re: Let's take a step back and look at LSU's program

quote:

---

Let's look at the programs since 2008, after the National Championship.

---

Vlad, this is a solid post with some good analysis and level headed comments on the current state of the program. Thank you for sharing.


My only problem is, why start at 2008???

I can understand throwing out Miles' great 3 year start and NC trying to analyze where we are since then, but 2008 is clearly the outlier of the Miles tenure, and since Lee's freshman year combined with the interim failure of Mallveto, the program is simply not the same as it was in that transitional year.

2009 would be a much more honest starting point, and one could even argue that 2010 would be an even better starting point since we had another first year starter at QB in 09 with a new first year DC.


Still, even going back to 09, LSU record against our biggest rivals would look like this:

Now let's look at how we've done vs. our biggest rivals:
Alabama: 2-3 (all 3 losses to NC teams with 1 win over an NC team)
Auburn: 4-1 (loss to a NC team)
Florida: 3-2 (1 loss to NC team, 1 loss to BCS team)
Ole Miss: 3-2
Arkansas: 3-1 (loss to BCS team)

I'd also add Texas A&M: 2-0
Combined that's 17-9 (5 losses to NC team, 7 to BCS teams)


I think that's a much more accurate picture of where we are sitting today.

LSU is an elite program that unfortunately finds itself constantly matched up against an absurd amount of elite teams as well.

LSU is 55-5 against unranked teams in Miles' tenure, with this week's loss to Ole Miss being the first loss to an unranked team since 2008.


If I could pick my biggest concern with LSU at the moment, it would be the bowl record in that same time period of 2009, 1-3. Of course, once again all of those bowl losses were against top 10 teams that won at least 11 games, two of which came in the final minute and the 3rd being a rare and controversial Rematch against a team that we had already beaten on the road.

But the fact remains that Miles needs to get back to his stellar bowl performances when he was 4-0 in his first 4 years with huge wins over some of the best programs in the country at the time.

quote:

---

Cliffs:
-We're very much an elite program
-We've struggled vs. our biggest rivals post 2007
-Much yet undetermined in the next 4-5 months that will greatly impact the future
-Enjoy the ride or GTFO

---

All great points

quote:

---

Vlad, this is a solid post with some good analysis and level headed comments on the current state of the program. Thank you for sharing.

---

quote:

---

My only problem is, why start at 2008???

---

Only because it's when the alleged decline began and post hardware. We've all seen the 2005-present stats.

It was not an intention to skew the numbers unfavorably. 2008 was the outlier and LSU improved from there significantly the next 4-5 seasons. When we lose, it's often to someone very good, with the exceptions of Ole Miss.

LSU is still an elite program, but there are some things that doesn't sit well right now. In the past 13 years LSU has been blessed with some of the best talent college football has ever seen. With that being said, LSU is a program whose great talent is leaving earlier more often now than they have before. We were once a defense that sub'd in 4 fresh d-linemen and now we only have the same four rushing with two guys to spell them. We lack playmaking linemen, active and intelligent LB's, and the secondary is average at best.

I really wish we were able to recruit Clowney and Nkemdiche it would have really help us out this year.

Going forward the program is still solid as ever. I don't see that defensive stud for next year like in years past. Hopefully their are some Juco guys we can pickup that can have an immediate impact.

BTW, Was the Allen(DE) kid on the roster last year. I don't remember him playing?

quote:

---

Only because it's when the alleged decline began and post hardware.

It was not an intention to skew the numbers unfavorably. 2008 was the outlier and LSU improved from there significantly the next 4-5 seasons.

---

That's kind of my point. There was a steep decline after the NC in 07 with a disastrous QB and DC situation, but LSU was on a steady incline since then.

2008: 8-5
2009: 9-4
2010: 11-2
2011: 13-1


After another NCG, there was another natural step back, but the 10-3 "decline" year was a far cry from the 8-5 outlier we saw in 08, which means the program is on sturdier ground than it was in that post NC season.


Now we may very well drop below last year's 10-3 mark this season, although that is far from certain.

But most that claim the "decline" try to pretend it goes all the way back to Saban's departure, despite Miles clearly raising the level of the program since that time, or after 2007, when "Saban's players" left the program.

It's clear that that is simply not true for anyone willing to open their eyes and minds and look.


Is the decline starting this year? We'll have to wait and see. But anyone claiming this is some long standing trend is just biased and not being honest. ETA: Not saying that's what you are doing btw

quote:

---

You fail at getting your point across if you didn't intend for this to read as you saying we are 2-4 against Saban.

---

You just fail period. And you can't admit that you didn't realize that lsu/miles beaten saban/bama 3 times.

But please, continue on with the hatred of your supposed favorite team. Flame away as if those players/coaches wanted to lose to Ole Miss.

jacka**


:yack: :yack:

quote:

---

You still can't even respond to the right person.

---

Welcome to the conversation Lunchbox. Have not been talking to you outside of my first post re your topic listing us as 2-4 v. saban/bama. Did you think otherwise?

+1

I admit you made a good post. Here's what I'm looking at comparing Miles (since coming here) vs Saban (since coming to Bama):

Miles: 52-19 .732

Saban: 43-9 .827

Certainly the records are comparable in a way and yes Miles was here 2 years before Saban came back to college ball but as you mentioned we are not winning the big games. That's what really irritates me the most. I do not want our program to start being compared to UGA. That's pretty much where we're at whether anyone cares to admit it or not.

Will we keep losing 2 games guaranteed every year even with this amazing class coming in?