Game Thread BCS National Championship Game: tOSU 24, LSU 38 (final)

[Nordberg]

Tiger, I think you may be on to something, but I think people are really evaluating overall pattern. What I do not think people see how conservative Miles was 2 years prior to this season. He was strongly criticized for being to conservative and not taking risk with his talent. Honestly, I just think that guy will not win the public perception fight because he is not a great public speaker. I think the difference in this year vs last is Miles has really been a gambler and that is what got him a championship. Actually I believe Miles was trying to out talent people his first two years and this year he is just letting it rip. If he looses against OSU, it will be a 10-3 season with a championship, that is not bad...

I think this speaks volumes about how Miles has grown as a coach. After having Tress coach tOSU I can tell that having a great coach and knowing how to adjust to different teams is huge for a College team. Looking back at the 2002 season, we called it "Tressel ball" because our offense wasn't the greatest. Our defense was lights-out and our special teams was just that...Special. We didn't turn the ball over and played the field position game. The same thing was with the scUM game. Tress knew that we didn't need to throw the ball in the second half because we were already ahead. Miles seems like he has that same approach this year. I knows when he needs to "go for it" and when he needs to rely on his defense. I think this will be a great game with really good match-ups. I am getting excited and very nervous about this game. I hope it is a great one.

 

[BB73]

I'm not ready to induct Les into the Hall of Fame or anything, I just think he deserves more credit than he gets. He's doing exactly what he was hired to do here. Run a clean program, compete for an SEC title every year, and keep us in the running for a MNC.

I'm wondering about the use of "M" in MNC. Is this still done out of habit? I mean with an actual Championship Game being played under the BCS for the past 10 seasons, the only "Mythical" NC that's been awarded to anybody was the 2003 AP vote for USC.

Hey, I thought it was time LSU and tOSU posters found some common ground.

 

[sluTiger]

-I'm going off of memory here, but going for it on the goal line seems like the most risky to me. I think the lead was 10 at the time, but you would know more than I would.
-It takes more than a shakey FG kicker to convince me that was a good play call. Maybe if they had gotten it called and gotten the players out there well before the 7 or 8 seconds that were left...but it was complete luck that it worked. Not luck like every team has in a game multiple times....but luck like that shouldn't have worked.

And I don't buy the outfoxed argument either. the coverage on that play was perfect. nobody got outfoxed.....it was a stupid decision that worked.

- Yeah! Time out! Time out time out....whuh?
YouTube - Les Miles Calls Time Out

Oh, yeah that was is first year at LSU when he blew that 21 pt lead. Seriously, he was not ready for SEC football at that time. When he walked out on the field with that Brittney Spears headset my reaction was oh shit we are in trouble. This guy has never coach in big time stadiums. I was right back then, but if you do not see his evolution as a coach, then you are just not watching or refusing to see it.

Do I expect mistakes that cost games? sure it will happen to all coaches. On could argue that Tressel cost OSU the NC last year. What I look for in a good coach is can they learn from the mistakes and improve. Miles has done that and with championship experience under his belt, LSU program is in good shape.

I disagree with the coverage being perfect. Byrd burnt that CB and he was playing catch up. The DB NEVER looked for the ball so I would not call that perfect coverage. Flynn threw the perfect pass and Byrd made an incredible catch. This guy is NOT Mike Archer and LSU will be a national power for many years to come...

 

[Nutriaitch]

Oh, how about the numerous 4th down conversions in the Florida game. The completely idiotic TD pass against Auburn. Combine those with his bad coaching moves that he's made since being at LSU (calling a time out after an INT to stop the clock for example) makes me think he's more of a bumbling doofus than somebody like Bo Schembechler going for a TD instead of a tying FG against OSU.

Um down by 3, needing to score, late in the 4th quarter sounds like a pretty good time to go for it on 4th down. Not once during that drive would anyone have said "oh no, you got to punt it and hope to get the ball back with enough time to do something with it." Going for it in that Florida game was absolutely the right thing to do. Every one of them was 4th and short, and they hadn't even came close to stopping Hester to that point.

