Bleacher Report - Articles by Leo Donelon

Greatest Saints Team Ever Marching In?

Leo Donelon — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 22:21:40 -0400

The New Orleans Saints have the appearance of a team of destiny.

They have proved the experts wrong so far this year. They were picked to lose to the Giants and the Dolphins. They beat both teams with an offensive explosion that was both breathtaking and heartbreaking depending if you were fan or foe.

So are we seeing the team for which New Orleans has waited so long?

With more than half the season to play, time will tell if this is the team. This team has so far made a case for itself by dominating its opponents. At least one of those opponents is considered an elite team.

So look into a possible future for a little bit. Let's say the team runs the table in the same manner it has won the first six games.

If they could somehow prolong this success, they would not only be a Super Bowl champion, but only the second team to ever win a Super Bowl and go undefeated for the entire season.

One thing is for certain, this edition of the Saints are surprising all the experts.

The underestimation of this team will not last long. Hopefully when the pundits jump on the wagon it won’t bring the "Gris-gris" (bad luck or hex).

For a city that knows how to throw a party it will be a hoot. You might just see a monument to this team on Poydras avenue.

Florida Gators are Missing a Little Harvin in 2009

Leo Donelon — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 05:12:27 -0400

Florida is undefeated this year. They have played quality opponents and have won and are ranked Number One in the country. They are undefeated. They have a chance at being the first team to win back-to-back championships. But!

In 2008 Florida dominate every team they encountered. This year against quality opponents the games have been close. The last game was a last minute come from behind win.

So what is the difference? The absence of Percy Harvin or a Percy Harvinest type player has made the games much closer. Harvin was a game changer. Tim Tebow is a game changer to be sure; it’s just that the 2008 team had both. The 2008 team was lightning in a bottle.

Last year’s Florida team gave defenses fits. Nobody could match up on all the players. If you cover the speedy running back Demps with a spy it left Harvin and Tebow open, and Percy could line up anywhere. The common denominator was speed, speed, and more speed. You combine that with a top defense and Teams struggled to catch Florida.

We are just about the halfway point in the season. Repeating at champions is not a sure thing for the Gators. It is painfully obvious that the gap between Florida and other teams has closed to almost non-existent. The drama will still play out to the enjoyment of fans. Having Harvin on this year’s team might have made repeating as close to a sure thing as there is.

It Only Takes One Good Pac 10 Team to Ruin a USC Season.

Leo Donelon — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 16:54:48 -0400

The pattern is set. For years the only good team in the PAC 10 was USC. That fact had the Trojans dominating the conference.

In the years since the Trojans’ last national championship other PAC 10 teams have emerged albeit a season at a time. Every year there is one other strong team in the conference besides USC, just not the same one. This has been all it took to derail national championship dreams for the Trojans.

That fact proposes questions. What would happen if one of those teams could become a consistent power? What if two teams developed into legit conference contenders. Would the vaunted run of the Trojans come to an abrupt end? One would think so based on recent history. To be sure, it would add a lot more drama to PAC 10 games.

The PAC 10 has an advantage that is a disadvantage for football. There is a greater diversity of interest on the west coast. Out in Los Angeles football is just football. That is why the NFL has not been there in years. It’s just not that important.

It is different for small midwestern towns and southern towns. For some of these places the football season is the highlight of the year. The games for these towns generate a lot of income for the community.

But I digress. The absence of true competition has built up USC over the years. Conversely when true competition is introduced, the Trojans fall back to the pack. No pun intended.

What Is The LSU Quarterback Controversy?

Leo Donelon — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:36:07 -0400

Where does the controversy really lie? I have never known a coach that didn’t know before each game who his starters were.

Obviously there is no controversy for coaches on their decision of quarterbacks. I think that you can safely say that about Coach Les Miles.

The decision of who will start is based on a player’s game performance, practice performance, understanding of their own playbook, and the ability to read what the other teams defense is doing. When it comes to playing quarterback the ability to protect the football is paramount.

