LSU vs. Bama (2 Viewers)

[Guido Merkins]

I get this to an extent and I'm ready to move on from this loss. I have even repeated it, but then I look back at the teams who have beaten (or come really close) Bama over the last few years:

• 2012 TAMU
• 2013 Auburn
• 2014 Ole Miss
• 2014 Arkansas
• 2014 Miss State
• 2015 Ole Miss
• 2015 Tennessee
• 2016 Clemson
• 2016 Ole Miss
• 2017 Miss State
• 2017 Auburn

Outside of Clemson in 2016, none of these teams had talent in the same zip code as Alabama. NONE of them tried to out-talent Bama and beat them at their own game. NONE of those teams had offensive lines that could physically match-up with Bama's front seven. ALL of them (outside of 2014 Arkansas) did adopt a modern offensive concept that forced Bama to cover the entire field of play and creative play-calling to keep them off balance.

You're not going to out-recruit Alabama. The entire program is built around recruiting. Saban has a 10 year head start on any current coach in the SEC and he's running a self-recruiting system, but running it like he doesn't have a roster 3-deep of 5-start talent at every position. O can out-recruit everyone else. LSU can out-talent everyone else. This program will be a program than can beat everyone else very soon. All of that is for nothing though if they can't beat Bama because LSU will never get out of their own division to play anyone else.

Ed needs to take a page out of Bob Stoops playbook. Stoops was a season away from being shown the door when he took the drastic step of hiring 30-something Lincoln Riley from East Carolina. Riley has roots in the Air Raid Coaching Tree. Orgeron needs to get out there and interview Tim Cramsey (Marshall), Kendal Briles (Houston), David Yost (Utah State), Tim Albin (Ohio) or (my favorite) Graham Harrell (North Texas).

This is a great post. Teams have beaten Bama since we last beaten them and other teams have given them problems and none of them look like LSUs offense. If we are waiting for us to be better talent wise, it's not gonna happen. Not while Saban is there. So you need to figure out how to compete with them so you can beat them every few years.

 

[You]

I get this to an extent and I'm ready to move on from this loss. I have even repeated it, but then I look back at the teams who have beaten (or come really close) Bama over the last few years:

• 2012 TAMU
• 2013 Auburn
• 2014 Ole Miss
• 2014 Arkansas
• 2014 Miss State
• 2015 Ole Miss
• 2015 Tennessee
• 2016 Clemson
• 2016 Ole Miss
• 2017 Miss State
• 2017 Auburn

Outside of Clemson in 2016, none of these teams had talent in the same zip code as Alabama. NONE of them tried to out-talent Bama and beat them at their own game. NONE of those teams had offensive lines that could physically match-up with Bama's front seven. ALL of them (outside of 2014 Arkansas) did adopt a modern offensive concept that forced Bama to cover the entire field of play and creative play-calling to keep them off balance.

You're not going to out-recruit Alabama. The entire program is built around recruiting. Saban has a 10 year head start on any current coach in the SEC and he's running a self-recruiting system, but running it like he doesn't have a roster 3-deep of 5-start talent at every position. O can out-recruit everyone else. LSU can out-talent everyone else. This program will be a program than can beat everyone else very soon. All of that is for nothing though if they can't beat Bama because LSU will never get out of their own division to play anyone else.

Ed needs to take a page out of Bob Stoops playbook. Stoops was a season away from being shown the door when he took the drastic step of hiring 30-something Lincoln Riley from East Carolina. Riley has roots in the Air Raid Coaching Tree. Orgeron needs to get out there and interview Tim Cramsey (Marshall), Kendal Briles (Houston), David Yost (Utah State), Tim Albin (Ohio) or (my favorite) Graham Harrell (North Texas).

I agree on offensive coaching. Ed’s tried to hire the offensive genius.... just hasn’t worked out.

Not sure Ed can outrecruit everyone else but perhaps. I just haven’t seen it yet. Jimbo Fisher is quite prolific and is especially good at the one position that we desperately need- QB. A star offensive coordinator would help us get that.

There’s probably a couple of ways to beat Bama.
One obvious way is to remove Tua. He gives them a dimension they’ve never had but one that makes them almost unbeatable when combined with all the other incredible players. I hope people now get that. If not, just keep watching.

Another way is with a mobile qb. I think our current team but with a mobile, accurate qb could be challenging for Bama at home. They’ve struggled with mobile qb’s in the past.
Otherwise, with a guy like Burrow, we need more talent in the trenches and on both sides of the ball and probably a running back. Burrow was pressured and we didn’t reciprocate.

Defensively, We couldn’t put consistent pressure on Tua. When we did, it was with help from linebackers. Even then it wasn’t effective.
A guy with Tua’s skills and talented receivers will have success if he’s given time.

So if we could have had 3 deep rotation of fast 300 pounders on the DL, maaaaybe we beat bama this year. I still think Tua is a collegiate qb unicorn. No one will beat them. They have too many outstanding dimensions now.

