Les Miles Makes Great Kool-Aid

Before you crack your knuckles to loosen up your fingers to bang out a hate laden response to the headline—hear me out. 

I am not saying Les Miles is Jim Jones. 

Jones was a psycho-maniac.  Les is certainly not a maniac and is not nearly as psycho.  There are those who would argue the latter due to his loco play calling over the years.  Just ask Steve Spurrier, Urban Meyer, and Tommy Tuberville. 

Miles all but defies logic in his big game play calling which makes him an extraordinary figure for the media and analyst to criticize and lament on his “riverboat” personality. 

Is Les Miles a gambler?  Does he take unnecessary risks?  Is he just lucky?

These are the questions that keep surfacing but when do we just come to the realization that Miles is an enigma?  You are not going to figure him out, and neither are the opposing big gun coaches.  He’s proved it time in and time out. 

Miles coming to LSU was like giving a fat kid a key to a candy store.  I can’t imagine how big his eyes got when he looked at all the talent that he would inherit from St. Nick Satan…oops…Saban. 

A long time argument was that Miles had been a success only because of the work done by his predecessor, but over the seasons, he has dispelled and quieted the critics. 

Miles continues to recruit top talent and again, is on pace to sign another stellar class in 2009.

But the kids are coming to LSU for different reasons than why they did for Saban. 

Sure, you could argue and split hairs as to why, but the aura that Miles projects is the “it” factor.  Does a winning program matter?  Of course. 

Do top notch NFL-type facilities matter?  Yes. 

Does a rabid, incredible fan base have anything to do with it?  Yep. 

But in the middle of all that, kids are drawn to Miles.    

The “it” factor is his swagger.  His confidence mixed with a lot of attitude with a splash of regality.  His “damm strong football team”, and all of Tiger Nation, from the assistant coaches, down to the ball boys, are drinking it all in.  It has become LSU Football. 

If you watched the LSU–Auburn game, The Mad Hatter was dialing up more swagger.  

Going into the half, the LSU were down 14 – 3 which was a result of a crushing interception at the hands of doe-eyed quarterback Jared Lee.  Points in this game over the years have historically been a rare commodity and being down by 11 would be enough to close the casket lid. 

LSU fans had to be nervous, but the ‘I’m the damm head football coach’ attitude Kool-Aid was flowing apparently in the locker room and some spilled out of the mouth of Tyson Jackson when he told ESPN sideline reporter Holly Rowe, “We’re just getting started”.      

I’m sure Auburn fan laughed off a few war eagle tail feathers on that comment but that is vintage Miles-ism and he has his army of Tigers buying in.  They are sold and are supremely confident. 

It’s one thing to talk hype; it’s another to talk it and back it up, and that’s what LSU does.  They don’t always win nice and pretty, but they find ways to win.

As Yoda told the young Luke Skywalker, “Do or not do.  There is no try”. 

The LSU Tigers just do.

With that being said, there is much football yet to be played, and many more close encounters yet to come as LSU takes on the big dogs in Florida, Georgia, and Alabama, but make no mistake..

Miles’ 'Clint Eastwood meets Jim Jones persona' that is now entrenched and assimilated into the LSU prime directive will be fun to watch.  And hopefully, the LSU faithful will witness these Bengals “going to the 'ship” a second straight year. 

I would give anything to see Miles coach against USC's Pete Carrol.  Geaux Tigers!