An Unofficial Start To A New Season

Bayou fans, today is the unofficial start to a brand new season. 2008 is over, recruiting is finalized, and the Tigers are off to a stellar start. In this article, I will scrutinize the 2009 LSU football team position by position. Get a sneak peak on what surprises are in store for the Tigers.

Quarterback
Last years offensive struggles were dominated by one thing. LSU was in poverty for a quarterback. There are two main players that should make a difference next year. Jordan Jefferson, and #1 Athlete Russell Shepard. Jefferson only started two games in his freshman campaign, one of which was a 38-3 win in the Chick-fil-A bowl. He looks to be the immediate answer next year for the Tigers. But highly anticipated top recruit Russell Shepard has settled in on campus, and looks to make an impact of his own. He quoted saying-
"I tell you, watch out in 2009. We're going for the National(championship)again."

Halfback
LSU has had good fortune at the halfback position with Running back Keiland Williams running along side starter Charles Scott. But they also pulled in ESPNU 150 running back Michael Ford; an explosive force on the field. I say that Charles Scott will continue to wreak havoc on defenses everywhere, and this year will serve as a learning experience for Michael Ford. I think it'll be very significant for a young back like Ford to sit back and learn from more experienced runners. He has great potential, and we need a good back for when Scott and Williams leave next year. As far as Fullback goes, we have two very young fullbacks who look to do just fine for the Tigers.

Wide Receiver
The receiving core caught a huge break when Brandon LaFell decided to come back for one more season. LaFell is among LSU's best ever and looks continue his triumph with the Tigers. The other starting receiver Demetrius Bird has graduated and left open a spot to fill. But that shouldn't be a problem for LSU. The Bayou Bengals are stock full of talented receivers such as Jordan Newell, R.J. Jackson, Chris Mitchell, and Jared Mitchell; all of which are seniors. Also, #1 WR recruit Rueben Randle looks to be a force on next season. I think that the receiving core will be alive and well next year, with plenty of flexibility in substitutions.

Athletes
LSU is very blessed to have many talented athletes that aren't characterized under one position. Trindon Holliday has speed that is almost overwhelming. He can run 40 yards of zig zags as fast as he can run the same distance straight. Short strides prevent Holliday from excelling onto the Olympics, but quick change in direction,a small figure, and short strides is exactly what you look for in a football player. He can play RB, WR, and always returns kicks/punts. Also, Drayton Calhoun, an athlete with tremendous elusiveness, has committed to play for the tigers and should return kicks when Holliday leaves. I think that special teams will be an exciting venue for LSU next year, and will add another complexion to their game.

Offensive Line
The offensive line is where everything starts. No blocking, no scoring. LSU has senior LT Ciron Black returning, as well as junior RT Joseph Barksdale. Both measure up to 6.5 feet tall and exceed 300 pounds. LSU may have problems at the center position, with both centers being red-shirt freshman. But look to see the left and right guards take on the two defensive tackles, and let the center do zone run blocking until he gains enough experience to carry out regular assignments. Either way, I say Les Miles will have his bold offensive lineman well prepared for next season.

Defensive Line
The defensive line is what separates LSU from the rest of the pack. LSU has a vast history of strong, powerful, hefty D-lineman that are just about unstoppable. But the Bayou Bengals are suffering a huge loss to their defensive front with DE Tyson Jackson, and DT Ricky Jean-Francois both leaving to the NFL Draft. But Coach Miles and his recruiters have stocked up on some brand new talent this off-season. The class includes #2 DE Sam Montgomery, #4 DT Joshua Downs, and #7 DT Chris Davenport. All three bring promising futures. I say the Tigers defensive line carries on with their success next year, and overtake last years efforts.

Linebackers
The linebacking core is what seemed to be the problem last year, but it really wasn't the problem at all. LSU was ranked 17th in the nation at stopping the run. Starting outside linebackers Kelvin Sheppard and Perry Riley are returning, and the empty middle linebacker spot will most likely be filled by senior Jacob Cutrera. I say next years linebacking core will be considerably better defending the pass, and should dominate the running game as it did last year.

Cornerbacks
This may be the position that should make the most improvement next for next year. All five corners on the LSU roster are coming back for another season with the Tigers. We are also very lucky for one of those to be rising sophomore Patrick Peterson. He is a tall, vigorous, physical corner with great ball skills, that should leave a mark on next years season. Also, look for senior CB Chris Hawkins to bring experience to the right side of the field and lock down on receivers all next year. He has started ever since his sophomore year.

Safety
LSU should only improve at the safety position; the Tigers have many smart upperclassmen. LSU is only losing one starting safety, but is being replaced by senior Danny McCray. Also, Les Miles singed #1 safety Craig Loston this off-season, so expect him to play nickelback next year to get some burn in. I say that LSU is set at the safety position for next year, but must rely on younger players to improve for success in the future.

Kickers/Punters
Kicker Colt Davids time at LSU has expired, which means a new kicker must step up and take the load. The kicker might not sound that important, but with being in the SEC, they often make the difference in close games. Luckily, LSU has junior Josh Jasper, who should do just fine. Hopefully we won't need to use a punter very often. But when we do, the Tigers have junior punter Derek Helton to fill the job.