The Auburn game (which I've said before) was also the right call. The play was called, and huddle broken with plenty of time on the clock. Flynn should have had it snapped with about 12 seconds to go. Incomplete pass would have left about 4-7 seconds left on the clock. The only thing that made it close, was Flynn loligagging through his snap count. Any coach worth his salt would have taken a shot at the endzone 1st, then kicked it.

I'll give you that time-out call after the int.

I'm wondering about the use of "M" in MNC. Is this still done out of habit? I mean with an actual Championship Game being played under the BCS for the past 10 seasons, the only "Mythical" NC that's been awarded to anybody was the 2003 AP vote for USC.

Hey, I thought it was time LSU and tOSU posters found some common ground.

Yeah, still a habit.

 

[jwinslow]

I disagree with the coverage being perfect. Byrd burnt that CB and he was playing catch up. The DB NEVER looked for the ball so I would not call that perfect coverage. Flynn threw the perfect pass and Byrd made an incredible catch. This guy is NOT Mike Archer and LSU will be a national power for many years to come...

Flynn did NOT throw a perfect pass (ie to the WR or no one), and admitted as much on the field afterwards when interviewed... but was glad Byrd made a great play on the ball.

That ball could have easily been intercepted. When the WR has to come back for the ball and catch it with a defenders arm inbetween his, it's not really debatable.

 

[Lockup]

-I'm going off of memory here, but going for it on the goal line seems like the most risky to me. I think the lead was 10 at the time, but you would know more than I would.
-It takes more than a shakey FG kicker to convince me that was a good play call. Maybe if they had gotten it called and gotten the players out there well before the 7 or 8 seconds that were left...but it was complete luck that it worked. Not luck like every team has in a game multiple times....but luck like that shouldn't have worked.

And I don't buy the outfoxed argument either. the coverage on that play was perfect. nobody got outfoxed.....it was a stupid decision that worked.

- Yeah! Time out! Time out time out....whuh?
YouTube - Les Miles Calls Time Out

I love that his other coach looks like he is running up to him at the end as if to say "WTF are you doing coach?"

 

[osugrad21]

I think Les Miles has his own thread...

Woulda, coulda, shoulda...who cares.

LSU is in.

tOSU is in.

We will play a ballgame to decide who is the National Champion according to the deciding system of the present time.

Let's talk the game and personnel eh?

 

[Lockup]

I am going to make a statement that probably will get me kicked or at least accused of be a Tressell basher or some such. Do you not think that if one coach plays a much tougher schedule than the other, that he may have to take more chances during the course of a season. I believe that if you check, every team in the SEC had a higher strength of schedule rating than OSU, with the exception of Ark. Osu has to play the schedule they are dealt the same as we do, but I submit that it makes for much different coaching decisions at times. It is much easier to call a conservative game when you have much better players in most of the games. We do not have that luxury at LSU, so at times we have to take more chances.

I am not sure I buy this. I really feel the SEC and Big ten are close to each other. Each has at least 4 major programs that typically compete year in and year out. They also have several other schools that will come up and bite the big boys from time to time.

I am not trying to say one is better than the other I just think they are closer than and better than the rest on a year to year basis.

Big 12 has Texas and OK
ACC Well nobody really now ( Va tech maybe)
Big east nobody
PAC10 USC and maybe Oregon

Both the SEC and Big ten have more big time programs than any of those.

That being said I think anybody getting through their conference is not easy. Those teams know you the best because you see them most if not all years. So to say one coach has to be more risky because of conference play I don't think that is really true.

 

[Bill Lucas]

You know, this year more than any other I don't think an OSU fan should be criticizing another coach about calling a timeout at any point in a game.

We all remember the Illinois timeout.

Anyway, I think this horse has been beaten to death at this point. We have a nice group of guests here from LSU. Can we all agree to disagree or something and lay off their coach?

 

[Taosman]

I could be wrong, but I don't think Beanie has gotten even close to 40 carries in any game.

OK! So, I was indeed wrong....sheesh!

Would anyone care to give us an average carry per game stat? (For Beanie)

 

[Sportsbuck28]

Well, including the 4 carry KSU game he averages 21.2 carries per game.

Not including it, he averages 22.7 per game.

