Visiting LSU fans: please read

[Oh8ch]

As regards pressure to perform - I think it is enormous. All the players have talked about since last season was the chance to get back to this game and atone for that performance. That they get the chance to do it versus the SEC makes the incentive stronger still?

Is that positive or negative? It can go either way. But there is no coach I trust more to make a positive from it than JT.

 

[osugrad21]

We should have a healed up team.

Ditto. The Buckeyes had a handful of guys playing through an array of injuries...

 

[fanaticbuckeye]

Pardon my ignorance here as it's probably already been addressed...

Will Dorsey be healed entirely? I remember hearing he had a knee problem then a back problem. What's the status on those issues as it relates to January 7th, will it heal?

 

[ray6072]

Not sure how things are going to work out with Pellini, but it is my hope the DC position is filled in the next two weeks. Tenuta is definately a candidate, and if they are going to hire him, I'd like to see it go ahead and happen.

He has had both, but if he had the ability to play against Tenn, even if he really didn't, I would assume he would be ok for the National Championship Game.

LSU fans really aren't that bad of fans, although we are very zealous. Many Virginia Tech fans said they were surprised how well they were treated in Baton Rouge because of everything they had heard, but it was one of the better trips a lot had had to an opposing stadium.

 

[BengalsAndBucks]

Interested to hear the prognosis for Dorsey and also for Flynn, is his rotator cuff completely torn and will it be healed by the game or will Perrileaux (sp?) have to play.

Also, on the ESPN Bowl Selection Show they were discussing Pelini, the consensus was that he would become Nebraska's head coach and wouldn't be the DC for the game. If so, this has to be a huge blow to LSU, especially the psyche of the defensive players who wont have that familiar presence there at DC.

 

[osugrad21]

Interested to hear the prognosis for Dorsey and also for Flynn, is his rotator cuff completely torn and will it be healed by the game or will Perrileaux (sp?) have to play.

Also, on the ESPN Bowl Selection Show they were discussing Pelini, the consensus was that he would become Nebraska's head coach and wouldn't be the DC for the game. If so, this has to be a huge blow to LSU, especially the psyche of the defensive players who wont have that familiar presence there at DC.

Re: Pelini...its good for OSU that the stability factor is gone....bad in that tendencies will be tough to grasp now.

 

[shetuck]

Re: Pelini...its good for OSU that the stability factor is gone....bad in that tendencies will be tough to grasp now.

yes, stability is gone, but in the short-term tendencies will be the same, i think, regardless of who is calling the plays. the worst thing Miles can do (besides not covering up that chia-pet hair of his) is to try and change all that up. it's not like Bo's going to take his playbook with him.

 

[Jaxbuck]

I was at the SEC CG wearing OSU gear and interacted with UT and LSU fans with zero trouble. Even in the bars afterward it was a lot of good clean, mutual respect football talk.....then there were the handful fo Gator fans(no offense Gatorubet everyone has them).

LSU fans were class all the way and we came to the understanding that UF is the SEC's Wisconsin. They apologized for them and I did some pre apologizing for them if they ever played Wisky, not knowing that UT will be this year.

All in all a good time and a class group of fans.

 

[Oh8ch]

Since we are getting so many knowledgeable Tigers on here I would like to get their reaction to my initial impressions of advantages and disadvantages -

Talent - advantage LSU.

We don't have a Dorsey (nobody does) and he is a difference maker. Our OL is very, very good. But I don't know if it is strong enough for your DL - which, of course, is more than just Dorsey. Beyond the DL I would make some arguments at a lot of other positions on D, but none that would compensate for what Dorsey can do if he is healthy.

I love Boeckman, but he does not have the experience - and we have no proven commodities behind him - none. If he gets knocked for a loop we will be as anxious as the LSU fans to see who takes the field. You guys are obviously more set at that position. But you are not working against a weak D - and if you are judging based on last year's NC game that is a mistake. You have a ton of weapons. Your combination of speed and power out of the backfield is scary. You will score. But perhaps not as easily as you think.

I don't see a single offensive player on LSU that matches Beanie Wells. (And yes, I know who Hester is.) If we can scheme to open holes for him we can move the ball. Move it enough? I don't know. Which takes us to ....