All in all, LSU looks to have a highly prominent season ahead of them, and only look to ameliorate.

SEC Holds A Great Preponderance Of Recruits Going Into National Signing Day

National Signing day is a day when all unsigned college football prospects make their decision on where to play ball. Usually, about half of major prospects have already made their decision, and are just making a reassuring announcement. But going into tomorrow, one conference has already grasped the attention of the recruiting world. With 42 TOP 150 prospects signed prior to national signing day, the SEC holds the largest majority of talent that this class has to offer.

No other conference has as many top recruits signed to their name than the SEC. Not only have they won three consecutive national titles, but now the SEC is also looking pretty darn good in the future! Alabama racked up the top recruiting class last year, and LSU is achieving the same this year. With half of the Top 8 recruiting classes being in the SEC, other coaches aren't looking too hysterical about the up-coming seasons. Well...... except for Pete Carroll.

Reporter: How long do you think you'll keep up your success over at USC?
Pete Carroll: Well uh... I don't know(laughing), we're just gonna try to come out and have a good first game, and then we'll go through the next one. But, uh... what I do know is that with the success over the last few years, with recruiting, and still getting a response when we go across the country(for recruits), we have a chance to keep going, and I don't see any reason to slow down.

Well of course you have a chance Pete!!! ANY team has a chance with the schedule you're facing every year. Arizona State, ooooooooohhhhhh, not again. Washington State, Oh No, i'm not sure if we're ready for this one guys. Stanford..... BITE ME. You can always count on Pete Carroll to go into the season saying "This is the best team EVER"

Now if their is any team that is going to have a shot at cracking the SEC code, it would be Texas. Texas has The #3 ranked recruiting class this year, and is getting most of it's starters back. If they can't make it, then it's not looking so splendid for teams in other conferences.

National signing day will only improve SEC recruiting classes, and their is no chance that they won't score big tomorrow. With #1 ranked WR Rueben Randle, #1 ranked CB Dre Kirkpatrick, #2 ranked OLB Jelani Jenkins, #2 ranked CB Greg Reid, #3 ranked WR Marlon Brown, #2 ranked DE Sam Montgomery, #5 ranked Safety Darren Myles Jr., #6 ranked OLB Jarvis Jones, and much more are all expected to sign with SEC teams on National Signing Day.

The SEC will conclude future seasons the same way they'll conclude their recruiting on National Signing Day; untouched.

My Pre-Preseason Rankings In College Football

The season is finally over, which means a brand new one is on the horizon. It's time to decide who is the best coming into next year. Many of these top ten teams you may be able to guess, but some may be a surprise.

1. Florida- Their is no doubt in my mind that Florida should be ranked #1 coming into next season. Their entire defense is returning after a dominating national championship run last year, and they're simply just gonna get better. Tim Tebow, one of the greatest of all-time, is returning to play QB, and most other starters are coming back also. Lately, the pre-season ranked #1 hasn't won the big one, but Florida has an awfully good chance.

2. Texas- Texas was very good last season, and all longhorn fans had a gripe about the BCS when it was all over with, but they still have much room for improvement. They have many young defensive back starters that will only get better, and they have QB Colt McCoy coming back for his senior season. With Colt McCoy directing the longhorns on offense, and some slight pass defense improvements, look for the longhorns to be high in the rankings.

3. Oklahoma State- When you think of national title contenders, Oklahoma State doesn't pop up in most peoples heads. But most college football fans do not realize how great this football is. With their big brothers Texas and Oklahoma overshadowing them, not many fans got to see how great they really are. They have tremendous veteran talent coming back on the offensive side of the ball, including QB Zac Robinson, WR Dez Bryant, RB Kendell Hunter, and OT Russell Okung. They're also not looking bad on defense either, with six starters coming back.

4. LSU- LSU may surprise many people next year. They won the national title two years ago, but were easily forgotten with their embarrassing five loss season, and outstanding performances by Alabama, Georgia, Ole Miss, and Florida. LSU has the #1 recruiting class coming in, which can do wonders for a football team. Just look what it did to Alabama. They went from 8-5 to 11-2. LSU also has all of it's impact players returning, including WR Brandon LaFell, which may be one of LSU's best ever. If they can get their QB problem under control like they did in the Chick-fil-A bowl, then they will be a force to be reckoned with.

5. Ole Miss- Ole Miss surprised the nation last year with an amazing four loss season. Now...... wait a second. Four losses isn't amazing!!! Well in this case, some how it is. They were the only team to beat Florida, beat Arkansas, stuffed Auburn, squandered LSU, shut-out Mississippi, and showed Texas Tech who's boss. This team was a physical smash-mouth football team that improved during the season more than any other team in College Football. They have almost all of their starters coming back on both sides of the ball, and if some of their younger players can be a little bit more focussed, then they can be a threat to many SEC contenders next year.

