Justin's Weekly Brain Seepage: Week One

I’m back like a rapper with a new album!

Wait, I think I used that one last year? Oh well, can’t stop now.

For more than a few seasons now, I’ve been unleashing my brain seepage weekly upon the minions of my website, www.tigerreport.com.

But you can call it Justin's Weekly BS for short.

But about five months ago, I found this site and have been hanging around here way too often and neglecting my roots, which is this column. So I thought it’s time to bring it to B/R.

Gustav is a stupid name anyway…

First off, if your name is Gustav, I apologize. In fact, there’s a Bleacher Creature named Gustavo Destro and without knowing him, I told him he has the coolest name on the site a few months back. It made me want to change my name to “Antonio Cobra Commander” or something. How about “Armando Storm Shadow”?

But Gustavo’s in the clear because there’s an “o” at the end of his first name.

I’m not sure why we name hurricanes anyway. All it does is alienate the people with these names. You think “Katrina” is a popular new baby name in Southern Louisiana?! I assure you it’s not.

Hurricane Gustav pounded Louisiana but you’d never know it from the national news because New Orleans is just fine, thank you. My mom’s neighbor has a 40 foot pine tree through his living room but that doesn’t make the national news. I’m sure right now he’s in a four hour line this morning for a blue tarp so it can stop raining in his house. He’s a Notre Dame fan, I doubt the Irish is the first thing on his mind this morning.

I’ll probably be without power for a week or so. I missed much of the college football weekend after the 10 a.m. local time kickoff of LSU vs. Appalachian State. I didn’t find out that Tennessee lost to UCLA until yesterday (Wednesday) morning. I’ve pretty much been completely cut off from the college football world.

And I’m one of the lucky ones.

My house is still standing, the windows are in tact, and our post-Katrina new roof held up just fine.

No one in southern Louisiana should ever clean out their fridge or freezer at any other time during the year. August/September down here forces you to do it anyway. And I was a really big fan of that new, almost-full Paul Newman salad dressing. Damn.

What did I have for breakfast Sunday morning?

A shrimp and spinach alfredo omelet with French fries. Why? Because that’s what was in the freezer and if you don’t eat it now, I promise you don’t want to come back to it in several days after the power comes back. I had half a mind to sprinkle some Jambalaya that I had in the freezer over those eggs. Better judgment prevailed.

By the way, I’m from New Orleans originally. If anyone needed to be spared Gustav’s wrath it was the Big Easy. I’m thankful this storm didn’t wreak havoc like Katrina did.

But just because New Orleans is still standing doesn’t mean a huge portion of Louisiana, capital city included, is hunky dory.

But enough about life, let’s focus on sports…

“It’s Saturday morning…IN DEATH VALLEY!!!”

LSU fans saw more or less what they expected from the Tigers’ first test of the season.

A stout running game with question marks at quarterback. They also showcased shaky special teams and a defense that has some early season kinks but looks to be dominant once again.

Most fans with no rooting interest I’m sure would’ve loved to see another game like Michigan/App. St. last year. Les Miles isn’t sorry to disappoint. With the impending threat of the hurricane, Les had his boys set for business as usual.

Mountaineer QB Armanti Edwards is a special talent but had nothing working against the LSU defense. This game was over at the half and Miles let the bench get in some work.

I mentioned the key to the game was actually ASU’s defense. A smaller, weaker, absolutely out-gunned unit that got thrown around like a 12-year-old gold medal-winning Chinese gymnast.

LSU’s line was spectacular and created holes that I could’ve run through. Luckily, it never came to that as Charles Scott had a monster day and proved to be the “between the tackles” threat the LSU running game so desperately needs.

One set of Tigers down…two to go…

The only other game I saw from start to finish this weekend was the Clemson-Bama game.

Clemson…tsk tsk tsk.

You had a chance to prove all the doubters wrong and what did you do?

You pooped the bed.

And you sparked what I’m sure is National Championship talk right now in Tuscaloosa. Sometimes it’s good to be out of the loop.

I haven’t heard much from the outside world but Alabama fans have a right to be excited. That was a Nick Saban team hitting on all cylinders and a young one at that.

So this one time performance begs the question: Is Bama the real deal now or is Clemson just pulling their late season shenanigans earlier in the season?

Or is it both?

“Farva, what’s the name of that place you like with the $#!% all over the walls?”

Speaking of, we just can’t get away from the shenanigans caused by the hurricane down here in Baton Rouge. Damage to Tiger Stadium, as well as the fact that most of the city remains without power, and is still in recovery mode, has forced the postponement of the LSU-Troy game this coming weekend. Or are they Troy State again? Maybe I’m thinking of Kent State?

Both teams have a bye on November 15th and the game will be rescheduled for that date and honestly to illustrate how bad it is down here, I’m totally ok with it. I think the game needed to be moved and LSU made the right decision.

So I’m heading 65 miles east to visit my mom and sister this weekend (they got power back yesterday!) and I plan on planting my buttocks on the sofa and falling into a college football-induced coma.

No prediction this week since LSU is off. Last week, I hit the LSU side of the score on the head but gave App State too much credit to the tune of eleven points.

My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone in Louisiana affected by Gustav. Although I live in Baton Rouge, numerous places in southern Louisiana were hit even harder by Gustav especially the Parishes on the coast like Terrebonne and Lafourche. It may be a longer process than most of us want, but we will return to life as rabid college football fans and things will slowly get back to normal.

It’s what we did after Katrina, and it’s what we’ll do now, and no doubt we’ll have to do it again someday. Also, here’s to hoping Hanna and Ike and all those other storms brewing out there fade away like the hopes of Aggie fans as long as Mike Sherman is the coach.

Take care, and Go Tigers!!!