All coaches want to win, but also their careers in coaching depend on winning. If coaches don’t play the best players they won’t be in the business long.

Quarterback controversy has been around LSU going back, at least to, Coach McClendon’s two-quarterback system. The controversy is always outside the team. You find it in newsprint and in the stands.

What is the controversy really? In a word, it is fan speak. Controversy is also found in the media, it sells. It has never helped a program or player any more than throwing an interception helps a team win.

Fans of winning programs develop high expectations. Some of these are very positive and breed confidence. But there are some expectations that are not realistic.

There is a big difference between we’re suppose to win and expecting to win. The idea of “supposed to win” does not leave any understanding for losing. Expecting to win leaves the possibility for losing.

All programs have fans that have unrealistic expectations. These are the fans that are in the process of learning the game, very much in the same way as a young quarterback.Their understanding is not there yet. Some develop at a slower rate than others. Like a good coach we need to give them time to develop.

The fan that always wants the other quarterback, suffers from the “supposed to” problem. “We’re supposed to win.” “We’re supposed to beat these guys by 50”.

Reality is you don’t win every time or score 50 every game.

“If only the coach would wise up and play the other guy.” On the odd occasion that a player comes off the bench and has a great game it can be attributed as much to the other team not having any game film on him as to his ability. They don’t know what wrinkles his ability brings so they’re unprepared. Most fans at this development of knowledge could not tell you what a trap block is.

Articles that report the answer to a problem is sitting on the bench, prey on less knowledgeable fans. Someone who has not seen the team play in person or is reporting on hearsay from other reporters usually author these reports. In a lot of cases these writers too could not tell you what a trap block is either

This is not to say a fan can’t tell a poor performance, but it much more difficult for the fan to know the cause of a poor performance, and how to correct it. Sometime the answer is time, and there is no controversy in that.

Russell Sheppard is a Mix of Tim Tebow and Percy Harvin

Leo Donelon — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 16:00:57 -0500

Not since Tim Tebow has the impact of a player been anticipated like Russell Shepard. Like Tebow, you have a player who is impossible to keep off the field.

That is where the comparison to Tebow ends and the comparison to Percy Harvin begins. The speed and agility of Russell Shepard dictates that you get him the ball in the open field.

Football has evolved over the years. Starting with the first forward pass, Notre Dame Box, wishbone, run and gun, and spread option to name a few.

The new evolution is the hybrid running back. The style in which the New Orleans Saints use Reggie Bush is setting a trend. Percy Harvin will be used in the same mode when he arrives in the NFL.

This is where you will see Russell Sheppard come in. The Tigers have a playmaker in Sheppard. You will find shortly that LSU will take a page out of the Saints playbook.

Like Bush, putting Sheppard in the slot back position will stretch the defenses to the breaking point.

Florida last year found a way to put in their freshmen playmakers, it forced teams to decide who to defend.

LSU has an astute offensive mastermind in Gary Crowton. He will find a way to spread the ball around, which will sound the death bell on the opposing defenses.

The addition of Shep on the field will cause a matchup nightmare for defensive coordinators. That will get Shep a lot of playing time.

If any team can match up with Florida in personnel, it’s LSU. Add to the mixture LSU’s new defensive coordinator, who has had a lot of success in the pass.

It turns the LSU vs. Florida matchup into a pick 'em game. It is now Urban Meyer’s chance to try and stop a Percy Harvin-type player in Russell Sheppard.

Pick Your Drink for the SEC Cocktail Hour:

Leo Donelon — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 19:53:52 -0500

Here is our List of Drinks:

1) The Les Miles Martini for the James Bond style of guy who is cool under pressure. Drink this and you’ll “Have A Great Day.”

2) The Nick Saban Manhattan, the no-nonsense businessman’s drink. Great for afternoon meetings and taking care of business.

3) The Steve Spurrier Margarita. It has that Jimmy Buffet Florida Keys feel to it. Just kind of hanging out and seeing what the wind blows in.