 

[martinss01]

I am going to make a statement that probably will get me kicked or at least accused of be a Tressell basher or some such. Do you not think that if one coach plays a much tougher schedule than the other, that he may have to take more chances during the course of a season.

no. if anything conservative play calling nullifies the talent gap, it doesn't widen it. last year our offense was worlds better than illi's d. they were young and inexperienced as well as undersized. we were faster, bigger, stronger, more talented, and had a lot more experience. in the first half jt threw the playbook at them and we turned their d inside out at will.

towards the end of the second quarter guys looked to me to be taking plays off. in the second half jt came out, lined up 2 te's in the eye and ran damn near the exact same play every single down. in fact, i think in 3 consecutive 3 and outs we litearlly ran the exact same 3 plays in the exact same order on each drive. illi, not being stupid, put 10 guys in the box and keyed on those plays stopping us for marginal gains each play.

think about it, if i have reggie bush. im not going to line up 2 te I formation and run the same iso play over and over again. im going to move him around, look for mismatches and exploit the talent difference.

as far as trick plays go, i don't truely consider them risky. we run our share, some coaches run more... some run less. but a trick play isn't all that more effective at breaking tendancies than calling any other play the d doesn't expect. whether i line up the fastest wr on my team as a te in a run formation on 2nd and 2 then fake the run hitting him wide open for a td. or do a super double ninja quadruple reverse triple pass option to the center for a td. the goal is to keep the d honest and to keep them guessing.

It is much easier to call a conservative game when you have much better players in most of the games. We do not have that luxury at LSU, so at times we have to take more chances.

are you sure thats what you want to say?

 

[BuckeyeNation27]

You know, this year more than any other I don't think an OSU fan should be criticizing another coach about calling a timeout at any point in a game.

We all remember the Illinois timeout.

Anyway, I think this horse has been beaten to death at this point. We have a nice group of guests here from LSU. Can we all agree to disagree or something and lay off their coach?

They weren't going to punt the football.

 

[OregonBuckeye]

They weren't going to punt the football.

Actually, they were but changed their mind after the timeout.

 

[AKAK]

Um down by 3, needing to score, late in the 4th quarter sounds like a pretty good time to go for it on 4th down. Not once during that drive would anyone have said "oh no, you got to punt it and hope to get the ball back with enough time to do something with it." Going for it in that Florida game was absolutely the right thing to do. Every one of them was 4th and short, and they hadn't even came close to stopping Hester to that point.

The Auburn game (which I've said before) was also the right call. The play was called, and huddle broken with plenty of time on the clock. Flynn should have had it snapped with about 12 seconds to go. Incomplete pass would have left about 4-7 seconds left on the clock. The only thing that made it close, was Flynn loligagging through his snap count. Any coach worth his salt would have taken a shot at the endzone 1st, then kicked it.

Eh, the Florida things weren't bad calls really in and of themselves. The bigger issue is why LSU was in 4th down so many times. Indeed they hadn't stopped Hester to that point.... but why all the other cutesy outside runs instead of power running? I didn't feel like the fact that they got first downs over and over was the "lucky part" of that, but, looked to me like there were some favorable spots, etc on some of the 3rd downs that made the 4ht downs a bit easier. Also, my impressions at the time were that Florida's secondary was a known weakness, and I was sort of befuddled as to why Miles didn't attack it more in that game... or at least the 4th Quarter.

As to the Auburn game, I think the issue there, for me wasn't the play call in and of itself, but... as you say "Flynn loligagging through his snap count," and given that he was, I think LSU dodged a big bullet by not getting a sideline timeout there.

As far as someone saying that LSU doesn't have the luxury to overpower with their talent... I mean... its one or the other. Is the talent superior, or is Miles an idiot? I don't claim to know the answer... but, these two games were awfully close, and they lost 2 others... there is a chink or two in the armor.... coaching, talent, playcalling or otherwise.

But, if I'm Tressel, I'm gonna make Miles prove LSU can move the ball in the air. And, that's really the fun part of this game to me... we really do have two teams who are gonna go out and try the punch the other in the mouth... and... there are plenty of guys on both sides that can do it.