re: Will Blackwell on Coach Miles and the lost Natty

quote:

---

I used to think it was stubbornness by Les. However, I honestly think Les was not capable of doing what needed to be done. His whole career at LSU was a like watching a tightrope act. He wobbled his way thru most of the time but was a one trick pony. In his last few years he was so fat and happy (and rich) being the LSU coach that he didn’t see the need to change. He was just going to stay on the ride for as long as he could. The whole thing truly sickened me. He was in over his head and I think everyone knows it. I would not call that stubbornness.

---

Les was certainly stubborn. So much so that it—rightfully—cost him his job in the end. But to think he was in over his head and just reading for 11 YEARS is absurd. No matter the foundation Saban built, you don’t last that long, win that many games (in the best division in the history of college football) by being incompetent. Les was a good coach—probably very good—he just got hosed by being in the same division as the greatest coach of all time in the midst of the greatest dynasty of all time. And it was his even greater misfortune that that coach just happened to be his predecessor at LSU, and folks just never could get over it.

The 2011 LSU team was one of the greatest in college football history. Unfortunately, so was the 2011 Alabama team. And even more unfortunately, they got a mulligan they didn’t deserve. As a big proponent of the BCS, I argued leading up to 1/9/12 that the BCS worked, and Bama should have been there because they were better than Oklahoma State, who shouldn’t have lost to Iowa State. That was before we got our asses kicked (though I don’t think that’s really a fair assessment, and I’ll come back to that). In retrospect, games matter—results should matter. And even though Bama was clearly one of the 2 best teams that year, they didn’t deserve to be there. Oklahoma State did, despite their loss to ISU (which was on a weird Friday the day of a tragic plane crash that killed people in their athletic department—if any team was worthy of a “mulligan,” it was them, especially considering they hadn’t lost to LSU—at home. They simply accomplished more than Bama up to that point).

Back to the game on 1/9/12, clearly we were not moving the ball on offense. But the game was still very close—9-0 going into the 4th, I believe—and we had a Superhero in Tyrann Matheiu that seemed to simply be able able to will us to victory. Both the Arkansas and Georgia games were close until he did his thing, and we wound up blowing both teams out. I understand Miles and his conservative nature just trying to keep it close until Klark Kent inevitably snuck in the phone booth, and Superman came out to save the day. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen. It couldn’t happen. We were beaten by a better team with a better coaching staff.

Our game plan was ultra conservative, not creative, and worthy of criticism, but there was simply no game plan that was beating Bama that night. Our only chance was to have a few Herculean games by a handful of players that we had counted on all year. None were able to do it, and you have to give Saban and staff a ton of credit for putting their guys in a position to prevent them.

Miles didn’t inspire a lot of confidence in the players that night once things turned south. It was clear on tv, and is reinforced when Will Blackwell comes out of his cave every year or 2 to talk about it. I understand his frustration, and the frustration of a lot of fans what wanted Lee to come in, to try something—ANYTHING. My opinion was Lee was terrified of both Bama and the big stage, and we likely would have lost worse than 21-0 if he goes in. But there are no moral victories, and, like many of you, I would have rather lost 42-0 while at least TRYING. But I go back to that dominated as we were getting on the field, the score was still close going I to the 4th. Now, nothing that night indicated anything was going to change, but I do understand Miles waiting for a TM7 punt return, strip sack fumble return, a Mo Claiborne pick 6, etc...Unfortunately, they never came.

And I know it’s absolutely zero consultation to the guys on that ‘11 team, but as a fan, all roads led to Joe and 15-0. Clemson exorcised those demons for me. I know it never will for Will Blackmon and the other players on that 2011 team. And it shouldn’t. But as a fan, I’m groovy, baby.