4) The Urban Meyer Hot Buttered Rum. It’s a pirate’s drink. It will surprise you. It hits hard and fast and overwhelms.

5) The Houston Nutt Long Island Iced Tea. The drink is stronger than the name indicates; if you don’t watch out, it will knock you on your butt.

6) The Lane Kiffin Shirley Temple with a Twist at a party. It seems weak but someone may have added something stronger. So you really don’t know what is in it.

7) A Bobby Johnson Beer. One too many and you can’t drive.

8) The Rich Brooks Mint Julep. Watch out; it can lull you to sleep.

There are other drinks being introduced out of Starkville and Auburn but the final blends are not complete yet. When they’re ready, we will add them to the menu.

Alabama Fans Acknowledge Les Miles as a Great Coach.

Leo Donelon — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 17:54:43 -0500

The one hallmark of great coaches has been the preoccupation of opposing fans on that coach. It is like a lighthouse beacon, when the coaches only association with fans is as an adversary. There is no jilted lover syndrome going on in that situation.

These days it seems that the Alabama brethren have as much to write about Les Miles, the current head coach of LSU, as they do about Nick Saban their own head coach.

Saban being a former LSU head coach gets a lot of press from LSU fans, but it is the jilted lover variety. The difference in the reasons behind the press is huge. LSU benefited with trophies from Saban. The only benefit that Alabama fans can get from Miles is beating him and his Tigers. You want to beat every opponent’s team and coach. You only write about the best opposing coaches. The Big Red Elephant’s fans know this well. There are tons of articles written about one Paul Bryant by opposing fans. Charles McClendon the LSU coach of the Bryant era, although a good coach, has very few articles written about him from Tide fans.

The greatest compliment an opposing fan can give a coach is their focus. That focus is the beginning of bestowing a mythological quality to a coach; it’s the true start of a legend. Alabama fans know so well it is a lot harder to beat a legend.

So on behalf of the whole LSU community, I say thank you to these Crimson Tide fans. I say thank you for starting us down a road that the Alabama fans have already walked. I can say so far its been a great stroll.

LSU's Spring Game Will Be a Curiosity for SEC Opponents

Leo Donelon — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 04:15:40 -0500

The enigma of last season for the SEC was LSU. If you had a heart to heart talk with every SEC head coach, they could tell you in detail what the Tigers' problems were. They could tell you about the wealth of talent in Baton Rouge.

They would also tell you that Les Miles' handling of the Ryan Perrilloux situation was very well done, and point out that Perrilloux would have made a tremendous difference in LSU’s season last year. The ones that watch game film on the Tigers could point out how they would address these deficiencies.

It is widely known what changes Les Miles made in the offseason. The coaching changes and recruiting class were top-notch work. It appears that all issues were addressed and addressed well.

So what can a vanilla spring game tell you? Very simple but important things, like consistency of play where it was lacking in the Tigers of last season. Don’t kid yourself; coaches know if the inconsistency was from coaching or players. Quarterback production and speed, the offensive and defensive line, size and speed. Did the defensive philosophy change? Did the skill positions on offense improve in size and speed?

I think most average fans have an idea to the answers to these questions. Most SEC coaches have better than an idea to these answers. My guess is what they are hoping for is to read about a game where the Tigers struggled maintaining drives. For them it would be nice to hear that the defense could not get to the quarterback or that the defensive backs played very poorly.

At least that is what they are hoping for. If asked they would probably tell you they expect the opposite. Common sense tells you that the curiosity is out there, regardless of what they say publicly.

USC Has Lost One Crown and Added Another With Lisa Horne's Departure

Leo Donelon — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 14:38:31 -0500

With the departure of Lisa Horne from Bleacher Report, the top current writer is no longer a USC fan. Lisa now bears the title of “Top Former Writer for Bleacher Report,” one that she will hold for a longer time than the first, due to her prolific writing. It is a testament to her and the USC family as a whole.

