| FTBL Just food for thought.....

[gary funderburk]

I heard/saw some of people saying LSU will not be good next year, their recruiting will take a hit. This couldn't be further from the truth as of now. It will happen but slower than most anticipate. He will get recruits to rival ours or Florida. What will be their demise will be the PROCESS! We have it, they do not. I remember seeing somewhere J. Russell was lifting and doing his routine when an NFL player asked him how he could endure so much. Russell stated you just have to do it!
I wonder where that got embedded into his head? LSU has had the fortune to have players that remained after CNS left. They knew what was expected. More than that, it was all they knew. The season, in essence, is won in the off season. Off the field and in the classroom. How you carry yourself and pride you display equate to great work ethics both on and off the field. Once the leadership, CNS installed, disappears from the LSU locker room, so will the PROCESS! This will be LSU's downfall. They may rival us in talent but character and heart they will not.
Look at this year to look no further. Who actually believes we had the talent of LSU, AU, or TN. Yet our players hung with two and blew one out. I firmly believe the PROCESS is working in two different directions. 2010 is our year.

 

[imported_RollTideRandy]

I’m surprised I see so many Barners predicting they win the west next season. Who’s going to play QB for them next year? Was anyone impressed with Cody Burns? I would think LSU would be the easy favorite again. I think Bama will be lucky to go bowling again. We’re losing our biggest offensive weapon (DJ Hall), Best Pass Rusher (Gilberry), Best Run Stopper (Mustin), and our top Cover Corner (Castille). I’ll be happy with 7 or 8 wins next season. I doubt the barn is much better though. They return a lot of talent on defense, but can they score any points?

Ark has a new coach, but if they get McFadden or Jones back I might say they are the favorite to finish second, otherwise I would go with MSU who was a young team last year and may get better next year. Still, after only scoring 10 against Central Florida, how good will that be? It’s hard to predict a good season for Ole Miss when they didn’t win a single SEC game last year.

Looks like every team in the West will have MAJOR issues next season, except LSU. I agree Gary, looks like LSU is going to be on top for a little while longer. 2010 sounds like a good estimate to me. Let this recruiting class get some experience in 2009 and then they should be ready to go for 2010.

 

[It Takes Eleven]

I’m surprised I see so many Barners predicting they win the west next season. Who’s going to play QB for them next year? Was anyone impressed with Cody Burns? I would think LSU would be the easy favorite again. I think Bama will be lucky to go bowling again. We’re losing our biggest offensive weapon (DJ Hall), Best Pass Rusher (Gilberry), Best Run Stopper (Mustin), and our top Cover Corner (Castille). I’ll be happy with 7 or 8 wins next season. I doubt the barn is much better though. They return a lot of talent on defense, but can they score any points?

Ark has a new coach, but if they get McFadden or Jones back I might say they are the favorite to finish second, otherwise I would go with MSU who was a young team last year and may get better next year. Still, after only scoring 10 against Central Florida, how good will that be? It’s hard to predict a good season for Ole Miss when they didn’t win a single SEC game last year.

Looks like every team in the West will have MAJOR issues next season, except LSU. I agree Gary, looks like LSU is going to be on top for a little while longer. 2010 sounds like a good estimate to me. Let this recruiting class get some experience in 2009 and then they should be ready to go for 2010.

I don't think we have MAJOR issues next year. Defensively, we've got four guys to replace: Mustin (3rd leading tackler), Gilberry (2nd), Castille (7th)and Carter (9th). We return our leading tackler in Johnson, McClain (4th in just 9 starts), Jackson (5th), Knight (6th), Hall (8th in 5 starts), and Washington (10th). Gilberry and Mustin will be big shoes to fill, but I'll be honest: many times during the season I was thinking Castille was as much of a liability as an asset out there. He seemed to take too many chances and got burned a number of times. I'm very excited about the athletes we are recruiting who will likely end up in the secondary.

Offensively, we need receivers to step up. I have every confidence that they will. We lose perhaps one lineman and have all rushers back along with some exciting new faces.

