🏈 Could LSU go winless in SEC play in 2014?

[BAMANEWSBOT]

 

[Alibamoone]

it would be fitting if lsu lost to kentucky with all of the offseason complaints focused on Bama drawing UK out of the east last year. they are always complaining about schedule and 99% of the time it isn't their game with florida that bites them in the butt.

 

[PhillyGirl]

LSU fans this season

 

[TheChief]

Not according to McElroy...

 

[riz]

I could write that article. Every year. Wash, rinse, repeat.

 

[rick4bama]

We will win!

 

[planomateo]

Interesting read.

http://sec14.com/2014/10/mitchell-lsus-winless-2014/

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That LSU is struggling this season should come as a surprise no one. Certainly no one who follows us at SEC14.com or College Football News.

We warned you that Mississippi State had the upper hand to end years of frustration in Baton Rouge, and I cautioned that LSU would get run over on the Plains.

Then before Matt Moscona’s Baton Rouge radio show Wednesday, I hinted at the gravity of my concern. On the show, I went All In:


I'm thisclose to saddling [HASHTAG]#LSU[/HASHTAG] 0-8 for 2014 in conference play. Up next w/ @MattMoscona

— Russ Mitchell (@RussMitchellCFB) October 8, 2014



PAST

Given the turnover that LSU suffered on both sides of the ball, and the anticipated weakness up the middle on defense, I spent much of the summer debating just how far the Tigers would fall in the challenging SEC West.

Fifth? Sixth? Last???

I settled on 3-5 with a fifth place finish, ahead of the offensively one dimensional Texas A&M Aggies and Arkansas Razorbacks – both of whom, like LSU, would struggle in 2014 with run defense.

However, halfway into the season the magnitude of the Tigers’ fall from grace is clear, and it surpasses even my expectations. Leaving one must ponder the unthinkable: are Les Miles’ men on the cusp of a winless SEC season?

Two years ago to the day, I forecast that Gene Chizik’s team would fail to win an SEC game. Last season when many had the Florida Gators as a preseason top ten program, I explained why simply making a bowl game was optimistic thinking.

It’s time to cast that same hard spotlight on the 2014 Tigers.

PRESENT

Many in Red Stick defend the Tigers by arguing their two losses came to the nation’s No. 2 and No. 3 ranked teams, Auburn and Mississippi State. However, this belies the depth of LSU’s weaknesses.

The Tigers’ defense is dead last against the run. Against its three over-matched rent-a-win opponents, while LSU didn’t surrender many points its defense struggled too many times getting off the field. Against the three teams LSU has played with a pulse, the Tigers have allowed more than 6 yards per carry.

The last time LSU had quarterbacks this young and inexperienced was 2008, and like then, opposing defenses are salivating at the chance to line-up across from the Tigers’ tandem of Brandon Harris and Anthony Jennings. Or is it Jennings and Harris. It depends on the week, and truthfully, it doesn’t matter.

With no real fear of an LSU passing threat that’s currently ranked in the bottom half of the conference, opposing teams are stacking the box to take away the run. As a result, the Tigers are averaging just 4.48 yards per carry, ahead of only Tennessee, Vandy and Ole Miss.

It’s worse than that, actually — in conference play, LSU’s average drops to 3.2 ypc, and the Tigers fall even further against their peers.

Even faced with this rushing futility, offensive coordinator Cam Cameron refuses to pass; LSU is ahead of only run-happy Arkansas in passing attempts per game. Cameron does this because he knows it’s a worse option, with struggling quarterbacks and underclassmen receivers.

In perhaps its defining moment of the season, the Tigers’ offense went 0-for-13 on third down conversions Saturday against Auburn.

While I expect LSU’s offense to improve gradually as the season progresses, unfortunately for the Tigers, their schedule does not work in their favor.