The sad thing is that most of the SC fan base will never hear of either accolade.

This change is a testament to the passage of time. We as fans know so well of how short the careers of athletes are, but others will take their place; it is inevitable. The new leaders will become known for their deeds.

So if Lisa sees this, I will propose this: that BR starts a hall of heroes and continues to keep the statistics. Lisa, every year on the anniversary on your departure, have the champagne waiting and pop the cork on the retention of your new title, much in the fashion of Mercury Morris and the Dolphins.

Finally, here is a toast to passion and hard work, and the accolades they bring.

LSU, the Time Is Now! Seize the Moment!

Leo Donelon — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 14:50:02 -0500

Time, Place, Team, and Motivation come together once in a lifetime.

The Time is now, when LSU is at the lowest point it’s been in years. The Place is Tiger Stadium, perfect for the Tigers. The Team is the number one-ranked Crimson Tide, who everyone knows is coached by a former Tiger coach.

Motivation—where do I start? There is a long list.

Nick Saban was the man who they gave the keys to the kingdom in 2003. Then the beloved coach left.

The number one ranked team is Alabama. There is a long history between the teams: Cholly Mac, the Bear, and all those games.

National television is the perfect stage. Look what happened to Florida’s ranking when they beat the fourth-ranked Tigers this year. Jarrett Lee, LSU’s quarterback, seems to play better under pressure. These moments are talked about around the tailgating fires for decades. That is, if the team grabs the moment.

The Tigers have the ability and the talent to make history. The question is whether this Tiger football team is ready to make history.

Sometimes it takes a moment like this to lead a team to greatness.

It's Snowing in Hell! USC Needs LSU

Leo Donelon — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 01:13:49 -0500

The fans of USC need to become fans of LSU. They need help in their search of another crystal football this year.

Here is why: Alabama is undefeated and so is Penn State. USC has a weak strength of schedule. Penn State’s remaining opponents are weak. So USC needs a two-loss SEC team in the SEC championship game, and they need it to win.

Florida is not going to lose before the SEC championship game. That leaves the SEC West; Alabama needs to drop two of the rest of its games. The games remaining on Alabama’s schedule are LSU, Mississippi State, and Auburn. LSU has the best chance of beating the Tide.

In 2003, the Trojans were awarded the AP championship. This is the only time in the BCS era that the AP did not agree with the final BCS ranking. That is the year Nick Saban’s LSU Tigers won the BCS.

USC followed by winning the BCS in 2004. LSU won another BCS trophy last year, the only school to win two. If USC wants to beat Saban, now with Alabama, to a second trophy, it needs LSU to win.

This is assuming that Texas Tech drops a couple of games, too. That is very possible.

So get your winter coats, it is snowing in Hell.

Is UCLA the Next Alabama?

Leo Donelon — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 03:15:34 -0400

Could Rick Neuheisel do for UCLA what Nick Saban is doing for Alabama?

Coach Neuheisel is a very successful college coach and recruiter. There is a ton of high school talent in California, enough to supply two quality programs. The next couple of years should be interesting.

The USC versus UCLA game was historically a game that the nation waited to see. In short order, it may become that again. It would be a boon to the city of the angels.

It would prove to be a very tough ticket, way more than it is now. God knows the personalities that would wind up on the sidelines. The governor might visit both sidelines.

It will be interesting to see how next year’s game plays out. That game may indicate if Saban started a trend, and whether Neuheisel is part of that trend.

The reemergence of UCLA football would be very good for college football, especially with the fall off of the Big Ten.

Should the Rose Bowl Choose Value or Tradition?

Leo Donelon — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 03:15:10 -0400

Sometimes you gain nothing by following tradition—if anything, you lose.

Tradition: The Big Ten is way down this year. USC demolished one of the top two teams, Ohio State. The game between Ohio State and Penn State came down to the wire. You could say Penn State is not a part of the tradition because it only joined the conference in the recent history of the Rose Bowl.

