I mean, yeah, I get it. Nick used to be our HC and now he's Bama's head coach. Alabama is in our division, so we have to compete with them for pretty much anything we want to be able to hang our hats on - division titles, conference titles, the play-offs, a national title, Bama stands squarely in our way for all of that and has for quite some time. But I still don't understand the people who point at them and say 'we can do that', or 'that should be us' or, most especially 'that's the standard'.
THAT'S the standard? THAT'S the expectation?
Look, over the last 10 years, Alabama is 123-13 with an SEC record of 71-8 during arguably the strongest period the SEC has ever had. Over the last three years they are 39-2 with a 24-1 SEC record (counting SECCG's) and are looking like the favorites to win their fifth national championship in six tries. Their last 10 recruiting classes have been ranked #1, #1, #2, #1, #1, #1, #1, #5, #1 and #1 in the nation.
Look at that. I mean, really, just look at that for a minute.
That kind of run is unprecedented - in fact, its SO unprecedented that we don't even have anything to compare it to in all of college football history, certainly not in the modern era. It likely won't ever be repeated again in our lifetimes, but somehow THAT's the standard we demand from our team, and not only that, but we are expected to do it WHILE that same unprecedented run is taking place right down the street in our own division?
I'll say it out loud. We will never have that. Never. We could certainly have great success, more than we've ever had before - like we JUST had during the ten years Miles was here - but we're not going to be Alabama. Its just not going to happen. Considering some aspects of how they've gotten to where they are, and looking at how miserable their fans are even when they win, I'm not sure I'd ever want to, to be honest. Sometimes the juice simply isn't worth the squeeze.
We are, however, the biggest threat to Alabama here in the West. Saban knows this, he got a good up close and personal look at it while he was here. That's why he schedules his bye week every year before his game with us, that's why we're the only team in the country who has to play Alabama every single year in mid-season form, fully rested and with an extra week to prepare for us. That's why he focuses so much of his efforts in recruiting our backyard. It sucks, but it is what it is. Still, we fight. And we will continue to fight. We have a lot of ways we can improve and get better, get more competitive... but the truth is, we can consistently be the second best team in the country right now and still never win our division. That sucks, its the shit end of the stick no doubt about it, but its the way it is. If you could somehow clone Nick Saban and bring him here, he would still have to compete with Nick Saban at Alabama, would still have to compete with the REC and all the 'other' things that Alabama has going for them.
I'm down with people who say that we shouldn't be losing to Mississippi State, Arkansas or Ole Miss, that we should consistently be one of the top 4 programs in the SEC, right there with Georgia, Florida and Alabama. I think that's a fine thing to strive for, realistic, attainable and a fair standard to hold ourselves to. But even that ain't going to be easy. A&M may have more resources than anyone in the country and they are about to bring them fully to bear. Auburn ain't going anywhere either, and both of those teams are right there in our division along with Alabama, right there on our schedule every season along with Florida, who won't be down for long. It'll be a dogfight every single year, but it'll be a fight worth fighting and a fight worth being proud of when we succeed.
We have a lot to cheer for and I do think that we should certainly hold our team to the highest standards possible... but constantly comparing where we are with Alabama, constantly setting that as the only acceptable standard, constantly looking east green with envy or purple with rage... that will not change the facts of what's happening there. All it will do is rob you of any joy from the football season, all it will do is have you doing is grumbling 'yeah, but' or 'what if' while the team on the field continues to represent our university with pride and with success year after year.
Sure, I'd love to have the same kind of success that Alabama is having. But I wouldn't want it enough to give up my ability to enjoy when my team wins because it wasn't by enough to suit me. I wouldn't want it enough to give up the integrity of my program. I wouldn't want it so much that if I were to look back - either as a fan or a head coach - and see a decade of unprecedented success, to have it almost devoid of the joy that should have come with it. I remember being a lot more overjoyed rushing the field after beating Mississippi State in 2000 than I was grumbling on the drive home after beating them in 2015, and football for me - LSU football in particular - is meant to be joyous.
That's just my take. Nobody is talking about 'settling', but at some point you do have to be realistic, especially when it comes to something you supposedly love. We all want the best for LSU football, yes? But what does that mean, actually? Does that mean wins and losses only? For me the answer is no. Wins and losses are important, yes, absolutely, but for me, 'the best for LSU football' means running the cleanest program we can, remaining respected on the national stage, producing outstanding athletes and young men who represent us well in the NFL and in the real world. It means giving them unmatched support and encouragement no matter what, so that even in a down year teams fear coming into Tiger Stadium because they know those rabid fans will be out in force. It means these kids who sweat and bleed for the purple and gold can come home after a tough loss against a quality foe and see something, hear something besides how terrible they are, how terrible their coaches are, how terrible their administration is.
An interesting stat - and yes, I know, 'stats are for losers', along with positivity and realistic expectations, apparently - but since so many people put such store in wins and losses as the only thing that matters, consider this: LSU has the longest running 8-win season streak in the nation. Yeah, winning 8 games is nothing to be proud of, right? Anybody can do that... but Ohio State didn't. Florida State didn't. USC and Notre Dame and Michigan and Texas and Oklahoma and Clemson and all the other teams in the SEC including mighty Bama didn't. We did. As of right now, we've played winning football with more consistency than anyone in the country, and its about time we stop mocking or blowing off our team's accomplishments just because they don't always come with a ring.
Anyway, I don't post as much as I used to, so that's my take. For whatever its worth.
