Is LSU just too young or has Les been revealed?

[TrapGame]

I know they lost a lot of juniors to the NFL but Saban not only left a full cupboard but left the supply train to the cupboard's front door. But, lately it seems that LSU has strayed from the Saban model and more into what Les had at Okie State. And Les only had two 8-4 seasons before going to Baton Rouge.

Thoughts?

[Coach34]

Super young in the skills position and shitty QB play

True Freshman WR dropped 2 critical passes vs Bammer that severely cost them. Just a lot of that. They are very young on the DL as well. Nobody has lost more JR's the last 3 years than LSU- that takes it's toll

with some QB play- they gonna be tough to beat next year

[ShotgunDawg]

LSU just has poor QB play and is thus one dimensional on offense.

If Dak played for LSU, they'd probably be a playoff contender

[Jack Lambert]

He has lost too many too fast to the NFL draft.

[Saltydog]

extremely good.

[MetEdDawg]

100% not his fault. Anyone that knew what happened to them in the offseason should have been able to see this was going to be a down year for LSU. I think that's why most of us thought we could go into Baton Rouge and win.

In the last 2 years they have lost 21 juniors to the NFL. That is virtually impossible to replace. You can still compete and win games with mediocre QB play and you've seen that in a game like the OM game. But when you have very little upperclassman talent, it's a killer.

They should have 11 more guys on this roster who are seniors because I'm pretty sure that's how many guys they had leave early. Think about how this year would have gone for us had 11 of our seniors not returned. It would have killed us. I thought the absolute best Les and LSU could do this year was 9-3 and that was only if someone stepped up at the QB spot. That really hasn't happened and now they are out of the Top 25 and no longer considered a good win by some in the media.

They will rebound though because they've got some good young talent that is getting a lot of experience this year.

[dawgs]

Too many juniors to the NFL the last couple seasons + bad QB play. If one of the QBs steps up and improves, they'll be a force next year.

[engie]

They are going to ALWAYS be young and inexperienced if they keep losing 5th-7th rounders and undrafteds as JRs kicking down the door to get out of there. There has been ALOT of bad advice given and taken in Baton Rouge lately in that regard. That's what actually left them in this position...

Elite players leaving early isn't their problem -- it's the guys that should have stayed for 5 years, should have redshirted as freshmen, and STILL been borderline NFL guys leaving after 3 that are killing them. Imagine if Preston Smith, Love, Cox, Eulls, PJ, etc all left after 3 years where we would be right now...

[ShotgunDawg]

extremely good.

I don't agree. Both will be better, but neither will have good enough QB. LSU is nowhere close to having a good QB right now. Jennings is a dumpster fire and Harris has to far to go in order to predict that.

Arkansas' QB is limited, and Arkansas recruited many of their better players while Petrino was there. They could actually become less talented over the next few years.

With Dak and Robinson most likely coming back, and with Auburn, Ole Miss, Alabama having to break in new QBs, I think MSU will be right up there. Sure we have to replace a lot of seniors at certain position, but our most important positions and weapons are coming back .

We also have LSU, Alabama, and Ole Miss at home.

[Boomer15]

I know they lost a lot of juniors to the NFL but Saban not only left a full cupboard but left the supply train to the cupboard's front door. But, lately it seems that LSU has strayed from the Saban model and more into what Les had at Okie State. And Les only had two 8-4 seasons before going to Baton Rouge.

Thoughts?

They have two runningbacks that have started games in the nfl. Two receivers that are starting in the NFL. And their QB is starting in the NFL. That is all just from last year. Tough to recover from that in 1 season.

[Saltydog]

and DL and we're losing a ton. Yes, we have a lot of 1B guys that will have played a lot but the losses on the OL will be EXTREMELY hard to over come.

[engie]

the losses on the OL will be EXTREMELY hard to over come.
Are we really going to use this same worry script again next year? After I just had to write this (http://maroonandwhitenation.com/2014/07/22/offensive-line-problem/) in attempt to alleviate the concerns that never should have existed in the first place this year? What does Hevesy have to do for people to trust that we haven't pulled a Croom and skipped OL recruiting and development for 2 classes -- and this isn't going to be an issue going forward? It's perplexing to me.

[EAVdog]

It's both. They lost a ton of talent to the NFL. Sure that hurts but what did they do WITH that talent last year? NFL starters at almost all the skill positions, and still didn't really threaten for the BCSCG.

Miles can't recruit/develop a QB. Period. Had Mettenberger not fallen in his lap they'd have been screwed. That's inexcusable and all on Les Miles.

[EAVdog]

Are we really going to use this same worry script again next year? After I just had to write this (http://maroonandwhitenation.com/2014/07/22/offensive-line-problem/) in attempt to alleviate the concerns that never should have existed in the first place this year? What does Hevesy have to do for people to trust that we haven't pulled a Croom and skipped OL recruiting and development for 2 classes -- and this isn't going to be an issue going forward? It's perplexing to me.

We've passed the point of 'rebuilding' our teams, we are simple reloading them. Next year we will probably be better than we are this year.

[Johnson85]

and DL and we're losing a ton. Yes, we have a lot of 1B guys that will have played a lot but the losses on the OL will be EXTREMELY hard to over come.