Tradition: The Granddaddy of all the bowls has not been so grand of late. The games have had little interest except to the fans and alums of the teams.

Value: There are going to be some very good teams from the SEC and Big 12 conferences. I am sure USC would love a crack at one of them. A win would bring some credibility back to the Pac-10.

Value: A matchup in the Rose Bowl of the Pac-10 with either of these two conferences would be of enormous interest to the country. It could only add to the Pac-10’s history, not diminish it. USC versus Florida, Georgia, Texas, or Oklahoma would put the Rose Bowl at the top again.

Value: This is something the Rose Bowl committee should really look into. The press it would generate would bring in a lot of money.

It is time to put meaning back in the Rose Bowl. The Rose Bowl deserves it.

What a Loss to Notre Dame Means Now!

Leo Donelon — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 04:23:31 -0400

Boy, have the times changed! Being manhandled by the Fighting Irish was something that was expected by many a team, but no more. Now it means that your football program is in shambles.

Notre Dame has been embarrassed so many times over the last few years that the once-perennial power is seen as a bottom dweller, a gimmie win.

That is a long cry from the program that won four out of five national championships in the 1940s—but that was 60 years ago. Not since before Rockne has the program been in this state of disarray.

Again the Irish have added to their history. A former coach who lost his position at South Bend for a team that was doing slightly better than the one now lost his position for losing to the Irish. It was the icing on the cake. Some cake.

The last notable game the Irish had been against the Trojans a few years ago. It may just take a win over SC to start to change the perception of” That Little School from the East.” It took wins over dominant Army teams in Rockne’s days to build the reputation of the Irish to begin with. Army was a dominant power then.

So are the Irish up to the task, or for that matter, will they ever be again? The experts will tell you no. A win over USC for the Irish would rock the college world and would be a good start for the Irish. USC has been had before—see the Stanford game of ’07.

This year’s game is shaping out to be a blip on the radar, but oh, what headlines an Irish win would generate. The motivation is there for the Notre Dame team—do they have enough moxie to pull it off?

Which Team Is the Hardest to Lose to?

Leo Donelon — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 01:58:23 -0400

Every loss is a bitter pill, but we all have that one that is the most bitter. That loss is the one that makes it hard to go in and listen to the comments in the office! It is the loss that smacks of humiliation for some.

What is the loss that really gets to you? It is the rivalry games that get some. There are those teams that you think have obnoxious fans. So which one really gets you?

It will be great if we see a consensus on certain teams, but that may not happen. Is it Dallas, the Red Sox, or USC? Is it the Lakers, Duke, or the Patriots?

Which one is it for you?

USC Football: The Legend Vs. the Truth

Leo Donelon — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 06:29:25 -0400

Legend—Definition: A traditional historical tale (or collection of related tales) popularly regarded as true but usually containing a mixture of fact and fiction.

This is the West, sir. When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.

—Maxwell Scott, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

These are the facts about USC.

They are a very good football team with a very good coach.

The SC program has acquired a lot of awards over the years.

The Trojans have had a long line of honored athletes.

They are the favorite sons of a hometown that buys a lot of papers.

They are a media school, so they understand marketing.

All of this can be proven and documented. What can’t be proven but is documented are subjective opinion headlines—the ones that are constantly used every year to refer to a USC team or player.

Greatest of all time is used almost every year when referring to an USC team or player. The term is applied to either a very good team or player.

The litmus test is the NFL, and very seldom does the title stick. The SC players of the NFL, although very good, are seldom the best. O.J. was one who proved it on the fields of the NFL. Jack Del Rio did not as a player.

This is the West, sir. When the legend becomes fact, print the legend. Never were words so aptly applied as to USC.

Each year one reporter or commentator refers to the current SC team as the greatest of all time. It, of course, is only used in conjunction with the SC teams that are good. The team, except for a couple of times, always falls short of this lofty laurel. That has never stopped the usage of the term.

The fact of the matter is stories of USC always have fact and fiction mixed together. So the most appropriate title for USC is “USC the Legend”—in other words, “USC the Myth.”

