re: Talent solves the world's problem on offense

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Talent solves the problems period. Some people are just obsessed with coaching.

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Somehow other teams have found a way to get a few points in on Bama.

LSU is the worst performing team in the SEC West on offense against Bama since 2011.


You'll never out recruit Bama while Saban is there. Never. He has impeccable track record, second to none when it comes to both college development and getting guys into the NFL.


By your logic that its talent alone, LSU should just give up and stop trying to beat Bama.

That's because we're never going to be the most talented team as long as Nick Saban is coaching. Of course you try to get the best players you can, but we need to stop this thinking that talent alone will get us over this hump.

Obviously there's a certain type of offensive scheme that Saban's defenses have trouble with. We know this because Bama's actually been defeated, not only scored on, defeated over these past few years.

I don't see what's so difficult about hiring a young OC well versed in implementing those concepts. We have to do things the hard way though.

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Do you honestly believe that there are 70+ teams in the country with better talent on offense than LSU?

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Do you honestly think there are 70+ teams in the country that would have more total offense than LSU if they played our schedule?

I see this thrown around a lot and I think it's disingenuous at best. Follow along with me...

The SEC is the best conference in college football and it's not even close - the SEC is 34-6 vs. FBS teams, winning 85% of its FBS OOC matchups. The next best is the Big 12 at 15-6 (71%) followed by the Big 10 at 25-14 (64%). So of the 130 FBS teams (including the 14 that are in the SEC) how many have to play against our conference opponents?
- At least 1 SEC opponent: 46 teams
- At least 2 SEC opponents: 21 teams
- At least 3 SEC opponents: 15 teams (14 are in the SEC)

How about teams ranked in the current CFP top-25? LSU has played 5 teams in the current CFP rankings. Other FBS schools?
- At least 4 top-25 opponents: 31 teams
- At least 5 top-25 opponents: 13 teams
Of those teams who played at least 5 top-25 opponents, the average rank in total offensive production is 74.

How about the defensive rankings of our opponents? LSU has played 8 teams with top-50 total defenses, including #2 Miami, #3 Mississippi State, #6 Alabama, and #12 Georgia. The rest of FBS?
- At least 6 top-50 defensive opponents: 25 teams
- At least 7 top-50 defensive opponents: 7 teams
- At least 8 top-50 defensive opponents: 1 team (LSU)

Here are some of the strength-of-schedule rankings for LSU:
- teamrankings: #1
- Sagarin: #6
- S&P+: #1
(I should also add that that S&P+ predicts a top-5 team would win approximately 9.5 games against our schedule - I'd say going 9-3 after a seven-OT loss puts us pretty close to that..)

All of this to say - yes, our offense has under-performed. It's partly due to playcalling and partly due to all of the "talent" factors that get thrown around.. injuries, lack of any 5* talent combined with inexperience on offensive line, the fact that at several points throughout the year we started 5 OL who had never started an NCAA game before 2018, the fact that we lost 87% of our total offensive production from skill positions last year....

But regardless of ALL of that, if you think there are 70+ schools in the country that could out-perform LSU's offensive unit against our schedule, you're smoking crack.

Obviously talent is important but coaching is equally important. You have to be able to develop talent, recognize each players strengths (and weaknesses) and come up with the best way to employ each players talent in scheme that out-maneuvers the opposing DC’s scheme. I think we’re plenty talented, we’re just not utilizing our talent efficiently.

IMO talent and coaching are 50/50. We see less talented teams beat a more talented teams through coaching and vice versa all the time.

Good point!! Very true and astute observation!!

Signed,

2011 LSU #2 Nationally ranked Tigers

So you're saying those teams finished higher than LSU?

I'll take a more talented defense any day. Bama won more NCs basically because they have more talent on defense vs the talent they play on offense. Yea I'm aware teams scored on Bama but also they got dominated by Bama. Saban has his team more prepared against LSU versus any other team. We get their best every time.

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LSU is a 1 loss team with a good Oline this year

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The playcalling and oline coaching have led more to the oline sucking than talent.
This oline talent isnt that a lot less talented than most Miles olines and his lines were never this bad.

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Why did the even make the saying "Hard Work beats Talent when Talent won't work hard" 

All we need is talent

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It also begs the question.....
Why did we fire Miles?

He is a better recruiter than O and his program name definitely carries more weight with recruits.

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Honestly, part of what pisses me off most about the shite show from Saturday is that we (mostly) did what we wanted on offense, except that awful 1st and goal in 4OT. 

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Then came back in 5th ot and threw a hb pass........

I was screaming......." why didnt you run that the last ot for the win........"