re: Circle the wagons...

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So you are happy with the direction of the program over the last 2 years?
You think we are on the up and up?
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Again, why just the last 2 years? Why not compare this year against last year? Are you afraid of the result?

If you were paying attention, and I cannot be sure that people on this board were, our record was better than last year. Our defense was much better than last year. Our offense eliminated many mistakes but was not productive enough. It is a problem area that I believe will be addressed in the off season and should be much better next year. So yes, I think we are heading in the right direction.

Macavity,
I hope I don't come across as negetive as some of the other people on this board. I am trying to remain reasonable while putting forth my arguments.
Therefore, let me state upfront, that I totally respect your feelings that we are on the rise, so to speak. I don't feel that way and I am extremely nervous about next season, expecially offensively. I don't think any of the problems that we had during the year were corrected at all and I think that is what worries me the most. JJ didn't get any better, he is the same QB he was at the beginning of the year. The RBs didn't get any better, the OL didn't get any better and the offensively philosophy didn't change to compensate. This is just my opinion. Feel free to disagree.

As far as looking at the last five years. Go right ahead. It's part of the parcel so to speak. But I don't think saying that Miles has won 51 games in the last five years is an overall indication of the direction of the program. Brady went to the final four less than two years before he was fired. Does anyone think that was an error? It's just one part of an overall picture.

I have been a Miles supporter for most of his time here. Alot of people didn't like him from the get go and I have found myself defending him alot his entire time here. After the way the season ended however and the way that Miles has handled the end of the season as well have just left me in a position where I don't feel I want to defend him anymore. I won't and can't in good conscience say that next year we will be better and the problems of this year will be handled. I don't have that confidence anymore.

So, do I think he should be fired? No. Of course not. But his honeymoon period, at least for me, is over. He needs to prove that he can get us back to Atlanta.

I am not for stringing up a coach at the first sign of distress. And Miles has earned more than his share of rope. But he's gotta stop taking that rope and putting more and more of it around his neck each week.

I hope that next year is a bounce back year for him and the confidence of the fans. But I won't say that I think it will be.

Ace,
Your post with it's numbers taken into account...

Are you really going to sit here today and say that Miles is as good as Saban?
C'mon

I don't think that the first 3 years were a fluke. I have no doubt that he can get us back to Atlanta. It is the now or never attitude of some on this board that drives me nuts.

Schools go through coordinator changes. Pelini left and the defense got worse. Chavis was hired and it got better. GC may or may not go and I think either way the program can be better.

Our offense has not been at a great level the last two years, although it was for different reasons each year. In 2007 we had a wonderful offense, so we know GC can coach. I think the problems we faced on offense this year are more easily addressed than the ones from last year, principally because of the increased experience of the QB (I'm not blaming the QB for this year, but one would expect an improvement with each year in the system). So, I think it can be good again in 2010, even with GC.

I think we need to calm down and let things take their course. When we did that last year after a horrible defensive year we had a large improvement. There is no reason why that cannot happen again.

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I have to side with the OP on this one. While I was never recruited by Saban or Miles - I did have an opportunity to be in the same plane as the cousin of one of the guys who was in the same high school as a student that Saban visited for evaluations.

The very next day, at the foosball table, I beat the two girls from HR whom I had never been able to beat before and improved from 0-141 to 2-145.

Shows the effect Saban has on people's athletic skills long after he has moved on from their lives.

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and to all of the "enjoy the ride", "he's not elite, but good", "who else are you going to get", "look at what he did in the past", "if you're so smart why are you AD", "it doesn't matter what the fanbase thinks" BS posts, didn't we go thru this with Brady?

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Right, because obviously whenever one hears this the coach should be axed. Some of those are indeed asinine, but I'd think at the very least "Who are you going to get?" is a legitimate question. Based on that, "he's not elite, but good" would imply that it'd be nice to get better, but better simply isn't realistically happening.

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We could also easily be 11-1. If you want to start playing the "what if" games you get on a carousel that never stops.

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I'm not sure I'd feel comfortable about asserting anything more than 10-2. Florida and Alabama did what was expected - shut down an inferior LSU offense. Meanwhile, the team is indeed a few close FGs, an amazing run, and an amazing defensive play from 6-6. I'd even argue that those went contrary to what should have happened.

The "what if" game is certainly valid considering that LSU is definitely superior, talent-wise, than the opponents they narrowly defeated, and equal to the ones that soundly beat them, and *maybe* is better than Ole Miss in that regard, too.

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So Saban and Miles are equal in your eyes?

Just want to lay it all out.

If that's what you think. Fine. I just think that about 99.999999% of the college football world realizes that Saban is head and shoulders above Miles. And they don't need a chart to realize it.

Just sayin.

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Nice job. Seriously, that's not even close. Is it too difficult for you to supply something objective?

Who cares if, supposedly, you don't need data to see how superior Saban is - shouldn't the data BE THERE?

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If that's what you think. Fine. I just think that about 99.999999% of the college football world realizes that Saban is head and shoulders above Miles. And they don't need a chart to realize it.

Just sayin.

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Saban has a better PR machine. Once again, LSU made Saban, not the other way around. He did do an outstanding job here. I just can't understand why there is such a discrepancy, based solely on facts and objective evidence. Of course Saban's team has done demonstrably better than Miles' team in 2009.

Saban did a great job at Michigan State, and Miles did a great job at Okie State. Miles is kind of a doofus, and Saban is kind of a prick. But on paper, there is little to distinguish one as better than the other. BS politics and public relations.

Miles is kind of a doofus, and Saban is kind of a prick.


The problem with that evaluation is that doofus is another way of saying DUMB whereas some pricks are really smart.

I would go with smart prick over doofus.

We finished SECOND.

I swear, this thing about finishing SECOND is enough for me to dump Miles.

Here's why: I remember an article about Russians after a car race with a chevy and a ford and a russian whatever it was.

The Russian newspaper PRAVDA *truth
said, and I quote, WE FINISHED THIRD.

NOT LAST. NOT WE LOST. No.. We were third.

NO, SIR, LES MILES. LSU were not 2nd in the game vs OLE MISS.
WE LOST.

WE LOST. I dont want to hear we finished 2nd in a two team event, not one more ^%%$&%%$ time.