LSU Football Has Great Names!

Leo Donelon — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 04:10:24 -0400

These are names that would be great for any writer of fiction: Bogga McFarland, Trigger Allen, Tyler Lafache, Ricky Jean-Francois, Y.A. Tittle, to name a few. These are names that in themselves, are a writer's dream; names like Gwain Dibetta, Billy Cannon, and Alex Box. They are names that stick with you. They have a melody, like Jimmy Taylor.

There is no wonder with these great names come stories of football fame.

They are names that flow off the page like the much-talked-about George Gip. For we have a Gipper in Butch Duhe, Carl Otis Trimble, and Eric Andolsek. These names and many more add to the color and history of LSU Football.

In South Louisiana, it would not seem real to have a team made up of just Jones and Smiths. So my friends, when you write your first novel and are looking for a great name for your main character, look up the LSU record book—you will find a ton of names that your readers will remember.

Wouldn’t Bogga, or Trigger, or Cannon be more worthy than Smith or Jones? The one time we remember Smith and Jones, they were tied to Butch and Sundance, and we remember them more for Newman and Redford!

PS: Here’s to you Mr. Newman.

And our deepest sympathy for your Widow—and our alum.

LSU Features the Only Five-Star Tailgating—Restaurant, That Is

Leo Donelon — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 02:22:52 -0400

No other tailgating locale has the diversity you'll find at an LSU Tigers football game. Do you really think anywhere else anyone would even try to prepare meals like soft-shell crabs?

The Cajun delicacies that are served up as daily fare at LSU tailgating can be found on the menus of the finest restaurants. These Cajuns have had the recipes in their families for years. Nothing is skimped on, and all meals are prepared with the utmost care.

This, along with some south Louisiana hospitality, and it’s a place you will want to come back to, over and over. Even if you pull for the other team, these Cajuns will feed you before and after the game while trying to council you about your errant ways of pulling for the wrong team. This is all done in good, clean fun, of course.

People come to New Orleans from all over the United States to eat food at restaurants that is being prepared and given out for free when tailgating at LSU. It just doesn’t get any better than that!

So y'all hunker down, have a good time, eat all you like, and enjoy the friendship and conversation while your team gets its butt kicked! It may just make loosing enjoyable. It just doesn’t get any better than that, I guarantee!

Tulane Is the Right Prescription for LSU

Leo Donelon — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 20:10:03 -0400

The Tigers could not find a better opponent to play after losing to Georgia last week. This is an opponent who could help mold a future champion. That may be distasteful to Green Wave fans, but it is also a testament to them and their team.

There was a time when, in the area from Baton Rouge to New Orleans, this game was big. Wheel-barrel rides were bet on this, the loser giving the winner a ride down main street in towns like Lutcher, Louisiana. Those days are gone. It is and has always been a big deal for the Tulane faithful to beat LSU. That is why you never can know what will happen in this game.

For the Tulane faithful, winning the possession of the Tiger Rag is tantamount to winning a crystal football. In that lies the trap for the LSU football team. Right now, though, Tulane may be what the doctor ordered. It is an opportunity for LSU to flex its talent muscle. It is an opportunity for LSU to find its defensive identity against a weaker foe.

Why is Tulane the best prescription for this? The Tulane football team is going to play above its ability, it always does against the Tigers. The Green Wave has never been intimidated by the Tigers. A lot of Tulane's players were passed up by LSU, and those players each have a chip on their shoulder to prove that was a mistake.

It you are not ready to play, Tulane will pop you in the mouth to let you know you're in a fight. Like in Rocky I, Tulane doesn't know it's supposed to lose, it thinks it's an actual football game, and it is coming to play.

That is exactly what the Tigers need right now. They need to face a team who wants to win, regardless of its talent. The Tigers need a game. They need a chance to dominate on defense. This game's timing couldn't be any better. It's an opportunity that the Tigers can't pass up, and I don't think they will. Last year's game has taught this team what to expect.

