Dead Man Walking

Losing to Houston Nutt three years running is hardly the way to gain favor in Baton Rouge. Ole Miss has now won two in a row against LSU. Arkansas goes for an unconscionable three this coming weekend. My how the mighty have quickly fallen; General George Patton quite possibly said it best, "All glory is fleeting." For Les Miles, and his embattled offensive coaching staff, the glory enjoyed in the wake of a 2007 National Championship has faded as quickly as LSU's 2009 BCS bowl chances. Now Miles faces his toughest test as the LSU head football coach—survival, and to do so may require another Draconian firing of yet another incompetent coordinator.

In this piece for TigerDroppings.com, the World Wide Web's exclusive nook for all things SEC and LSU, we'll examine the to-date performance of the LSU Football Team, discuss possible firings at the end of the regular season, and weigh in on the nation's most intense and storied rivalry, the unrivaled Iron Bowl.

Just Plain Offensive

The National Player of the Year, the fastest human to ever wear pads, an assortment of receivers Gary Danielson calls unequivocally "the SEC's best" and an offensive line the head man called his "best since he's been here. With all of this, Gary Crowton could do little. A year ago, LSU's defense was the problem. This year it is the offense. One can only wonder if the problem stems from the head coach—and that complacency has finally eclipsed perseverance in Baton Rouge, rendering the Tigers to de facto middle of the pack league status for the remainder of Miles' tenure.

Oz Revealed

You may have seen the movie starring Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn. Set mainly in Louisiana's notoriously renowned Angola Penitentiary, "Dead Man Walking" was the story about a St. Martinville, Louisiana native who viciously murdered two high school sweethearts from New Iberia. After raping the girl in front of the boy, the repeat offender killed both youngsters in what was later described as a most vicious scene.

The story's title referred to the convicted murderer's terminal plight on Louisiana's Death Row facility at "The Farm." When Penn, who played the role of the inmate sentenced to die in the electric chair was escorted out of his cell by prison guards to meet his eternal fate, the words "Dead Man Walking!" reverberated loudly across the cell block. It signaled the beginning of a morbid, but necessary ritual.

Unfortunately, for Gary Crowton, he is now effectively LSU's counterpart of Sean Penn in the aforementioned movie, as it is certainly a given that he will soon be gone. Crowton's unforgivable, unthinkable crime, if you will, was that he led this plethora of offensive talent to a 11th place ranking in league offensive totals and 106th in the nation. The Wizard, just like in another, even more-famous movie, now wears no clothes. Crowton's presence, like LSU's once-potent offense, is severely weakened. A change is sorely needed. Moreover, without one, Miles' future at LSU becomes even more uncertain than it already is.

Miles Overdue

At this point in the season, given the Tigers' 7-3 record, Miles needs to come clean and admit that he and his staff cost the Tigers the Ole Miss game. Losing to Alabama and Florida is not shameful. Those are two undefeated teams knocking on the door of a national championship. However, losing to Ole Miss because you cannot effectively manage the clock or call running plays when you are already in field goal range is inexcusable. These days, it's obviously not easy being Les Miles.

The Iron Bowl

The general outlook on this year's Alabama-Auburn game is that Alabama is just too powerful for Auburn. However, Bama struggled with Ole Miss while Auburn put them away easily. This is of course is a game in which you can usually expect a few surprises. Auburn has had a solid year under Chizik, who appears to be a much better hire than originally thought. Chizik has not only improved on last year's losing effort under Tuberville, he has demonstrated a recruiting knack by plucking some of the state and the region's best talent from the clutches of his Tuscaloosa nemesis. However, the ultimate test for any Auburn or Alabama coach, of course, is the Iron Bowl.

Alabama will be a prohibitive favorite in this contest. Like Florida, they have knifed through their respective division competition with relative ease and impunity. Alabama is more physical than Auburn, and they have more to play for, with a national championship spot looming large on their future horizon—if of course, they can better Florida in Atlanta.

My guess is that with an extra week to prepare Auburn will keep this game close—closer than Bama fans will like it, forcing a tough fight for the championship-minded Crimson Tide. Nevertheless, this is a great opportunity for Chizik and his Tigers. The Tide will likely take them lightly, and if there were ever a chance at an upset, this would be a good time, as the Tide has to be looking ahead toward playing Florida and Everybody's All-American, Tim Tebow, who is oddly Mark Ingram's toughest competition in the ongoing Heisman Trophy race.

Chris Warner is a double graduate of LSU. He is the author of numerous books, including "The Wagon to Disaster" the untold story of HealthSouth, with Aaron Beam and "Professional Bone," a novel inspired by "The Wagon to Disaster." Purchase both books at Books-A-Million.