Tiger Football...Three Months and Counting

With the arrival of the dreaded dog days of summer, the difficult annual waiting period begins for the die-hard LSU fan. Purple and gold tainted dreams of bourbon, beer and tailgating are as prevalent as the prognostications published in the myriad of preseason magazines. That special time of year looms large on the foreseen horizon, and for Tiger fans, the 2009 college football season offers much in terms of hope and promise. 2008 was a disappointment outside of the smashing post-season victory over Georgia Tech. That last game coached by Les Miles-and several needed coaching changes later-reminded a rightfully concerned fan base of their head coach's special capabilities. Nevertheless, the unlikely post-season win and a subsequent national recruiting title have catapulted the Tigers back into the predictive limelight as the favorite to win what will this year be the unquestionably stronger of the two SEC divisions.

In this exclusive column for TigerDroppings.com, the favored SEC fan smack-talking web portal created by LSU Tigers, we'll take an in-depth look at the inherent strengths and weaknesses of the LSU Football team heading into the 2009 football season. Moreover, we'll comment similarly on their main SEC Western Division competition-Ole Miss and Alabama, as we begin the deliberate day count until the beginning of that most wonderful time of year--college football season in the Deep South.

Getting Defensive

The old coaching adage predicts that "they can't beat you if they can't score." For LSU, last season was a debacle mainly because of its defense. Gone is the two-headed coaching monster of Mallaveto. Like the boondoggle of "New Coke" during the 1980's, they've been replaced with the real thing-John Chavis, a veteran defensive mind from Tennessee who knows how to make the most of athletes and speed-which LSU has aplenty. Chavis has been pleasantly outspoken regarding the talent he inherited from the misguided manwich that was obviously underutilized a year ago. Specifically, he has lavished praise on LSU's returning secondary, which has two bona fide all-conference candidates in free safety Chad Jones and cornerback Patrick Peterson. Furthermore, the move of hard-hitting strong safety Harry Coleman to linebacker is a logical innovation that demonstrates clearly Chavis' defensive prowess and understanding. He was LSU's leading tackler a year ago.

The Tiger defensive line will be without first-round draft choice Tyson Jackson and free agent Marlon Favorite, but they fortunately return a nucleus of talented, experienced players like Charles Alexander, who received a rare sixth year of eligibility from the NCAA, along with Al Woods, Drake Nevis, Levarius Livingston and Rahim Alem. Alexander has showed flashes in his yeoman-like career, and one would think that he will make the most of his opportunity to finally shine if he has any aspirations of playing more football. Woods has been somewhat of an enigma, since he has not endured injury like Alexander. Tabbed all-world coming out of high school, he has still yet to live up to his lofty early billing. Woods is a huge human. With long arms and a massive, sturdy frame he is a space maker in the middle who could be wholly disruptive if he can finally get his game on. He reportedly had a successful spring camp, benefiting from the fire and tutelage of the new defensive coaching scheme. Nevis is a guy that has always produced when inserted. Playing time should no longer be a factor for him, as he should be a mainstay in the triple rotation of him, Alexander and Woods on the interior. Nevis' motor is great and his first step and tenacity really set him apart from most others at his position. He's been compared favorably to Glenn Dorsey. Livingston has worked hard for playing time during his career, but when he's gotten it he's made the most of it, which leads many to believe that he'll start opposite of Alem at defensive end, as the Ruston product is surprisingly tough and crafty, with a knack for big plays. Alem is the undisputed gem of the four-man front. He led the league in sacks a year ago and didn't even start. Furthermore, in the spring he appeared unblockable. Look for a bulked up and shredded Alem to strike the fear of God into opposing quarterbacks, since the LSU single-season sack record of Rydell Melancon could be in jeopardy with him speed rushing at end. Also, look for the athletic youngsters of Chase Clement and Sidell Corley to provide depth.

All good defenses have great linebackers. LSU was young a year ago at the position, and it showed, but this fall it benefits from experience, athleticism and more importantly, coaching. The Tigers return Kelvin Sheppard, Jason Cutrera and Perry Riley. The addition of bone crusher Coleman gives them another fast linebacker to cover against passing teams, which is always a plus given the many pass-happy offensive styles the SEC regularly presents. Sheppard is probably the most athletic of the three, while Riley is the bigger hitter and playmaker, and Cutrera the surest tackler whose only knock against him is that he's not the fastest linebacker of the bunch. Ryan Baker, a phenom on special teams a year ago, will add depth. Above all else, Chavis's newfound presence is the key to the improvement this unit needs from a year ago. If the Tiger backers can learn from Chavis's expertise they could be the real difference in whether LSU's defense is feared, or once again exploited this fall. Florida and Georgia both hung fifty on the Tigers a year ago. Good money is on Chavis that it happens never again.

Chuck "The Truck" Scott and Russell "The Wise Old" Shepard

LSU's offensive firepower can only be described as an embarrassment of riches. At the skilled positions the Tigers have the talent they need to regularly score points. The only concern is at the point of attack. If the Tigers have a weakness from an offensive standpoint, it's on the line where they lost offensive guard Herman Johnson and center Brett Helms to the NFL. The good news is that both tackles, senior Ciron Black and junior Joseph Barksdale return, along with senior guard Lyle Hitt. The center position is up for grabs between Tee Bob Hebert and Patrick Lonergan. Tee Bob is still recovering from a torn ACL that occurred before last season, but the word is he should be ready to go this fall. If he can't, Lonergan will take the lead, as he too appears to be ready to play after a solid spring. The Tigers' new left guard, Josh Dworaczyk, from New Iberia, is a promising talent. At 6-5, 290 pounds he has the size, but more particularly, the athleticism to really shine. Dworaczyk has fantastic feet and really looks like he has a chance to become a special offensive lineman for the Tigers. However, he must prove his worth in his first year as a starter. The good thing is that he'll be playing next to future NFLer Ciron Black. Black has been rock solid for the Tigers. 2009 is his money year, which means he'll be playing for more than pride. Hitt, now a senior, is the overachiever of the group, although he is damn strong for his diminutive size compared to most of the league's big nasties. Hitt's experience will be a plus as the season progresses, because like Black, he's been in his fair share of SEC slugfests. Thomas Parsons, Cordian Haggans, Will Blackwell and other newcomers will provide depth.

At quarterback the Tigers will be starting Jordan Jefferson, a true sophomore who has only two complete starts under his belt. However, when you consider that Jefferson spent more than a month as a starter in preparation for the bowl game against Georgia Tech, he's got more experience than LSU's opponents would like to admit. Furthermore, if you saw Jeffe