LSU Football: The Tigers Are for Real but Are the Naysayers Hiding?

Both Coach Les Miles and the LSU Tigers have been disrespected in the preseason. First by the SEC Media and then by the unknowledgable college football writers from other parts of the country that are unfamiliar with LSU and the SEC. 

Before the Oregon game, LSU was being touted as a team to be concerned about, but once Jordan Jefferson and Russell Shepard were suspended, the naysayers began to attempt to demote LSU and start favoring Oregon as the winner. 

These prognosticators apparently underrated LSU's offensive talent and especially Jarrett Lee as a worthy quarterback, but they forgot about the LSU defense and aggressive special teams. 

Miles is still referred to as the Mad Hatter, but there is coming a day soon when coach Les Miles will get his dues and be recognized for the great coach that is and for the great winning record he has accomplished at LSU. 

During Saturday night's telecast, analyst  Kirk Herbstreit pointed out how strong and talented this year's LSU football team is in spite of the fact that the so called SEC media experts only gave LSU one (1) lone All-SEC, first-team selection. . 

When you look at a team like LSU that has had nothing but top 10 and top 5 recruiting classes every year since Les Miles has been coach, how could any media expert say LSU has only one guy on the team that is considered worthy of being an All-SEC selection?  

Almost every other team in the SEC had at least two selections, and Alabama had and unbelievable total of eight All-SEC selections and five first team selections.   

The LSU Tigers put on a display of talent like few others in the SEC, and they served notice that they are going to be a major challenger for both the SEC and BCS National Championship. 

When you step out and play the No. 3 team in the nation for your first game and control that high-powered offense like LSU did, it speaks volumes about where your program is in very short order. 

As we all know, most teams like to schedule a patsies or what we call a rent a win for the first game so you will give your team a chance to work out the kinks and build confidence before facing major competition. 

Only LSU, Georgia, and Ole Miss of the SEC showed the willingness to take on top ranked foes in their first game and neither one of them had time to get the kinks out as they were challenged from the get-go.   

Underrated LSU throttled the No. 3 team in the nation from an underdog role, but in doing so, they established themselves as a true championship contender for 2011, so the willingness to face major competition has it's pay off for the winner.   

Georgia played toe-to-toe for the most part with Boise State, the No. 5 team in the nation and although they lost that game this loss will help them with the rest of their games.

But all other SEC teams with the exception of Ole Miss, took on teams they knew would not challenge them beyond giving them a closer game than expected. 

Auburn had to pull their game out in the final minute to salvage a win over a Utah State team that actually out played them all day.

In this game Auburn exposed how far they have fallen from last year's championship year as their defense in particular struggled mightily. 

Had it not been for a fortunate onside kick by Auburn, they would be known as one of the few teams in history to lose their first game after winning the Championship.  Utah State was a worthy foe and they had the game in their sites until the on sides kick.    

Before the LSU game, I was reading posst by supposed sports writers calling themselves experts and saying LSU should be knocked down from fourth to 14th because of Jordan Jefferson and Russell Shepard's suspensions. 

Anyone that is going to make such a prediction should understand what has gone on at LSU and how the team has struggled with Jordan Jefferson as the quarterback. 

These guys are just good examples of writers that know nothing about what they are saying, and they really don't support their predictions with any fact for accuracy. 

As we all saw Saturday night, this year's LSU Tigers is a team with loads of young talent on both sides of the ball and they will be that way for many years to come. 

Probably one of the reasons LSU did not have more offensive all SEC selections last year is due primarily to Jordan Jefferson's struggles in the passing game. 

Jefferson's struggles were not only his problems, but his struggles caused a talented player like Terrence Toliver to not even get drafted because he was rarely thrown to by Jefferson until the Texas A&M game.  

It is a shame to see a wasted talent like Toliver come in as a five-star recruit and then not have the opportunity to prove himself. 

Based on their dominant performance against Oregon, LSU will likely move up to No. 3 and  be ranked right under Alabama.  If both teams can continue their winning ways, the game in Tuscaloosa may be the biggest game in the country and especially in the SEC. 

Although you would expect the winner of that game to win the SEC West, that will not necessarily be the case.  

While Alabama will have clear sailing all the way to the SEC championship game if they can defeat LSU, the Tigers will still have to play a very dangerous Arkansas team that is capable of beating anyone in the SEC West.   

Any way you look at it, the LSU Tigers are for real and so is the Alabama Crimson Tide, and their game in November should be the matchup of the year in the SEC the way things are looking at this time.