We might lose one assistant coach.

We have another new crop of players who will know nothing but The Process. We have a remaining corp of players who will continue to learn, and embrace, The Process or they will be watching these new players from the sideline.

I feel good about the direction of our program, and I don't think we have "MAJOR" issues.

RTR,

Tim

"I'm observing an Emoticon Free Day."

 

[imported_RollTideRandy]

We may not have MAJOR issues but we will have MAJOR Applewhite. *that’s just a little joke.

For me, the major issues we will have come from a lack of depth. Injuries are part of football and I just don’t think we have the depth at a lot of positions to battle through a 12 game season and have great success. Positions of concern include:

QB: After our senior starter we have an unproven Sophomore, a red shirt freshman, and a talented true freshman (who may not qualify). That’s a little scary.

LB: Who plays if Prince Hall, McClain, Fanney, or Knight weren’t able to go? A converted RB or a true freshman?

DE: Other than Deaderick and Greenwood does anyone have any experience?

Free Safety: Who is stepping in for Carter? Sharrief? Arenas? Neither option fills me with confidence. Even if there is a Plan “C”, depth again appears to be an issue.

WR: I’m concerned because I know nothing about Hanks or Gibson. Stover and McCoy seem solid and Alexander might do OK, but that’s not a lot of depth.

 

[It Takes Eleven]

We may not have MAJOR issues but we will have MAJOR Applewhite. *that’s just a little joke.

For me, the major issues we will have come from a lack of depth. Injuries are part of football and I just don’t think we have the depth at a lot of positions to battle through a 12 game season and have great success. Positions of concern include:

QB: After our senior starter we have an unproven Sophomore, a red shirt freshman, and a talented true freshman (who may not qualify). That’s a little scary.

LB: Who plays if Prince Hall, McClain, Fanney, or Knight weren’t able to go? A converted RB or a true freshman?

DE: Other than Deaderick and Greenwood does anyone have any experience?

Free Safety: Who is stepping in for Carter? Sharrief? Arenas? Neither option fills me with confidence. Even if there is a Plan “C”, depth again appears to be an issue.

WR: I’m concerned because I know nothing about Hanks or Gibson. Stover and McCoy seem solid and Alexander might do OK, but that’s not a lot of depth.

Other than WR, I feel better about our depth than I did a year ago. I just see this as another year of getting better and plugging folks in.

Terry's assessments of the guys who are coming up on offense and defense pretty much addresses your concerns (which I do share).

http://www.crimsontusks.com/about26319.html
http://www.crimsontusks.com/about26575.html

RTR,

Tim

"I'm observing an Emoticon Free Day."

 

[rammerjammer]

Trying to not sound like too much of a sunshine pumper. Randy one other thing to consider is the injury statement. While I know that football is extremely physical and injuries do occur. This year we saw a significant drop off in injuries as opposed to the last 6 or 7 years. The major one that comes to mind is Javier Arenas.

While I know that you can never predict such events taking place, I do believe the 4th quarter program had something to do with the drop off in injuries this year. I think with CNS system in place we will continue to field stronger teams and hopefully will experience many seasons with few injuries.

 

[Chuck-E-Cheeze]

I’m surprised I see so many Barners predicting they win the west next season. Who’s going to play QB for them next year? Was anyone impressed with Cody Burns? I would think LSU would be the easy favorite again. I think Bama will be lucky to go bowling again. We’re losing our biggest offensive weapon (DJ Hall), Best Pass Rusher (Gilberry), Best Run Stopper (Mustin), and our top Cover Corner (Castille). I’ll be happy with 7 or 8 wins next season. I doubt the barn is much better though. They return a lot of talent on defense, but can they score any points?

Ark has a new coach, but if they get McFadden or Jones back I might say they are the favorite to finish second, otherwise I would go with MSU who was a young team last year and may get better next year. Still, after only scoring 10 against Central Florida, how good will that be? It’s hard to predict a good season for Ole Miss when they didn’t win a single SEC game last year.