Tulane coach Bob Toledo is know for trick plays, and he is looking for a signature win for his stay at Tulane. That makes it good experience for the Alabama and Ole Miss games.

Both Nick Saban and Houston Nutt have tricks up their sleeves. The Mad Hatter, I believe, will be ready and have the Tigers ready. He is known as somewhat of a trickster himself, and knows what to expect.

Yes, the timing is right for this game.

LSU's Losses Lead to Brighter Days

Leo Donelon — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 17:16:58 -0400

There is no doubt that the LSU Tigers have top quality athletes. What they don't have is a top quality defensive coordinator. The loss of Bo Pelini is beginning to prove to be one of the biggest losses for the Tigers this season.

CBS's Gary Danielson who covered the LSU-Georgia game was able to predict the plays and outcomes, on Georgia's offensive series. He nailed it every time. Danielson was a quarterback, and a good one. Matt Stafford and Tim Tebow have proved that quality college quarterbacks will be able to read the Tiger defense.

LSU's coaches have not been able to put players in positions to make plays; in fact the lack of deception has taken players out of position, and given up big plays. They need to disguise coverages and blitzes better, in other words they have to do a better job of coaching.

It's been a long time since LSU's defense was known for predictability. Bo Pelini and Nick Saban were masters at developing schemes that would keep opposing quarterbacks on their heels. Those quarterbacks never knew where the pressure was coming from. The long term answer maybe to search for another Pelini.

Another sorely missed Tiger is Matt Flynn. The point is that the Tigers are missing an experienced quarterback. Miscues are common for a young quarterback. Unfortunately, Jarrett Lee may be approaching the record for interceptions thrown for touchdowns at LSU.

With experience comes improvement and Lee has already shown that he has a load of talent. He has orchestrated come from behind wins, an ability championship quarterbacks need. My advise to Tiger fans is to be patient.

The quarterback play will improve with time. Lee did lead LSU to score 38 points on a quality Georgia defense, and is ranked second behind Tebow in quarterback rating. The future is bright there. Just ask Mr. Danielson.

If LSU had won the Georgia game, the Tigers would still be considered a contender for the national championship. It is very hard to repeat as national champions, but if hard times hit to a bunch of top ten teams, who knows.

Remember, LSU is the first University to have won two BCS championships. The next university to accomplish this crosses the line second in that race. When these issues are solved the Tigers may be the first school to have third BCS National Championship very soon.

Geaux Tigers!

Saturday in Baton Rouge, One Team Will Lose!

Leo Donelon — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 07:07:39 -0400

The team that does will drop in the poll, which is how the system works. The thing is the loser will be ranked below teams that odds makers would make underdogs if the teams would play each other!

In other words, when money is on the line, the polls mean nothing. Boy is that an argument for a playoff! This applies to all the conferences and all ranked teams.

The bowl system has already changed from when I was young. It use to be about just going to a bowl, not any more. Now it’s about being able to get more practice in for next year! It’s about rankings and it’s about recruits.

The reason this game sticks out is that these two teams ended last year 1st and 2nd or 1st and 3rd, depending what poll you looked at. The writers say one thing, coaches say another, and odds markers say another.

The fact of the mater is even in a friendly little bet, for a cup of coffee, every last one of us will base our decision on the odds makers. The people who set the odds will tell you they don’t always get it right, a statement you would be lucky to see from a sports writer on page four of the newspaper.

In this age of enlightenment, do we use an arcane system as the polls, and only in FBS football? Or do we go against the ones who skip the tiny numbers placed in front of the team names, like the odds makers do. It goes to show that everyone has their own agenda.

Fans Always Win!

Leo Donelon — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 05:32:06 -0400

Sounds crazy, but it's true! It is the teams that take our thoughts off the problems of life! While we watch or talk about our teams, troubles like gas prices, jobs, sickness, and war are forgotten. The problems have not gone away because they will be there after the game.