I gotta say though. The fans did their part in this game. That stadium was packed and loud. The gameday atmosphere was fantastic. I’ve seen the other side of that and it’s depressing. Not this year though. Fan support was un matched

 

[MLU]

I agree on offensive coaching. Ed’s tried to hire the offensive genius.... just hasn’t worked out.

I don't think Matt Canada was an offensive genius, unless you're referring to his attempt to hire Kiffen.

Not sure Ed can outrecruit everyone else but perhaps. I just haven’t seen it yet. Jimbo Fisher is quite prolific and is especially good at the one position that we desperately need- QB. A star offensive coordinator would help us get that.

Jimbo is hit or miss. A lot of FSU's current issues are directly related to Jimbo's recruiting deficiencies. He seems to get a good QB, but is a poor recruiter on the big men.

One obvious way is to remove Tua. He gives them a dimension they’ve never had but one that makes them almost unbeatable when combined with all the other incredible players. I hope people now get that. If not, just keep watching.

Tua is beatable. If LSU can run the ball, eat up clock Tua is off the field. 16 points in the first half is a beatable Tua. The second half performance is largely due to an exhausted defense. I don't give a **** about stats. The LSU defense had him to rights.

Another way is with a mobile qb. I think our current team but with a mobile, accurate qb could be challenging for Bama at home. They’ve struggled with mobile qb’s in the past. Otherwise, with a guy like Burrow, we need more talent in the trenches and on both sides of the ball and probably a running back. Burrow was pressured and we didn’t reciprocate.

Burrow is pretty mobile. They should have run him more after spreading the field. Even when they went 3-wide, they kept the WRs in tight which enabled the Safeties to play the run. Send 3 out to the edges of the field, motion a TE and/or RB out with them to bring another LB/S out of the box and then run a speed option, jet sweep, zone read, etc to even the odds.

I gotta say though. The fans did their part in this game. That stadium was packed and loud. The gameday atmosphere was fantastic. I’ve seen the other side of that and it’s depressing. Not this year though. Fan support was un matched

It was pretty amazing to see form my couch.

 

[MLU]

This is a great post. Teams have beaten Bama since we last beaten them and other teams have given them problems and none of them look like LSUs offense. If we are waiting for us to be better talent wise, it's not gonna happen. Not while Saban is there. So you need to figure out how to compete with them so you can beat them every few years.

Outside of Clemson, I don't think anyone is or will ever be as close to Bama talent-wise than LSU. It is undeniable the amount of talent LSU sends to the NFL on an annual basis. teams with FAR less talent have beaten Bama. You can always use better players, but talent is not what has kept LSU on the loosing end of an 8 game win streak. I am convinced of that now.

 

[demented]

LSU recruits really high ceiling guys and then rarely develops them to their full potential. That's why we end up with a ton of players in the NFL. Bama goes a different route, they recruit the guys that are ready now and then force feeds them via the conditioning program into full grown men. I think a lot of them are tapped at out that point and rarely get any better at the pro level.

 

[Bayouboy]

I get this to an extent and I'm ready to move on from this loss. I have even repeated it, but then I look back at the teams who have beaten (or come really close) Bama over the last few years:

• 2012 TAMU
• 2013 Auburn
• 2014 Ole Miss
• 2014 Arkansas
• 2014 Miss State
• 2015 Ole Miss
• 2015 Tennessee
• 2016 Clemson
• 2016 Ole Miss
• 2017 Miss State
• 2017 Auburn

Outside of Clemson in 2016, none of these teams had talent in the same zip code as Alabama. NONE of them tried to out-talent Bama and beat them at their own game. NONE of those teams had offensive lines that could physically match-up with Bama's front seven. ALL of them (outside of 2014 Arkansas) did adopt a modern offensive concept that forced Bama to cover the entire field of play and creative play-calling to keep them off balance.

You're not going to out-recruit Alabama. The entire program is built around recruiting. Saban has a 10 year head start on any current coach in the SEC and he's running a self-recruiting system, but running it like he doesn't have a roster 3-deep of 5-start talent at every position. O can out-recruit everyone else. LSU can out-talent everyone else. This program will be a program than can beat everyone else very soon. All of that is for nothing though if they can't beat Bama because LSU will never get out of their own division to play anyone else.

Ed needs to take a page out of Bob Stoops playbook. Stoops was a season away from being shown the door when he took the drastic step of hiring 30-something Lincoln Riley from East Carolina. Riley has roots in the Air Raid Coaching Tree. Orgeron needs to get out there and interview Tim Cramsey (Marshall), Kendal Briles (Houston), David Yost (Utah State), Tim Albin (Ohio) or (my favorite) Graham Harrell (North Texas).

We have agreed and disagreed on LSU for about a decade now. I could not agree more about your current thoughts on the program. You simply cannot out-recruit Saban. It's time to start thinking "out of the box" offensively. Defense is plenty good enough to win. Offense is where the real change has to take place. Even if we lose worse......you gotta change the system. Drew Brees may not be successful against this defense. Mobile QBs are the only answer. Or wait until Nick retires....