6. Oregon- Usually USC is the top team in the Pac-10 year after year. But this year is going to be different. Sophomore QB Jeremiah Masoli is going to be a huge force for Oregon next year. With his powerful running game and poise in the pocket, It's gonna take one strong defense to tame him. Oregon also has motivated runner RB LeGarrette Blount, which will get more carries with former Oregon RB Jeremiah Johnson leaving. Oregon made a run at the title in 2006, but with QB Denis Dixon breaking his leg, the season went on a free-fall. The bottom line is that Oregon will be playing in the Rose Bowl one way or another.

7. Oklahoma- Oklahoma is virtually unstoppable at home. Better yet, they're unstoppable with Sam Bradford at home. Sam Bradford, along with most other offensive starters, are coming back for another season. Although the Sooners had an appearance in the national title last year, I don't think that they have the team to quite do the same this year. They simply have too many tough games on the road including Texas, Texas Tech, and Nebraska. I think that Oklahoma will be a great team, but Texas will end up grasping the Big 12.

8. USC- The reason I'm ranking USC lower than most people would, is because they lost 8 starters on defense. When You lose that many starters, no matter how good you are, it's hard to perform the same way. Losing Mark Sanchez won't be a problem though. USC is known for first year starters to be phenomenal. Their offense looks to be a little better than last years, but defensively, I don't think they can survive with only one loss.

9. Alabama- Although many fans were disappointed with their loss in the SEC championship game, the Tide have a good future in front of them. The #1 recruiting class was what sparked their great season last year, but I think it will do the same next year too. The players are only going to mature and improve their play, which results in Alabama being a considerable force the next couple of years.

10. Penn State- I'm not expecting Penn State to be the same one loss team as they were last year, but with Daryll Clark returning for his 5th year, Penn State looks to have a steady offense. Also, with the ol ball coach coming back to lead the Lions for the 44th straight season, they'll have a disciplined defense as well. I'm saying that they might be headed to the Rose Bowl if they get a few breaks.

Mountain West Wants BCS Bid, But It's Not A Good Idea

The Mountain West has recently argued that they deserve a BCS bid, and that college football fans should want it too because it would add another factor to the BCS. Well at least they got one thing right, it would add another factor to the BCS. But not a good one. The BCS system is already confusing and complained about on a regular basis. We do not need to confuse it.
The Mountain West simply does not have enough quality teams in their conference to put up a quality opponent each and every year. Utah may have beaten Alabama, but I guarantee you that it will not happen again. Only two teams out of the Mountain West (made up of nine teams) beat a ranked opponent this year.
We already have enough lukewarm conferences in the BCS. And they happen to play each other!!! It's the ACC and the Big East. Although they had four losses, Virginia Tech represented the ACC this year in the Orange Bowl. That's weak. The best team in the ACC should have less than four losses.
Now to the Big East. Cincinnati may fool you at first with three losses on their resume, but they're really just a fluke. They haven't beaten a USA top 25 team all year!!! They lost to Oklahoma, Connecticut, and Virginia Tech.
Mountain West, Your just looking stupid by proposing an automatic bid. Usually the harder you try, they better you look. But this time it's the harder you try, the dumber you look. Cause your not gonna get a BCS bid for your conference, and so your gonna come out next year and try as hard as you can to prove us wrong; but it won't happen. Once the midpoint of the season comes along, everyone will agree that we made the right decision.

Their should be 2 things that decide whether or not a team plays in a BCS bowl game. 1) Their record, and 2) Their strength of schedule. Virginia Tech and Cincinnati both wouldn't have made it if the BCS relied on those two factors. Texas Tech, Ole Miss, Georgia, Oregon, Oregon State, and Missouri. Those are a list of teams that deserve to be in the Orange Bowl more than Virginia Tech and Cincinnati.
The bottom line is that the Mountain West is just not strong enough, and doesn't play a hard enough schedule to deserve to play in a BCS bowl. They can earn an At-Large bid like any other team in the nation. But they shouldn't get an automatic free pass to the BCS every year.

Brandon LaFell Decides To Stay With The Tigers

Starting receiver Brandon LaFell declared for the NFL draft on Friday. But every underclassmen has a 72 hour period after they declare to change their mind. LaFell waited until the last minute to change his mind and come back for one more season with the Tigers.

“We are extremely excited to have Brandon returning to the LSU football team for his senior season,” head coach Les Miles said on Sunday. “We were going to support him no matter what decision he made."

Brandon LaFell had one of the best season's in LSU history last year by racking up 63 receptions, 929 receiving yards, and 8 touchdowns. One of his more impressive performances when he accumulated for 12 receptions, 129 yards, and 1 touchdown in LSU's 28 point comeback v.s. Troy State.

“The news of Brandon coming back to school is big for our football team. His contributions to our football program have been very significant and I’m glad we are going to get another year with him," said head coach Les Miles.

When it's all said and done, Brandon LaFell will be one of the best receivers LSU has ever had. Brandon has a legitimate shot at breaking numerous receiving records at LSU. He will be a HUGE help to the Tigers next season, and it looks to me that he came back for the same reason Glenn Dorsey did; to win a national title.