National Championship Expectations

I would expect to be a serious contender in 2010-2012, due to the maturation of Jefferson and Sheppard, Chavez's defense being around for 1+ years, and the continuing excellence in recruiting.

Every year the NC is in New Orleans I think the Tigers have a solid shot. Other years not so much

Im thinking we make it back to the SEC Championship next year vs Florida

As for the NC...i really think we have a shot for 2010, 2011, and 2012
but im think 2011 more than any of them, bc we will have had our defense set for a couple of years, our young players will be old players (experience wise), and it will be an odd year (we get auburn and florida home)
our biggest obstacle will be ole miss and bama on the road that year because their coaches know how to recruit with the best of them, and the guys proved they can beat us
with all of this said i say NC in 2011, with an SEC Championship appearance next year and a BCS bowl game in 2010 (sound familiar?)

While I agree that UF is the team to beat, and that LSU won't be as good in '09 as they will in '10 or '11, I would still say they are a contender in '09, just not the favorite. I expect the D will quickly bounce back to their norm of giving up an average of 13 ppg rather than 30 ppg, and if that happens we should be in every game.

The champion in '09 will invariably be one of these teams: SEC champion, USC, OSU, OU, or UT. Though UF is the favorite to be the SEC champion, LSU still has a decent shot at it if things bounce their way. Remember the UF game is in TS and the winner of that game has won the last 3 NC's (...I just love saying that).

Of course it looks like the best shot is 2011 as we'll have UF at home and this moster class we just signed will be matured and playing.

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This is for the reasonable posters. Particularly the ones that will answer with something other than "NEXT YEAR!", or "'09!". It's not going to happen. The '09 championship runs right through Gainesville and if you think otherwise right now, you're as delusional as an Alabama fan.

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You appeal to the "reasonable posters", yet you proclaim a national champion in February and call anyone who disagrees "delusional"?

No matter how good Florida is next year, and I agree they may well be the best team in the country next year, the only thing that is delusional is guaranteeing a national championship for one particular team 7 months before the season even starts.

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assuming Chavis has the defense playing in the way you expect them to play, when do you think LSU could be a LEGIT national title contender and why?

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A legit national title contender is a term with no real definition. Was Alabama a legit contender in 2008? Why couldn't LSU be as good next year as Alabama was in 2008? Was Utah, the consensus #2 finisher, a legit national championship contender? Why couldn't LSU be as good next year as Utah was in 2008?

I'm not saying we will be a legit contender in 2009, I just think it's stupid to label anyone who does think it's possible "delusional" while handing over the trophy to Florida in February.

For that matter, it's not even certain that Florida was the best team in 2008. Texas might have been better. And they were a younger team than Florida, with more returning contributors and arguably an easier path to the title game. Any number of teams could legitimately contend for or win the national championship in 2009. Florida is merely one of them. LSU might be, too.

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The '09 championship runs right through Gainesville

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Well, hell, why even bother playing out the season? Let's just give them the Crystal Ball now.

I agree that they are the odds-on favorites. But there's a reason they play the games. Let's see what happens before just laying down.

We, here at Tigerdroppings.com, refuse to recognize any National Championship not won in the state of Louisiana.

Therefore, the next National Championship won by anyone will be in 2012 for the 2011 season, and it will be one decsively by the Louisiana State University Fighting Tigers.

Until then-2 BCS Bowl Appereances.

I think our schedule next year sets up nicely. Sure Florida is better than us. I'm willing to assume they beat us in mid-October.

But if we run the table and get another crack at them in Atlanta, we'll be playing for the BCS game. I don't think it's so unreasonable.

Failing next year, 2011 and the Superdome sets up nicely as well.

There you go making sense . . .why play the season if we already know the outcome? fact of the matter is the prognostications are more wrong than right as evidenced by example you didn't reference. . .03 champion started off ranked #12 in case anyone forgot