Cecil Hurt
TideSports.com Columnist
The Southeastern Conference wrapped up a long week at SEC Media Days on Thursday.
The boxed lunch was fine. The new commissioner, Greg Sankey, was accommodating. None of that was the problem.
But the league released a media prediction that had Alabama winning the SEC West, and Auburn winning the SEC. Worse, they released it after it was too late to ask Les Miles for an explanation.
There's a real explanation, of course. The voters (and it appears that only 25 percent of those in attendance actually voted, meaning that most joined me in abstaining) saw it this way. The ones who liked Auburn really liked Auburn a lot, and voted them all the way into the championship game. But the voters who couldn't quite shake the memories of last year's defense, or were just credentialed Alabama fans (that faction seemed reduced at this year's function, if not exactly eliminated) didn't think much of Auburn at all. So while Alabama didn't get as many first-place votes in the West, few people picked them lower than third. Meanwhile, 26 voters had Auburn finishing fourth or worse.
That's my explanation. I don't know what Les Miles' explanation would have been, though it would not have lacked for creativity. Throw a clock into the equation and Miles might have made heads explode from sheer bewilderment.
That doesn't mean I don't like Miles. I do, and not just for his quirkiness. He recruits well and his players seem to enjoy playing for him. Without knowing the inner politics in Baton Rouge, I doubt that this is a make-or-break year for Miles - but it will be important.
From the night that Alabama shut out LSU to win the BCS championship in New Orleans, the Tigers haven't seemed quite the same. The slide has been slow, not a collapse, but the win total has declined each year, down to last year's 8-5, and a point where Miles confronted the issue head on in Hoover.
"For this team," Miles said, "eight wins is not enough."
Physically, LSU is capable of more. If you want a detailed listing of the talent, find a transcript of Miles' long opening statement with details of every player on the roster down to the long snapper. The quick version is this: Defensively, the Tigers have their usual complement of very large, athletic players up front and slightly smaller (but not by much) athletic players in the secondary. The question is whether the new coaching mix of Kevin Steele and Ed Orgeron will have better chemistry than an apparently unhappy John Chavis had with Miles last year.
Offensively, LSU has a rock upon which to build in Leonard Fournette (thumbs up to Miles for bringing the sophomore to Media Days.) The question, and it has been a nagging one at LSU, is quarterback. The Tigers don't have to do a lot of forward passing, but would like to have that available as an option.
Still, if the convoluted media vote established Alabama and Auburn as co-favorites in the West, LSU is at worst an attractive dark horse.
"Our goal is the playoffs," Miles said. "Our goal is the SEC Championship."
That's simple and straightforward enough. Although I still would love to have heard Miles' explanation of the media vote.
- See more at: https://alabama.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1783589#sthash.woVGrUKO.dpuf
TideSports.com Columnist
The Southeastern Conference wrapped up a long week at SEC Media Days on Thursday.
The boxed lunch was fine. The new commissioner, Greg Sankey, was accommodating. None of that was the problem.
But the league released a media prediction that had Alabama winning the SEC West, and Auburn winning the SEC. Worse, they released it after it was too late to ask Les Miles for an explanation.
There's a real explanation, of course. The voters (and it appears that only 25 percent of those in attendance actually voted, meaning that most joined me in abstaining) saw it this way. The ones who liked Auburn really liked Auburn a lot, and voted them all the way into the championship game. But the voters who couldn't quite shake the memories of last year's defense, or were just credentialed Alabama fans (that faction seemed reduced at this year's function, if not exactly eliminated) didn't think much of Auburn at all. So while Alabama didn't get as many first-place votes in the West, few people picked them lower than third. Meanwhile, 26 voters had Auburn finishing fourth or worse.
That's my explanation. I don't know what Les Miles' explanation would have been, though it would not have lacked for creativity. Throw a clock into the equation and Miles might have made heads explode from sheer bewilderment.
That doesn't mean I don't like Miles. I do, and not just for his quirkiness. He recruits well and his players seem to enjoy playing for him. Without knowing the inner politics in Baton Rouge, I doubt that this is a make-or-break year for Miles - but it will be important.
From the night that Alabama shut out LSU to win the BCS championship in New Orleans, the Tigers haven't seemed quite the same. The slide has been slow, not a collapse, but the win total has declined each year, down to last year's 8-5, and a point where Miles confronted the issue head on in Hoover.
"For this team," Miles said, "eight wins is not enough."
Physically, LSU is capable of more. If you want a detailed listing of the talent, find a transcript of Miles' long opening statement with details of every player on the roster down to the long snapper. The quick version is this: Defensively, the Tigers have their usual complement of very large, athletic players up front and slightly smaller (but not by much) athletic players in the secondary. The question is whether the new coaching mix of Kevin Steele and Ed Orgeron will have better chemistry than an apparently unhappy John Chavis had with Miles last year.
Offensively, LSU has a rock upon which to build in Leonard Fournette (thumbs up to Miles for bringing the sophomore to Media Days.) The question, and it has been a nagging one at LSU, is quarterback. The Tigers don't have to do a lot of forward passing, but would like to have that available as an option.
Still, if the convoluted media vote established Alabama and Auburn as co-favorites in the West, LSU is at worst an attractive dark horse.
"Our goal is the playoffs," Miles said. "Our goal is the SEC Championship."
That's simple and straightforward enough. Although I still would love to have heard Miles' explanation of the media vote.
- See more at: https://alabama.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1783589#sthash.woVGrUKO.dpuf
