DV, love your CF takes as usual. We will just have to see with LSU. I think they are better than you realize. I think they would give OU fits. LSU's weakness IMO is Mauck. He just isn't that accurate or that heady. But their defense is awesume--probably the best in the land, speedy all over and strong on the interior. LSU also has great receivers (top 5), a good O-line, and good backs. If they can keep Mauck and their offense from turning it over--not sure if they can't beat anybody. Couple more tidbits: Except that Florida got robbed versus FSU, the SEC would have had the #2 overall nonconference record (Big 12 is #1). Plus, you consider Florida (SEC #4) really looked better than FSU (ACC#1) and had a huge lead they blew at Miami (Big East #1), Arkansas (SEC #6) beat the Big12 #2 (Texas) on the road, Alabama (a crappy SEC team) played OU as well as anyone, I think the SEC is good. Also, I was impressed when I saw Mississippi the last few weeks. There defense was much faster than I anticipated--it is more than Eli why they only lost 1 conference game. Also, LSU may lose to Georgia, but Georgia is a very good football team. Tenn I agree isn't great--but they did beat Miami, and Georgia and LSU are of high quality, Florida, Miss and Tenn are good as well. Even Ark (BTW Jones is a very good running QB who gave Texas fits though LSU completely shackled him, and Cobbs looked good versus LSU when I saw him) and Auburn are I would call decent teams too. I don't think LSU is quite as good as USC because of the QB difference, but if LSU beats Georgia in Georgia they have as good a case as any to play OU--and I think they would give OU fits because I don't see any 1 -dimensional offense being effective against the Tigers because of their front. White would be running for his life like he has not had to do all season. Finally, I just am not that convinced Ark was an anomoly for UT. You don't give up 40 to 3 different teams with 3 different styles (Arkansas the most balanced of the 3) if you have a quality defense. Also in recent years it hasn't just been passing gimmickry that has killed UT's defense, Griffin, Brown, Purify, many other backs have looked like world beaters when faced against UT and the gaps blown up by those teams OLs. Arkansas and Cobbs just continued the trend (this year and what 2-3 years ago). I think there are big time fundamental problems with UT's defense (conditioning, toughness, gap control) and its defense generally has been quite overrated the last few years as evidenced by big game lapses if not total decimations.
Yes, I think he's not giving LSU enough credit, but if USC wins against the other OSU, they better be in the national championship. That's the game I want to see. What's scary is that OU and USC will only get better in the next few years. People will always point to stats to back up our D, but I agree they're not very good. We can absolutely shut down an option team. Any team with a balanced offense or decent passing game can tear us up.
If I had my order of preference it would be: 1. FSU 2. OSU 3. Michigan 4. Miami 5. LSU 6. USC 7. OU Texas can and should beat any of the first 3 teams on that list. FSU is just not that good and Texas is much faster than any team in the Big Ten, though the gap between OSU is larger than that of Michigan. Miami is tricky because they have the team speed and confidence to be very dangerous but it all hinges on their inexperience at qb, a lot like UT. Now to LSU. I wasn't trying to knock the Tigers outstanding season. However when I said Georgia is blah, I meant the Dogs haven't played really good football after the Tennessee game, except for last Saturday against G-Tech. I mean almost losing at home to UAB and playing pathetic Vanderbilt, who does have a solid defense, to a 2-0 game almost all the way through the first half is not top 5 worthy football, not even top 10 worthy. I will admit I haven't devoted my weekends to watching LSU, but like you said Desert Scar, Matt Mauck is a problem. I believe their defense is very good, but Vince Young made the best defense in college football look bad a couple of times before the game being a rout turned him into a passing quarterback. I don't think LSU's defense is quite as good as OU's so I would expect Vince to make plays still. Also, LSU has had a very favorable schedule, akin to what OSU had last year. I think LSU and teams that power run to play action pass and ball control games, could give OU trouble, because the way you beat OU if you can is keep the ball out of White's hands and avoid mistakes. And on Ole Miss, I know it took more than Manning to have that good a run, but overall talent wise, they just aren't that great. They played over their heads for a stretch this year. And I want to see more than one decent road opponent for LSU anyway. Even Auburn was at home. Maybe my Texas blood is blinding me a bit on LSU, but I don't think they are good enough on both sides of the ball to blow Texas out, unless UT helps out. But with Davis and Reese running the show, that's definitely possible. My goal for UT is win or lose in a BCS game if they go, firing Greg and Carl no matter the result. If it was up to those two UT would have gone 8-4, with additional losses to KSU and Tech. Hope that explains my position better.
