Bottom Line on… LSU

Yikes.

Those were my exact thoughts when I read Les Miles comments about USC and their schedule, comments that he has since backed down from. (Comments that may or may not have stemmed from residual bitterness over losing top Louisiana prospect Joe McKnight to Southern Cal). And probably wisely so. As good as the Tigers will be this year, they’re not USC. Miles’ team is hands-down the favorite to win the SEC and a BCS championship between the Tigers and Trojans would be any sportswriters dream. The game would force Miles’ team to cash a check that his mouth wrote. After publicly sniping USC, the Pac 10 and Alabama, it’s clear that Miles is pretty confident about his team this year and he should be.

It’s amazing to think that despite the departure of JaMarcus Russell, Dwayne Bowe, Craig Davis and LaRon Landry, LSU is still the favorite to win the SEC West and the conference championship. At quarterback, the Tigers will start senior Matt Flynn, who famously filled in for Russell in the Peach Bowl trouncing of the Miami Hurricanes in 2005. Flynn is a consistent, accurate quarterback and his mobility will give the Tigers offense, and new offensive coordinator Gary Crowton, some additional play-calling options. Expect to see a running back by committee in the backfield, with Crowton promising to “go with the hot hand” with Alley Broussard, Keiland Williams and Charles Scott all seeing some time. Replacing Dwayne Bowe and Craig Davis won’t be easy, but you can’t be too worried if you have Early Doucet lining up wide. If Brandon LaFell and speedster Trindon Holliday can become consistent scoring threats, the LSU offense will be as multi-faceted and dangerous as any in the conference. With three starters returning on the offensive line, and a fourth if you include oft-injured right guard Will Arnold, the success of this offense will rely on the success of the line to stay healthy, open holes for the running backs and protecting Matt Flynn and giving him time to find Doucet, LaFell, Holliday and tight end Richard Dickson.

Every offensive coordinator in the conference had to have been slamming their head against their desk when they found out that LSU’s defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey (an almost sure-fire first round pick after his junior year) decided to come back for his senior year in Baton Rouge. But for all the attention Dorsey gets, the Tigers will use a four-man rotation at tackle that will include Charles Alexander, Marlon Favorite and sophomore Al Woods coming in to spell Dorsey. Needless to say, running on the Tigers won’t be easy. With Tyson Jackson coming off the left end and Kirston Pittman, Rahim Alem and Tremaine Johnson all sharing time at right end, passing against the Bayou Bengals won’t be that much fun either.

At linebacker, the Tigers will return all three linebackers from last year. With the addition of some underclassmen who saw playing time last year as freshman, defensive coordinator Bo Pelini says this is the best corps he’s had since he arrived in Baton Rouge. With seniors Chevis Jackson and Jonathan Zenon starting at the corners, junior Curtis Taylor and senior Craig Steltz won’t face a baptism by fire as they try to replace four-year starters LaRon Landry and Jessie Daniels at free and strong safety. The success of this defense will absolutely rely on how well this unit plays. If Jackson and Zenon can hold their own against the best receivers in the conference, it will free up Steltz and Taylor to fly around and make plays.

Few teams in the SEC this season have a schedule that is more favorable for a national championship run than LSU’s. Death Valley will play host to Virginia Tech, Florida, Auburn, South Carolina and Arkansas. The Tigers have a road schedule that is as weak, if not weaker, than Florida’s with games on the road against perennial doormats Mississippi State and Ole Miss, an improving Kentucky team and a game in New Orleans against an overmatched Tulane team. But then there’s that game on Nov. 3 against what’s his name in Tuscaloosa. The storylines will be interesting but the game won’t be. Alabama isn’t there yet.

Bottom Line prediction: 11-1. My sole concern will this team is Miles himself. He’s done an awful lot of talking this offseason and I can’t help but wonder how Miles’ mouth will detrimentally affect his team this year. That week 2 game against ACC-favorite Virginia Tech at home could be an early season stumbling block. There’s also those tricky Gators that could easily hand the Tigers their sole loss of the season. Given their favorable road schedule, the Bayou Bengals will win the SEC West and be in national championship contention. Oh I can only hope we’re looking at a USC/LSU national championship.

Coming tomorrow: Arkansas

patrickdonohue.freedomblogging.com

the730.wordpress.com