Coaching - advantage OSU.

Miles does not impress me either with his game prep or his game time decisions. Peilini was good. But it looks like "was" is the operative word relative to LSU.

The football world has gotten more mileage out of last year's NC game than any game I can recall. It has been painful. Meyer beat us. His team was more ready, his game plan was better and we did not adjust. I can't mount a serious argument that Florida was not the better team. But they were not 27 points the better team.

Miles is not Meyer.

What happened last year happens. Not often, but it happens. (There is no better example than Florida-FSU in 1996-97 for what those kinds of scores mean.) Tressel and staff are better than what anyone saw last year.

If there is a way to counter for Dorsey Tressel will find it. If OSU is going to win this game I have to be right about Tressel and he has to be at his best.


Home Field - advantage LSU.

Obviously. And Buckeye fans should not underestimate it.


Senior Leadership - advantage LSU.

I count something like 11 seniors starting for LSU. OSU has TWO senior players who came in as Frosh on scholarship on the entire roster (our other seniors are one JUCO and some former walk ons).

That is big and I wouldn't underestimate that either.


Intangibles - advantage OSU.

Last year we were reading our press clippings more than working out. Why bother - it was going to be a cake walk. Florida read those same clippings and reacted differently.

I don't care who has the #1 ranking. This year LSU gets to read about how good they are. Hell, they don't even need to read. Just watch the game film from last year. Northern football is no match for southern speed.

It's a cake walk man. Just enjoy the ride and take home the trophy. That is all you have to do. Miles will tell you different. You will can try to tell yourselves different. But deep down you know you just have to show up.

As for OSU, there is absolutely nothing this team will not leave on the field this year.


Oh, and by the way - your coach IS going to Michigan.

 

[cantseeme]

Pardon my ignorance here as it's probably already been addressed...

Will Dorsey be healed entirely? I remember hearing he had a knee problem then a back problem. What's the status on those issues as it relates to January 7th, will it heal?

He is probably who I am worried most about. He hasn't played the same since Auburn. He tries his heart out with little success. But given a month and a lot of treatment my guess is he could play at 70-90%. I've watched LSU games for years and let me tell you, a healthy Dorsey is a scary Dorsey.

 

[osugrad21]

yes, stability is gone, but in the short-term tendencies will be the same, i think, regardless of who is calling the plays. the worst thing Miles can do (besides not covering up that chia-pet hair of his) is to try and change all that up. it's not like Bo's going to take his playbook with him.

Eh, the playbook will likely stay the same....but every coach has their own tendencies.

 

[cantseeme]

Since we are getting so many knowledgeable Tigers on here I would like to get their reaction to my initial impressions of advantages and disadvantages -

Talent - advantage LSU.

We don't have a Dorsey (nobody does) and he is a difference maker. Our OL is very, very good. But I don't know if it is strong enough for your DL - which, of course, is more than just Dorsey. Beyond the DL I would make some arguments at a lot of other positions on D, but none that would compensate for what Dorsey can do if he is healthy.

I love Boeckman, but he does not have the experience - and we have no proven commodities behind him - none. If he gets knocked for a loop we will be as anxious as the LSU fans to see who takes the field. You guys are obviously more set at that position. But you are not working against a weak D - and if you are judging based on last year's NC game that is a mistake. You have a ton of weapons. Your combination of speed and power out of the backfield is scary. You will score. But perhaps not as easily as you think.

I don't see a single offensive player on LSU that matches Beanie Wells. (And yes, I know who Hester is.) If we can scheme to open holes for him we can move the ball. Move it enough? I don't know. Which takes us to ....


Coaching - advantage OSU.

Miles does not impress me either with his game prep or his game time decisions. Peilini was good. But it looks like "was" is the operative word relative to LSU.

The football world has gotten more mileage out of last year's NC game than any game I can recall. It has been painful. Meyer beat us. His team was more ready, his game plan was better and we did not adjust. I can't mount a serious argument that Florida was not the better team. But they were not 27 points the better team.

Miles is not Meyer.

What happened last year happens. Not often, but it happens. (There is no better example than Florida-FSU in 1996-97 for what those kinds of scores mean.) Tressel and staff are better than what anyone saw last year.

