crawfish
08-03-2007, 10:48 PM
By Glenn Guilbeau
BATON ROUGE -- It starts, in of all places, Starkville, Miss., on Aug. 30, and, if everything goes right, it will finish in New Orleans against USC in the Bowl Championship Series national championship game on Jan. 7. Can LSU truly go from the farmhouse to the funhouse? Or will its only trip to the Crescent City be on Sept. 29 against Tulane? Virginia Tech on Sept. 8 in Tiger Stadium looks like the Tigers' most difficult nonconference opponent since 2002 when Virginia Tech won 26-8 in Blacksburg, Va. Will LSU need another miracle at an improved Kentucky on Oct. 13? Will Alabama draw more for the Tigers on Nov. 3 than it did for its spring game? Will Tide coach Nick Saban get out alive? Will losses at Florida and Auburn last season be avenged in Tiger Stadium? Will LSU be ranked too high in the preseason at No. 2 or 3? Is this truly the year? Or have LSU fans become as myopic as Alabama fans? Everything appears to be right there for the taking for the Tigers. Extremely high ranking in the national polls are coming. The schedule, thanks to a real non-conference opponent in Virginia Tech, has national championship written all over it, and the best teams on it must come to Tiger Stadium. The BCS national title game just happens to be in LSU's backyard. "There's no pressure," LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey said. "We really don't get involved in the polls. We have a long season to go. We want to capitalize on all our opportunities." Lost in LSU's sizzling national championship summer, however, are several searing questions that many fans have seemed to overlook amid the soaring temperature and anticipation.
1.What if Matt Flynn gets hurt? LSU's in trouble, that's what. Even if sophomore Ryan Perrilloux returns to the team, he has not shown the maturity of a field general on or off the field, nor does he have the respect of his teammates. He's also rusty as his indefinite suspension from LSU coach Les Miles precluded him from working on his timing with a new batch of receivers. True freshman Jarrett Lee has been in summer school and working out with receivers, but he is a true freshman.
2. What if Matt Flynn doesn't get hurt? Though a fifth-year senior who is a leader and tremendously respected by his teammates, he's still very much unproven in pressure situations. He has started only one game. In every other game he played but one, the outcome was already decided. He has never had to deal with being the man week in and week out. He's never started a game in Tiger Stadium, and his first one is against Virginia Tech. Even Miles seemed to be hedging his bets just a tad on Flynn. "Any time you have a quarterback that starts in really his first season as a starter, there will be some period of adjustment," Miles said. "I think it will be minimal with Matt Flynn. But this is his first year. He may not play just perfect." That said, he'll get the job done. But he cannot do it virtually alone like his predecessor.
3.Who is the tailback? LSU has got quite a few good ones, but no one has really shown he can put the running game on his back. Sophomore Keiland Williams finished 2006 as the starter. Senior Jacob Hester is steady and versatile, and red-shirt freshman Richard Murphy may be the best game breaker. A quality position, but no one strikes fear into the hearts of defenders.
4.Is the offensive line all that good? Will Arnold made the preseason All-SEC team, and Miles isn't even sure how much Arnold can practice after suffering from a variety of injuries and ailments the past two seasons. Center Brett Helms and left tackle Ciron Black are solid, but someone else needs to emerge to make this more than an average line. With a passing game not expected to be as vertical and as dominant, this needs to happen so the run game can set up LSU's attack and take pressure off of Flynn. That was the Peach Bowl game plan when Flynn started, won and was named MVP.
