut You better have a Plan B. If You don't then thats a Coaching issue. Now had Miles tried different formations or an elephant backfield than thats on the players for not executing. Miles did not put his players in the best possible position to sicceed on Saturday night. Running out the same sets hoping to break through is insane.