No. We will likely have next year:

Senior
Desper
Clayborne
Malone
Warren/Carter

We are losing three good OL in Day, Clausell, and Beckwith, but barring injury, we're in pretty good shape. Basically the only position that won't have played starter minutes at one time or another and performed well is RT, and then we'll have Clayborne transitioning to Center, which could be an adjustment. We'll most likely take a step back on the OL, especially in the beginning of the year, but we should end up pretty close barring injuries. It will be interesting to see whether we have a new 1b that would allow us to survive an injury or two.

[MabenMaroon]

It's both. They lost a ton of talent to the NFL. Sure that hurts but what did they do WITH that talent last year? NFL starters at almost all the skill positions, and still didn't really threaten for the BCSCG.

Miles can't recruit/develop a QB. Period. Had Mettenberger not fallen in his lap they'd have been screwed. That's inexcusable and all on Les Miles.

It was funny yesterday on H2H radio, Dickie Cross was saying about the same thing, saying he didn't understand how LSU could not recruit and develop QB's. There was sort of a moment of awkward silence from Matt Wyatt and then he quickly said yeah and moved on to something else. You know Matt Wyatt wanted to say something but I guess decorum got the better of him.
It is amazing how delusional the tsun folks are, even their own sideline reporter and radio analyst doesn't recognize that is one of their biggest problems, that they can't recruit and develop a QB, whatever decent production they have had from the QB position in the last decade and a half is either from JC transfers or hardship transfers. Pot passing judgement on the kettle.

[Saltydog]

from losing the likes of Clausell, Day and Beckwith. It just is. Will we be serviceable, prolly so but we won't be as good as up front and that's just a fact, deny it all you want. Hey, it happens and not just at MSU.

[MabenMaroon]

No. We will likely have next year:

Senior
Desper
Clayborne
Malone
Warren/Carter

We are losing three good OL in Day, Clausell, and Beckwith, but barring injury, we're in pretty good shape. Basically the only position that won't have played starter minutes at one time or another and performed well is RT, and then we'll have Clayborne transitioning to Center, which could be an adjustment. We'll most likely take a step back on the OL, especially in the beginning of the year, but we should end up pretty close barring injuries. It will be interesting to see whether we have a new 1b that would allow us to survive an injury or two.

But! but! we couldn't recover from losing Gabe Jackson and Charles Siddoway especially with Damien Robinson getting hurt in August. And the D-line hasn't recovered from last years attrition. ***

[MabenMaroon]

That did not go well, that was supposed to be in reply to Saltydog's comment.

[ShotgunDawg]

from losing the likes of Clausell, Day and Beckwith. It just is. Will we be serviceable, prolly so but we won't be as good as up front and that's just a fact, deny it all you want. Hey, it happens and not just at MSU.

There may be a slight drop off, but will that be offset by the QB, RB, and all the receivers being a year older? I think it will be and I also think we'll find serviceable replacements on the o-line

[Johnson85]

from losing the likes of Clausell, Day and Beckwith. It just is. Will we be serviceable, prolly so but we won't be as good as up front and that's just a fact, deny it all you want. Hey, it happens and not just at MSU.

Clausell to Senior -->
Beckwith to Desper -->
Day to Clayborne --> I don't think we'll really have a talent drop off at any of these positions. You've got three solid to good veterans being replaced by young players with as much or more natural talent. WIth Day and Beckwith especially, you worry about losing their experience and whether Desper and Clayborne will be as good as them as far as knowing the plays, recognizing defenses, and not missing assignments, but still close.

Malone to older Malone --> should be better, another year of experience and another year off his injury.

Senior to Warren/Carter --> Probably a slight drop off, but supposedly the competition for starting job was close (of course you can't necessarily trust our coaches when they say that), but I didn't notice Warren or Carter screwing up a lot this year.


So we really don't need anybody to make a major jump. Just need people to progress naturally, and we have enough young players that it's likely one or two other players will likely step up and establish themselves as good enough to essentially be a 1B or even co-starter, like Desper did this year. If Jocquell Johnson and Flowers develop, we could easily have a swing tackle we're already comfortable with and two solid backups for the interior line (assuming Desper can play center if something happens to Clayborne). That's not much different than what we have this year and I would say a good bit better than serviceable. Even if we have some growing pains early as we replace all that experience, we should be a good bit better than serviceable.

[dawgpound]

I don't think Les Miles is a great coach however their team this year has lost a few games bc they are so young and inexperienced at key positions and their quarterback play has been the worst in the SEC in two years when these freshmen are juniors they will be very good so do not sleep on LSU even if Les Miles is the coach.

[justwin]

the good thing for MSU is that Les still hasn't gone to Harris which means he may still be somewhat raw when we play them at our place 2nd game of season next year.

Had he gone to Harris full time earlier in the season, they would've beaten OM by a wider margin and possibly beat Ark.

you can tell that LSU's players don't believe in Jennings. Harris, like Dobbs & Treon Harris, are much better than the upper classmen.

[whatever]

It wasn't that long ago that C34 was adamant that Miles was a better coach than Saban. Dont hear that opinion much anymore