Bengle Banter: Heads or Tails?

Tiger Nation is awake and alert…fall practice for the 2009 football season is underway.

As Coach Miles undertakes his fifth year at LSU, there are still sizable question marks that loom on the horizon.

After a disastrous defensive season last year, Coach Miles hired ex-Tennessee coach John Chavis. Although Coach Chavis is noted as an excellent defensive coach, is he the next Bo Pelini? Some say yes…some say no.

Is it a coin toss?

Although LSU lost some key members on both sides of the ball, the '08 LSU defensive front was heralded as one of the most dangerous. This year, the defensive line is not getting much love nationally.

Al Woods, Drake Nevis, and Rahim Alem will most certainly anchor the d-line. Early practice reports state that they stood out ahead of other defensive linemen, and Coach Brick Haley is pushing all the right buttons.

Ok…time to call it.

Heads; the LSU defense will dominate and return to the top echelon of college football defenses, or tails…a better defense, but not the bone crushing, slobber knocking, take you to the wood shed defenses LSU has been known for.

I call heads.

The other biggest "coin toss" question is at the quarterback position.

Last year, LSU was destined to struggle defensively with new co-defensive coordinators doing their best to keep the status quo after Pelini left. But when quarterback Ryan ‘Heisman’ Perrilloux got bounced from the team, it stamped LSU’s season with 8-5 all over it.

Miles had no choice; Perrilloux had used up his ninth life, and was forced to pack his bags.

The result was painful; "trial by fire" brought on a whole new meaning.

That being said, Jarrett Lee received much of the heat and although showing brilliance at times, was unable to correct habits that led to 16 interceptions.

I actually hurt for the kid, and was happy to see that he’s a man of character for coming back to LSU.

With Lee’s inability to correct mistakes, Miles was forced to go with true freshman Jordan Jefferson.

Jefferson, although limited in knowledge of the playbook, was what the Tigers needed: a dual threat quarterback and playmaker.

Jefferson heads into the season as the starting quarterback and should give the offense opportunities to keep other teams guessing. With all that said, he is still, to some degree, unproven.

Heads or tails?

Heads, Jefferson continues his growth in all related spectrums of becoming a top LSU quarterback…or tails, he takes one step forward, maybe two steps back, and the LSU offense never gets any momentum or continuity?

Just based on what I’ve learned about his leadership ability…I’ll call heads.

Tiger Football is on the prowl again and is looking to rebound from last year's disappointments.

Heads say they will...tails say they won't.

You call it.