• AT Florida: This is a rematch of the 2012 “Hammer and Nail” game, in which the Tigers, behind the 20 tackle performance of middle linebacker Kevin Minter, crushed the Gators in the first half … holding Florida scoreless and sacking quarterback Jeff Driskel so many times I thought LSU was trying to plant him like a shrub. However, Florida had a plan. Coming out in the second half, then offensive coordinator Brent Pease took the ball out of Driskel’s hands and passed just four times. In fact, once they took the lead midway through the third quarter, Florida didn’t attempt a single pass the rest of the way. Not one. LSU had an excellent middle linebacker and a marginal run defense then…they don’t have either now. Moreover, the one thing the Gators can do well offensively this season is run Matt Jones between the tackles. If Driskel attempts more than ten passes this Saturday, Will Muschamp should be fired on the spot.

• Kentucky: You’re simply not paying attention if you fail to realize Kentucky is playing better football than LSU. The Wildcats are ranked at the middle or top of the SEC in Total Offense and Defense. Yes, but what about against SEC competition, you say? You! Always thinking! But guess what – against SEC competition alone, Kentucky is still ranked in the same place. In fact, we’ve been looking forward to this specific game since Sept.:

[HASHTAG]#Kentucky[/HASHTAG] is avging 5 ypc, have a # of rushing options, a dynamic QB & a pretty good D front 7. If [HASHTAG]#LSU[/HASHTAG] can't fig out Run D… OCT 18

— Russ Mitchell (@RussMitchellCFB) September 24, 2014

• Ole Miss: In a great southern rivalry, the Rebels often play well in Baton Rouge … even when the Tigers have a decided talent advantage. Ole Miss heads into Red Stick the presumptive favorite this year. Even with a struggling rushing offense that likely won’t be able to capitalize on a key Tigers’ weakness, we don’t see the LSU offense under Harris or Jennings scoring enough on an Ole Miss defense currently ranked second best in the SEC, behind only…

• Alabama: Let’s not waste any time on this one. Even a Tide defense currently near the bottom of the SEC in tackles for loss and sacks, and dead last in takeaways, will handle this subpar LSU offense. And we shudder to think what Yeldon, Henry, etal. will do against the Tigers’ porous run defense.

• AT Arkansas: Were this game in Baton Rouge instead of Fayetteville, we might be inclined to favor the Tigers, as these teams regularly play each other close. Very close. But this specific match-up favors the Hogs. Arkansas’ rushing offense leads the SEC, and it’s not even close; the Hogs are averaging 317 yards a game to second place Georgia’s 289. Moreover, the Tigers will be coming off the physically draining game versus Alabama, while Arkansas has a bye week. Finally, more often than not the Tigers fold after a late season loss to Alabama; where will their hearts be at this point in the season?

• AT Texas A&M: With the Tigers perhaps sitting 0-7 in conference play, how much unrest will there be in Baton Rouge. While this match-up favors neither team, Kyle Field is a difficult place when a visiting team is executing on all cylinders, let alone when one is in a state of flux. While LSU’s respectable pass defense should make life difficult for Kevin Sumlin’s pass-first offense, and the Tigers should be able to exploit a weak Aggies defense, do you have faith in this LSU squad outscoring TAMU in Kyle Field?

FUTURE

LSU should not be favored in any conference game for the rest of the season, and if the Tigers indeed go winless in conference play, do you fire Miles?

Only if you’re a fool.

Miles and his staff didn’t forget how to coach overnight – they simply don’t have enough experienced players in key positions. They did … They just all left early to play in the NFL.

While 0-8 is ugly, this season was going to be a wash for the Bayou Bengals period. Especially by their standards. Standards that Miles has set.

For a decade.

If you’re going to rebuild, rebuild. Play the best youngsters you have … ALL of them. Rotate them in regardless of their experience or the short-term results, and plan for 2015. Because with the young talent Miles has assembled, 2015 could be very special.

After all, every four years, right LSU fans? 2003 National Championship. 2007 National Championship. 2011 BCS Championship game. 2015…

Could the conference have worst-to-first teams in two out of four seasons?​

 

[rick4bama]

Someone just post about LSU going win less in the SEC. But, LSU going last in the SEC couldn't happen to a better coach than him.