Looks like every team in the West will have MAJOR issues next season, except LSU. I agree Gary, looks like LSU is going to be on top for a little while longer. 2010 sounds like a good estimate to me. Let this recruiting class get some experience in 2009 and then they should be ready to go for 2010.

 

[Chuck-E-Cheeze]

Hey RTRandy, I don't know how to "quote", but if I did, I would answer your question about being impressed w/ Cody Burns by saying that I am. The guy seems to be one hell of a football player to me. In fact, I hate the fact that he is at aubrun because the kid is a load to bring down and will probably work well in their new offense.

 

[Referee]

LSU just scored a top recruit from Broward County Florida Patrick Johnson from Blanche-Ely who decommitted from the University of Miami. I would say the LSU will get a banner crop of new talent. They are probably just getting ready to reload...

 

[GoodScotch]

I heard/saw some of people saying LSU will not be good next year, their recruiting will take a hit. This couldn't be further from the truth as of now. It will happen but slower than most anticipate. He will get recruits to rival ours or Florida. What will be their demise will be the PROCESS! We have it, they do not. I remember seeing somewhere J. Russell was lifting and doing his routine when an NFL player asked him how he could endure so much. Russell stated you just have to do it!
I wonder where that got embedded into his head? LSU has had the fortune to have players that remained after CNS left. They knew what was expected. More than that, it was all they knew. The season, in essence, is won in the off season. Off the field and in the classroom. How you carry yourself and pride you display equate to great work ethics both on and off the field. Once the leadership, CNS installed, disappears from the LSU locker room, so will the PROCESS! This will be LSU's downfall. They may rival us in talent but character and heart they will not.
Look at this year to look no further. Who actually believes we had the talent of LSU, AU, or TN. Yet our players hung with two and blew one out. I firmly believe the PROCESS is working in two different directions. 2010 is our year.

Unbelievable post.

 

[shipley00]

One good thing about losing DJ (no really). Yes it will be difficult losing such a talented receiver, but it may actually force our QB to look at all receivers and find the wide open one.

Nahhhhhh.

 

[Guest]

One good thing about losing DJ (no really). Yes it will be difficult losing such a talented receiver, but it may actually force our QB to look at all receivers and find the wide open one.

Nahhhhhh.

Good point, Lenny. As many observed during the season, there were times when JPW locked in on one receiver and didn't go through all of his reads.

My biggest concern for the new season is on the defensive side of the ball. Talent wise we are nowhere near where we need to be. In the secondary Jackson is the only big time talent, and McLain and Hall are certainly high quality at linebackers, and Zeke Knight has really come on, but we are losing our best DL, and the likely replacements haven't looked like they are able to play at the Gilberry level. We got by at nose tackle, but we really want some bigger bodies there. It will take a little time for us to reach the point where if s starter goes down in a a game (as happened to LSU Monday night) where we can just roll in another high quality player and not miss a beat.

 

[BamaFan615]

One good thing about losing DJ (no really). Yes it will be difficult losing such a talented receiver, but it may actually force our QB to look at all receivers and find the wide open one.

Nahhhhhh.

Good point, Lenny. As many observed during the season, there were times when JPW locked in on one receiver and didn't go through all of his reads.

My biggest concern for the new season is on the defensive side of the ball. Talent wise we are nowhere near where we need to be. In the secondary Jackson is the only big time talent, and McLain and Hall are certainly high quality at linebackers, and Zeke Knight has really come on, but we are losing our best DL, and the likely replacements haven't looked like they are able to play at the Gilberry level. We got by at nose tackle, but we really want some bigger bodies there. It will take a little time for us to reach the point where if s starter goes down in a a game (as happened to LSU Monday night) where we can just roll in another high quality player and not miss a beat.

I know Gilberry is an amazing talent, and we don't have another DE on our roster that can step in with his level of talent and ability...but we do have DE's that can step in and play, and are sufficient, and fit Saban's system BETTER than Gilberry...