🏈 What does Tyrann Mathieu dismissal mean for 2012 college football season?

[BAMANEWSBOT]

Another elite player throws away his talent

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[BAMANEWSBOT]

With Tyrann Mathieu gone, Alabama now favored to win SEC, says major betting website

Star cornerback's dismissal gives Tide better odds to win the conference, says Bovada.

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[psychojoe]

I am not sure that LSU will be a worse team for lack of the Bonger, just a different team. They likely won't be as explosive on special teams without him, and unless someone emerges they won't have that face in the spotlight every weekend. Still, whoever steps into his slot will be a highly recruited blue chip type player, and unless Chavis has slipped he will be well coached. LSU may well be better off without the constant distractions of the Bonger. After all, college football is all about the team, not about the egos.

 

[rocknthefreeworld]

I think it hurts pretty bad on special teams, and could be the difference in one or two games on that level, but on defense it may actually help them. The guy wasn't that great on defense.

 

[TerryP]

I think it hurts pretty bad on special teams, and could be the difference in one or two games on that level, but on defense it may actually help them. The guy wasn't that great on defense.

He wasn't a lock down corner, but he was a great in the nickel and dime packages.

(putting a foundation in and have to run for a bit...but I'll be back to this)

 

[JoshB]

It will hurt on special teams and hurts their experience in the secondary but this def. won't make or break their season. Yes, he made big plays but he also got burned just as much. Like Terry said, much better as a nickel than what you would consider a "shutdown" corner.

 

[TerryP]

I'm afraid a lot think about antics we've seen from Mathieu and then take the NC game with Norwood having success against him in single man coverage and immediately dismiss his talent as a defensive player. As I see it was can't look at the Outland trophy winner and say Barrett is the best lineman in college football and then look at the Bednarick award winner in Mathieu and immediately say he's not a great defensive player.

Even with his less than all world skills as a cover corner, he still had nine passes broken up for the 2011 season along with two picks. As stated, the guy had an ability to make plays.

With their talent, also mentioned here, it's not like they can't replace him with a great athlete. But, again, we can't look at our secondary and voice concern because of some youth and not do the same with LSU.

HOWEVER, this also means that they'll be plugging in a true frosh and a redshirted frosh next season. Don't forget, they had three defensive backs that left the program over the summer.

Last year Mathieu and Reid led the Tigers with 76 tackles on the season. That'll be missed.

When you start looking at the overall picture your opinion might change in how it effects this team. By that picture, I'm talking about their back seven.

We are less than a week removed from talking about the returning starters LSU had on their defensive line and defensive backfield and the group they needed to progress quickly was their linebacking corps. Those guys have experience. Yet, two the guys they are counting on had less than 15 tackles a piece on the season last year. Those are low numbers for a LB'er in their system. Alex Watkins had more tackles for Bama last season. Those type of numbers reflect guys on our roster that were third stringers; Will Lowery and Ed Stinson types of production.

Now, we are looking at LSU having five of seven new faces in their back seven from their base. People have talked of our lack of experience? Now, we have a more experienced group coming back.

The fortunate thing for LSU is they have very little competition to start their season. Washington in week two *might* give their defensive backfield a scare or two considering Sark is returning his starting QB and WR. They'll be seven games in before a solid offense comes on their schedule and then they are hosting UofSC in Baton Rouge.

It can't be characterized as just a hiccup.

 

[BamaFan615]

I think it hurts pretty bad on special teams, and could be the difference in one or two games on that level, but on defense it may actually help them. The guy wasn't that great on defense.

I get what you're saying here...but I would have to disagree with the wording of it a bit. Mathieu's strength on defense was getting to the ball, and he was damn good at it. Now, one of his weaknesses was his coverage skills....although, he wasn't exactly shabby at it either. If you think back of the plays that we beat him on in the NC game, most of those plays he was in good position....AJ just made some really good throws.

While his man-on-man coverage skills aren't that of Maurice Clabourne he was still one of the best defensive players in the SEC last year. He'll be replaced by someone who has plenty of talent, but LSU will most definitely miss him this year.

He was the most dangerous man in america once he got his hands on the ball. But, me personally - I couldn't stand his ass, and am glad that he won't be back in the SEC this year.

 

[BamaFan615]

[video=youtube;UzXUEtd5k3M]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzXUEtd5k3M&feature=fvwp[/video]

 

[JoshB]

[video=youtube;UzXUEtd5k3M]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzXUEtd5k3M&feature=fvwp[/video]

Uhhhhhh really wish you hadn't posted that one... one of the plays last year that truly made me angry. Dre got his revenge in the National Championship though, I'll never forget him MUGGING Honey Badger on one of the punt returns.