I don't think Greg is going anywhere with this top ranking offense BS. Reese might retire, but who knows if Akina is actually an upgrade or not. Our secondary is really bad, but they might be running that scheme because of Reese. Regardless, their technique is not very good.
A lot of people knock the offense for not throwing down the field, but I would be careful about throwing the ball down the field after the 2001 BigXII Championship game when my quarterback kept throwing the ball downfield to the wrong team, thus ending chances of playing in the National Championship game. I'm sorry but I think the guy gets way too much flack. He has rebuilt the offense on the run around the talents of a totally different type of blue chip quarterback and the team looks pretty damn good to me. The secondary on the other hand still leaves a lot to be desired.
He didn't build the run game. Would you like to see the run game without Vince? I'd think the credit clearly goes to McWhorter and Haywood when you look at the blocking schemes and changes in Benson's style of running. Simms is gone. We have 2 completely different quarterbacks and 3 really good receivers. Not to mention Roy would be widely considered the #1 over Fitzgerald if he was on a different team. We'll regretfully see next year in the NFL if he stays healthy. I absolutely hate horizontal passing, passing 2 yards short of the marker, etc. There is no creativity whatsoever. Watch a team like Boise State and then wonder what would happen if they had our kind of talent. It wouldn't even be fair. There have been some overthrown balls, but many of our downfield passes have been successful with both quarterbacks. Think of the end of the 1st half against Arkansas. Vince to Roy at OSU. Chance to Roy against Tech. Even Thomas at ATM. Even before the emergence of the running game our offense looked bad. Now because of the running game, you take blame off of Davis? When we have to have a balanced offense, you'll see. Most probably the bowl game will be a rude awakening if not for Vince. How quickly people forget. I don't know if it's Davis or Mack that's being this conservative. If your reasoning is their reasoning, then it speaks greatly about the difference in attitudes between our mediocre and others elite coaches.
IMO the key against OU is pass rush. Their OL has protected White like a kitten. Teams that can pressure--LSU has probably the best DL in the land bar none (OU included), possibly OSU (this has been the one constant for th Buckeyes, these guys have been very, very good) and USC could be able to shut down OU's. I don't think LSU's offense could do much versus OU's defense, but nor do I think visa versa. From what I have seen OU has more (but not many) chinks in their defensive armor than LSU, but OU has a much more consistent offense with a much better decision maker. Both have great playmakers in the skills positions (Mark Clayton being the name of both teams best skill guys), but their QBs may not get the chance to find them. It would probably boil down to mistakes and special teams. By the way, does anyone who dominanted practice between OU's defense and offense this year? My hunch is the defense made them 1 -dimensional and more or less had their way with them. DV, for Texas I'd list: 1. OSU (strength on strength, purtrid on putrid--I'd like Texas though) 2. Miami (ditto with OSU--Miami's offense has been atrocious--I'd like Texas) 3. FSU (more balance than the above two but plenty of weakness--I'd like Texas) 4. Michigan (A very tough match-up for UT--too much offensive balance on Michigan--I'd like Michigan strong) 5. LSU (Benson and Young would be bottled in the run because LSU would decimate UT's OL. UT's only chance would be for Vince to hit receivers on 3 step drops (slants, deep balls) and have them break it. Basically Vince would have to play (run, scramble, throw) his best to even have a chance, I'd like LSU strong) 6. USC (maybe even worse than OU but we have proof with OU already, I'd like USC huge) 7. OU (we saw want happened the 1st time)