God bless all of you and have a safe and happy Thanksgiving tomorrow. As Tiger fans and as citizens of this country we have more to be thankful for than we will probably ever fully realize.
THAT'S the standard? THAT'S the expectation?
Look, over the last 10 years, Alabama is 123-13 with an SEC record of 71-8 during arguably the strongest period the SEC has ever had. Over the last three years they are 39-2 with a 24-1 SEC record (counting SECCG's) and are looking like the favorites to win their fifth national championship in six tries. Their last 10 recruiting classes have been ranked #1, #1, #2, #1, #1, #1, #1, #5, #1 and #1 in the nation.
Look at that. I mean, really, just look at that for a minute.
That kind of run is unprecedented - in fact, its SO unprecedented that we don't even have anything to compare it to in all of college football history, certainly not in the modern era. It likely won't ever be repeated again in our lifetimes, but somehow THAT's the standard we demand from our team, and not only that, but we are expected to do it WHILE that same unprecedented run is taking place right down the street in our own division?
I'll say it out loud. We will never have that. Never. We could certainly have great success, more than we've ever had before - like we JUST had during the ten years Miles was here - but we're not going to be Alabama. Its just not going to happen. Considering some aspects of how they've gotten to where they are, and looking at how miserable their fans are even when they win, I'm not sure I'd ever want to, to be honest. Sometimes the juice simply isn't worth the squeeze.
We are, however, the biggest threat to Alabama here in the West. Saban knows this, he got a good up close and personal look at it while he was here. That's why he schedules his bye week every year before his game with us, that's why we're the only team in the country who has to play Alabama every single year in mid-season form, fully rested and with an extra week to prepare for us. That's why he focuses so much of his efforts in recruiting our backyard. It sucks, but it is what it is. Still, we fight. And we will continue to fight. We have a lot of ways we can improve and get better, get more competitive... but the truth is, we can consistently be the second best team in the country right now and still never win our division. That sucks, its the shit end of the stick no doubt about it, but its the way it is. If you could somehow clone Nick Saban and bring him here, he would still have to compete with Nick Saban at Alabama, would still have to compete with the REC and all the 'other' things that Alabama has going for them.
I'm down with people who say that we shouldn't be losing to Mississippi State, Arkansas or Ole Miss, that we should consistently be one of the top 4 programs in the SEC, right there with Georgia, Florida and Alabama. I think that's a fine thing to strive for, realistic, attainable and a fair standard to hold ourselves to. But even that ain't going to be easy. A&M may have more resources than anyone in the country and they are about to bring them fully to bear. Auburn ain't going anywhere either, and both of those teams are right there in our division along with Alabama, right there on our schedule every season along with Florida, who won't be down for long. It'll be a dogfight every single year, but it'll be a fight worth fighting and a fight worth being proud of when we succeed.
We have a lot to cheer for and I do think that we should certainly hold our team to the highest standards possible... but constantly comparing where we are with Alabama, constantly setting that as the only acceptable standard, constantly looking east green with envy or purple with rage... that will not change the facts of what's happening there. All it will do is rob you of any joy from the football season, all it will do is have you doing is grumbling 'yeah, but' or 'what if' while the team on the field continues to represent our university with pride and with success year after year.
Sure, I'd love to have the same kind of success that Alabama is having. But I wouldn't want it enough to give up my ability to enjoy when my team wins because it wasn't by enough to suit me. I wouldn't want it enough to give up the integrity of my program. I wouldn't want it so much that if I were to look back - either as a fan or a head coach - and see a decade of unprecedented success, to have it almost devoid of the joy that should have come with it. I remember being a lot more overjoyed rushing the field after beating Mississippi State in 2000 than I was grumbling on the drive home after beating them in 2015, and football for me - LSU football in particular - is meant to be joyous.
That's just my take. Nobody is talking about 'settling', but at some point you do have to be realistic, especially when it comes to something you supposedly love. We all want the best for LSU football, yes? But what does that mean, actually? Does that mean wins and losses only? For me the answer is no. Wins and losses are important, yes, absolutely, but for me, 'the best for LSU football' means running the cleanest program we can, remaining respected on the national stage, producing outstanding athletes and young men who represent us well in the NFL and in the real world. It means giving them unmatched support and encouragement no matter what, so that even in a down year teams fear coming into Tiger Stadium because they know those rabid fans will be out in force. It means these kids who sweat and bleed for the purple and gold can come home after a tough loss against a quality foe and see something, hear something besides how terrible they are, how terrible their coaches are, how terrible their administration is.
An interesting stat - and yes, I know, 'stats are for losers', along with positivity and realistic expectations, apparently - but since so many people put such store in wins and losses as the only thing that matters, consider this: LSU has the longest running 8-win season streak in the nation. Yeah, winning 8 games is nothing to be proud of, right? Anybody can do that... but Ohio State didn't. Florida State didn't. USC and Notre Dame and Michigan and Texas and Oklahoma and Clemson and all the other teams in the SEC including mighty Bama didn't. We did. As of right now, we've played winning football with more consistency than anyone in the country, and its about time we stop mocking or blowing off our team's accomplishments just because they don't always come with a ring.
Anyway, I don't post as much as I used to, so that's my take. For whatever its worth.
God bless all of you and have a safe and happy Thanksgiving tomorrow. As Tiger fans and as citizens of this country we have more to be thankful for than we will probably ever fully realize.
