So I've been on this board for about 5 years, and I rarely post... but something lately has been bugging me and I haven't seen this angle ever mentioned on this board. I have a feeling it will make me unpopular, but I'm not here to win friends... Not a posi-tiger outlook, not a nega-tiger outlook...

I think there has been way too much made out of our success this decade, and not many people have been able to keep a REALISTIC view of our beloved Tigers. I mean, let's face it, before 2003 we were AT BEST a mediocre program in a big time conference. Prior to '03, we'd won exactly ONE National Championship and ONE Heisman Trophy (the two biggest markers of program success). That puts LSU on par with Colorado, BYU, Washington, Michigan State and more.

Between 1933 and 2000 LSU won 7 SEC championships. 7 in 67 years - just more than one per decade.

Obviously in 2000 we hire Nick Saban. Now, he was regarded at the time as a good coach, but I don't think anyone would say he was of the elite tier of coaches he's considered to be in today. He has one great season in his first 3 (8-4, #22; 10-3, #7; 8-5, unranked). Yes, we were SEC champs in '01, but remember, we did that with THREE conference losses. Do we think that will ever happen again?

Then comes the "leap" with our program. Obviously we claimed the MNC in 03 with Saban, but again, let's keep in mind that whether we like it or not, that was a contested MNC with USC taking the AP #1. 2004 was a "rebuilding" year and Saban's swan song with - again - a three loss season.

Then enter Les Miles... We reel of an unprecedented three seasons with just 2 losses, culminating with the 07 MNC. I need not remind anyone that we backed into that game with the WVU upset and the Big 12 title game upset to sneak into the game with our pair of triple overtime losses. I'm not sure about everyone else in Tiger nation, but I for one felt like I was in some sort of fantasy world LSU utopia... I never thought I'd see one, much less two NC's in such a short span of time.

Now of course, anyone in the world can (and most do) spout off at the mouth that Miles did it with Saban's players. It's true that Nick left the cupboards full with talent and he sit in place many systems and facilities that forever strengthened the power of our program. The reputation of LSU football made a GIGANTIC leap in the Saban tenure, there is no doubt, and we'll continue to feed off of that for DECADES... but the fact remains that it was MILES that coached those three straight teams to 11-2, #5; 11-2, #3 and 12-2, #1. I don't care how "stocked" the talent was, a truly pathetic coach could not have achieved those records. In any business, it doesn't matter how strong the assets and talent are, if the leadership is truly inept the business will fail. And it didn't... not one single slip in those three years. In fact, I'd argue we were better. Could another coach have had that same type of success? perhaps...

After 2007 we faced significant challenges. I think losing Bo Pelini was a massive set back and the co-DC's was without a doubt a complete failure. I think it's sufficient to say that problem has been resolved. The loss of RP was also a more significant setback than I think most realize. We had a QB who had experience with the playbook, the program, and who had been the SOLE person groomed for two years to take over the QB spot. And without much time to prepare for the season, we roll into our first game with two guys who hadn't taken a collegiate snap and a transfer from Harvard who was a token 3rd string clipboard holder. We started with Hatch because he'd had SOME reps... then we gave Lee a shot (probably stuck with him too long) and finally we gave it to the kid, JJ. We had three options whose probability to succeed were anyone's guess. I think the coaches gave them their shots in the most logical order and the results were what they were... You can't coach experience. Not to mention some serious talent graduated and/or lost to the pros. I think under those circumstances 8-5 would be the best we could achieve.

And lets all please keep in mind that during this decade the SEC had become the epicenter of all the power in college football. The very best of the best in players and coaches FLOCK to this league to compete.

I have to be honest about this year as well, other than the Ole Miss game, everything has played out much to my expectations. As much as it pains me to say this, Alabama and Florida are GOOD. Not just good, GREAT. Wire-to-wire they have lived up to the expectations of being the top 2-3 teams in the country. Again battling the inexperience at QB and other positions depleted by graduation, we were expected to be an above average team. We have played it as such.

As for the Ole Miss game, I'm not making any excuses. That was a total and complete blunder on the coaching staff. There was little to no order on the sideline and the plan to execute given certain variables was not there. That's a big FAIL to Miles and his staff. They know that. Further, I do think Miles mishandled the situation with some of the explanations he offered the press. But it comes down to this - it was a massive screw up. We lost a game because of it, and it's over. I do not think that it is indicative of any one person's ability to lead the program.

But my point is this... we are a good program that has had some recent great success. We are not, however, a program that has the rich tradition and history of winning championships that leads to excessive expectations of continuing that success year in and year out... YET. I'm sorry, but LSU is not Oklahoma, Texas, Michigan, Nebraska, Florida, Notre Dame, USC, or Ohio State. We're not, and we never have been.

Someone posted the other day that they knew Les Miles was not the coach when they heard him say that LSU's goal was to be a top 5 team every year. The poster made the argument that LSU's expectation should be to win the NC every year. First, that's ridiculous. Second, I think that being a top TEN team every year would be a realistic goal for this program. At this point, we have not established ourselves at NC contenders year in and year out. It takes many years, if not decades of success like we've seen in the last 8 years to get to that level. Florida is just now experiencing that with the last 15-20 years that program has had. Next decade we'll be lucky to be in those shoes. Spurrier took them to the next level, Zook didn't help or hurt too much, and Urban Meyer has certainly proven his worth and kept that program at a dynasty level.

But that is rare, and in the grand scheme of things, it's cyclical. Ask Nebraska. Ask Notre Dame. Ask Oklahoma. Ask Texas. It comes and it goes. But it takes decades of winning to make it and stay at that level. We're on they way. A couple of seasons at 8-5, 9-3 (probably be 10-3 after a bowl), are to be expected.

At this point I still do believe that Les Miles is helping the program more than he is hurting it. He's not just maintaining the program, he has improved it. His record and recruiting prove that.The only thing he hasn't lived up to are unrealistic expectations of winning the conference and or national championship every year. Next year should be an improvement on this one. If it's not, then we may have some thinking to do on who our leader is. For now, we just need to keep things in perspective.