If there is a way to counter for Dorsey Tressel will find it. If OSU is going to win this game I have to be right about Tressel and he has to be at his best.


Home Field - advantage LSU.

Obviously. And Buckeye fans should not underestimate it.


Senior Leadership - advantage LSU.

I count something like 11 seniors starting for LSU. OSU has TWO senior players who came in as Frosh on scholarship on the entire roster (our other seniors are one JUCO and some former walk ons).

That is big and I wouldn't underestimate that either.


Intangibles - advantage OSU.

Last year we were reading our press clippings more than working out. Why bother - it was going to be a cake walk. Florida read those same clippings and reacted differently.

I don't care who has the #1 ranking. This year LSU gets to read about how good they are. Hell, they don't even need to read. Just watch the game film from last year. Northern football is no match for southern speed.

It's a cake walk man. Just enjoy the ride and take home the trophy. That is all you have to do. Miles will tell you different. You will can try to tell yourselves different. But deep down you know you just have to show up.

As for OSU, there is absolutely nothing this team will not leave on the field this year.


Oh, and by the way - your coach IS going to Michigan.

Great analysis. And I believe you are spot on. One thing I do like is that you have a great back in Wells. We tend to get one back running well and we pull him out of the game. Usually for the rest of the game. You guys let Wells get his momentum and let him run with it. And I mean run. We've had recent problems with backs running through the middle of the line. See Arkansas for proof.

One thing I would add is that you have to add advantage LSU for special teams. Incredible punter, mediocre place kicker, great field goal kicker and a host of kickoff return nightmares (Holliday, Doucet, Williams, etc)

And he said he's not going to Michigan!!

Oh and if I remember right, this wasn't supposed to be your year. It was supposed to be next year. So maybe you guys get yet another shot at this next year which is beyond sick. Awesome group of talent.

 

[Gatorubet]

I was at the SEC CG wearing OSU gear and interacted with UT and LSU fans with zero trouble. Even in the bars afterward it was a lot of good clean, mutual respect football talk.....then there were the handful fo Gator fans(no offense Gatorubet everyone has them).

LSU fans were class all the way and we came to the understanding that UF is the SEC's Wisconsin. They apologized for them and I did some pre apologizing for them if they ever played Wisky, not knowing that UT will be this year.

All in all a good time and a class group of fans.

No offense. The Gator Nation felt huge indignation at the Big-10 and at Herbie in particular at the insistence that Michigan was #2. That belief that Herbie was pimping for his alma mater made many Gator fans detest tOSU and Michigan and the Big 10 last year. I have to admit, Meyer beat that drum all the way to the title game, and that notion permeated the Gator faithful by osmosis.

As to UT fans, they hate us for ruining most of the 90s and for keeping Peyton from the Heisman. As to LSU, we beat them ten of eleven,and the in Death valley the year of their MNC and they still have not gotten over that. Basically, Spurrier was the most hated SEC coach (but respected as an innovator that changed the conference) for his six SEC titles and four back to back to back to back.

Winning the MNC opened some old wounds for them, just when they thought we'd go away. So pardon me if I am not surprised that LSU and UT fans don't like us. If they ever do, it'll mean that we are losing again.

 

[jwinslow]

Great analysis. And I believe you are spot on. One thing I do like is that you have a great back in Wells. We tend to get one back running well and we pull him out of the game. Usually for the rest of the game.

Very strange indeed. Do the LSU faithful blame Miles or the OC for that?

You guys let Wells get his momentum and let him run with it. And I mean run. We've had recent problems with backs running through the middle of the line. See Arkansas for proof.

Did Ole Miss run up the gut too? I saw the box score, not the game.

Oh and if I remember right, this wasn't supposed to be your year. It was supposed to be next year. So maybe you guys get yet another shot at this next year which is beyond sick. Awesome group of talent.

Please let Jenkins, Gholston, Laurinaitis, Boone & Robiskie know that the ring is a pre-requisite to declaring early.

 

[Folanator]

I think Miles said that he had talked with Pellini on the plane on the way back and that he would be on the sideline. He said that between now and the NC game was a quiet period for recruiting so he would have some down time to devote to LSU.
I might have been dreaming it, but I think I remember him saying it.