Those moments that we watch, and hope, and believe in the team, are a precious vacation from the troubles. It is why we will go to a game before evacuating for a hurricane. After the game, we will tackle it for the fan like his team is very competitive with a will to win! It's not a desire, but a need to overcome challenges. It is not escapism, because we honor one of our heroes Pat Tillman for doing a truly courageous act, a patriotic act, instead of football.

Yes, the fan always wins because there is next year, and there will always be a next year! There will always be that next big recruit or draft choice. He will always be seen as the one piece we need to be better than we were. When the team looses, we always believe we will win the next game.

To be better than we were is the underlying statement! Every true fan knows it intimately in his heart! It's what drives us and what pushes us. It is what we want for our teams. It is really what we want for ourselves. It is also why the fans always win. It is what it is to be an American.

The team was once great and could be again. This is in the soul of every fan! This is what drives a fan. Our desire to return to Camelot! This is why we will leave a stadium with our voices drained. The climb to the top doesn’t seem impossible once you’ve been there with your team and this time maybe your team will be even better. It is why when that big problem of life comes along, we’ll beat it, and we know we will, just maybe not how. The fan always wins!

The fan always wins, because we are in it for the long haul! We win because the teams we pick say something about us, whether they come from the bayou, the plains of the mid west, or the west coast.

The fan always wins because the fan will always be with their team in his/her heart, and it is why our teams love us.

Clemson Is in a World of Trouble, but There Is a Way Out

Leo Donelon — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 02:55:30 -0400

Tommy Bowden’s midseason departure has made matters a lot worse for the Clemson football program. It has created a very unstable situation.

College football is not the NFL! In the NFL, you still get the draft choices when you fire a coach midseason. The impact on the recruiting program could set the team further back.

It would be in the interest of the school to develop a short list of coaches that are presently not in football, e.g. Lane Kiffin, Bill Cowher, etc. The hire from the search could take over the recruiting now and the team as a whole in the spring. The new and future head coach could evaluate the present staff and also the current players.

Midseason departures in college never work. The outcome of this could cause players to transfer, lose present recruits, etc. This type of hiring process of a known established coach could stop the bleeding.

Hiring a coach now for next year would send a message to the new coach, the present recruits, and the team that the school is supporting you and the future. You would keep the continuity of the program going and some of the previous staff would surely stay! It might even sway recruits of other programs to rethink their decisions!

Poll the Coaches of LSU's Remaining Opponents

Leo Donelon — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 02:12:09 -0400

The question that would be asked is: Did the result of the LSU-Florida game make you less concerned about playing the Tigers?

I think that most would comment that the Florida loss, if anything, has helped the Tigers to compete for the SEC title and all things after.

The following reasons apply.

Offense! Fumbles and interceptions are correctable issues, especially if you are coaching Division I college football! The offense may need tweaking, but 21 points against a quality team like Florida is a good showing. Fumbles and interceptions corrected, and that number goes up.

That leaves the defense! 51 points scored on his defense makes a coach really look at his defense. Any coach worth his salt will scrutinize everything, from gaps to schemes to players. This makes it harder for the next opponent, because he knows changes are going to be made.

There is no doubt that LSU is laden with talent. The other SEC schools also recruited a lot of the Tigers’ players. Meyer at Florida was in the same spot with his offense a few weeks ago. The change that he made was to start using the speed of his freshman running backs. He started it against Ole Miss, and it paid dividends against the Tigers.

Back-to-back championships are very rare, and undisputed back-to-back championships even more so. If LSU wins out the rest of the year, including winning in Atlanta at the SEC championship, a top five finish is almost assured. That sets them up nicely for next year. One loss after Atlanta could also put them in the BCS title game!

I don’t think any coach who gets LSU thinks that they will be a pushover win—including Urban Meyer the next time around, be that this year or next! LSU looks like it may be in the top two for incoming recruiting classes for next year.

Once in a while a good sucker punch wakes you up and makes you work even harder! There is nothing more dangerous than a wounded Tiger!