re: Per Dandy Don Q/A with Mike Detiller on O LINE....

quote:

---

This made so much sense just like LM has left the cookie jar half empty per other story written on tiger rag about talent
with this team now...patients my tiger friends

---

...

James Smith, NOLA.com
James_C_Smith@nola.com
The battle in the trenches between Alabama's defensive line and LSU's offensive line was more of a bludgeoning than a battle, because the Tigers offered little resistance to the Crimson Tide's elite defensive front seven.

The Tigers' offense was stifled for the second year in a row by a stingy Alabama defense, and the answers to the whys are easily addressed by the butt-whipping the LSU offensive line endured in both contests.

The Tigers came into the season with four returning starters in the group, including center Ethan Pocic, who by most accounts is one of the nation's premier centers, as well as a future NFL draftee in guard Will Clapp and returning starter Maea Teuhema and Toby Weathersby, both of whom showed flashes of excellence in their 2015 freshman campaigns.

LSU vs. Alabama: The grades are in
LSU vs. Alabama: The grades are in

This group was considered a strength for LSU, but it looked like anything but that on Saturday night. So where did it all go wrong? It starts on the recruiting trail.

I would argue that the Tigers started three guards in Teuhema, Weathersby and Boutte, one center in Will Clapp and one tackle in Ethan Pocic. However, only Teuhema and Boutte played the positions they are best suited to play. Under Les Miles, the Tigers seldom signed prototypical offensive tackles to man the edges up front. It may be hard to notice against lesser opponents, but it becomes glaringly obvious against much tougher foes like Alabama, who deploy a front seven that brings both power and speed to the fight.

Let's start with former Brother Martin tackle Will Clapp, who is a third-generation lineman, with his father being a defensive lineman and his grandfather playing center during their playing days. Clapp is undersized for the guard position in a pro-style offense, especially in the SEC. Clapp should have been moved to center early in his career, allowing the only true tackle in the lineup, Ethan Pocic, to move to his natural position--offensive tackle.

At 6-foot-7, Pocic may be the tallest center on any roster in the country. Length is an asset for most, but when playing inside, leverage is the key, and the Alabama defenders continued to get under his pad level, thus reducing his ability to drive them off the ball. Pocic has the foot speed to play on the edge, but Miles and co. refused to move him there, ultimately limiting his team's ability to counter elite pass rushers.

LSU's rain of errors kept the Tigers from a perfect game vs. Alabama
LSU's rain of errors kept the Tigers from a perfect game vs. Alabama

I spoke with former assistant director of football operations Dean Dingman about this in great length prior to Pocic's announcement to return for his senior year. But Dingman, who was a former offensive lineman at Michigan, was reluctant to disagree with Miles, his boss and mentor, and stated Pocic was a future franchise center at the next level, despite his acknowledgement that Pocic had difficulty winning the leverage battle against upper-echelon defensive tackles.

The Tigers played both Teuhema and Weathersby at right tackle, but I am not convinced that either of them have the physical makeup and foot speed to do so effectively against speed rushers. It would be shortsighted to blame the players, though. They were not put in a position to succeed. Teuhema should never have been asked to play tackle. He isn't built for it. But when the coaches refuse to recruit the proper players to handle the duties, there simply is not another choice at this point.

Under Miles, the passing game was not important. He refused to be moved from his archaic offensive approach, which often looks like an offense that resembles black and white videos of guys playing in leather helmets in an era of offensive innovation. Pass protection was not a priority, because let's face it, passing the ball was more of a last resort than an integral part of the offense.

And this is the result--an offensive line that cannot protect its quarterback. An offensive line that cannot handle disruptive interior linemen or speed rushers on the edge. An offensive line that is simply outmatched by Alabama--a defense built to whip the LSU offense into submission.

quote:

---

That's a stupid conclusion. We don't have good tackles because good tackles are hard to find and we've done a poor job at identifying those players. The thought that this was a strategic decision is just dumb.

---

there you go. that's what I was trying to say.