5. Early and who else? LSU needs to make sure its only senior wide receiver doesn't become known as Only Doucet as opposed to Early Doucet. There is plenty of talent at this position, but it is largely unproven. Two need to emerge so Early is not seeing double all season long. Look for new offensive coordinator Gary Crowton, perhaps Miles' best signing since he took over, to create a nice short passing game similar to when Tommy Hodson was throwing to Wendell Davis in the 1980s. READ LAST FIVE (http://www.lsubeat.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070803/SPORTS0202/708030321)
BATON ROUGE -- It starts, in of all places, Starkville, Miss., on Aug. 30, and, if everything goes right, it will finish in New Orleans against USC in the Bowl Championship Series national championship game on Jan. 7. Can LSU truly go from the farmhouse to the funhouse? Or will its only trip to the Crescent City be on Sept. 29 against Tulane? Virginia Tech on Sept. 8 in Tiger Stadium looks like the Tigers' most difficult nonconference opponent since 2002 when Virginia Tech won 26-8 in Blacksburg, Va. Will LSU need another miracle at an improved Kentucky on Oct. 13? Will Alabama draw more for the Tigers on Nov. 3 than it did for its spring game? Will Tide coach Nick Saban get out alive? Will losses at Florida and Auburn last season be avenged in Tiger Stadium? Will LSU be ranked too high in the preseason at No. 2 or 3? Is this truly the year? Or have LSU fans become as myopic as Alabama fans? Everything appears to be right there for the taking for the Tigers. Extremely high ranking in the national polls are coming. The schedule, thanks to a real non-conference opponent in Virginia Tech, has national championship written all over it, and the best teams on it must come to Tiger Stadium. The BCS national title game just happens to be in LSU's backyard. "There's no pressure," LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey said. "We really don't get involved in the polls. We have a long season to go. We want to capitalize on all our opportunities." Lost in LSU's sizzling national championship summer, however, are several searing questions that many fans have seemed to overlook amid the soaring temperature and anticipation.
1.What if Matt Flynn gets hurt? LSU's in trouble, that's what. Even if sophomore Ryan Perrilloux returns to the team, he has not shown the maturity of a field general on or off the field, nor does he have the respect of his teammates. He's also rusty as his indefinite suspension from LSU coach Les Miles precluded him from working on his timing with a new batch of receivers. True freshman Jarrett Lee has been in summer school and working out with receivers, but he is a true freshman.
2. What if Matt Flynn doesn't get hurt? Though a fifth-year senior who is a leader and tremendously respected by his teammates, he's still very much unproven in pressure situations. He has started only one game. In every other game he played but one, the outcome was already decided. He has never had to deal with being the man week in and week out. He's never started a game in Tiger Stadium, and his first one is against Virginia Tech. Even Miles seemed to be hedging his bets just a tad on Flynn. "Any time you have a quarterback that starts in really his first season as a starter, there will be some period of adjustment," Miles said. "I think it will be minimal with Matt Flynn. But this is his first year. He may not play just perfect." That said, he'll get the job done. But he cannot do it virtually alone like his predecessor.
3.Who is the tailback? LSU has got quite a few good ones, but no one has really shown he can put the running game on his back. Sophomore Keiland Williams finished 2006 as the starter. Senior Jacob Hester is steady and versatile, and red-shirt freshman Richard Murphy may be the best game breaker. A quality position, but no one strikes fear into the hearts of defenders.
4.Is the offensive line all that good? Will Arnold made the preseason All-SEC team, and Miles isn't even sure how much Arnold can practice after suffering from a variety of injuries and ailments the past two seasons. Center Brett Helms and left tackle Ciron Black are solid, but someone else needs to emerge to make this more than an average line. With a passing game not expected to be as vertical and as dominant, this needs to happen so the run game can set up LSU's attack and take pressure off of Flynn. That was the Peach Bowl game plan when Flynn started, won and was named MVP.
5. Early and who else? LSU needs to make sure its only senior wide receiver doesn't become known as Only Doucet as opposed to Early Doucet. There is plenty of talent at this position, but it is largely unproven. Two need to emerge so Early is not seeing double all season long. Look for new offensive coordinator Gary Crowton, perhaps Miles' best signing since he took over, to create a nice short passing game similar to when Tommy Hodson was throwing to Wendell Davis in the 1980s. READ LAST FIVE (http://www.lsubeat.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070803/SPORTS0202/708030321)