Growing up in south Louisiana, there are many rights of passages for fathers and their sons. One of my favorites was crabbing. Setting the traps was always a thrill because of the anticipation of collecting a bounty of blue crab for a weekend feast. On one of these trips, my dad decided to use beef melt. He said the crabs would not, could not resist. He was right, and we caught enough crab to feed a small army. We had never experienced such luck. Yet, we would never use beef melt again and I shudder a little every time I think of that day.

You see, beef melt is rotting cow pancreas and it stinks. It stinks so bad, it actually leaves a taste in your mouth. The odor is so unpleasant, it burns into your nostrils and you smell it for days on end, regardless of how much you shower. It lingers, it remains and it is hard to ever forget.

What does this have to do with LSU football? January 9, 2012 is beef melt. The BCS Championship game stunk. It left a terrible, bad taste in the mouths of LSU fans and it isn’t going to simply fade with time. This loss is going to linger and the only way to make it palatable is for two things to happen;

• Beat Alabama on 11/3
• Win a Championship

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Last year, many in the LSU program felt that 2012 was going to be the year for the Tigers. The 2011 team was supposed to be young and good, just not great. The talent on the team matured quicker than expected and went on a tremendous run. Anything less than beating Bama and winning the BCS will make 2012 a failure. I realize that is harsh coming off a 13-1 season, but when a loss that bad overshadows an SEC championship? Well you get the picture of what it feels like to be a Tiger fan right now.

It’s not as if there isn’t plenty to be optimistic about. 2012 will be a banner year and should see the Tigers in position to reach another championship game. Vegas books have the Tigers at 5-1 odds to win it all next year while many way-to-early polls have the Tigers at No. 1 or No. 2. Still, the loss to Alabama is tempering some of the enthusiasm for next fall.

Yet, there are very legitimate reasons to believe this is the year for LSU. John Chavis returns a defense that will see as many as six players drafted in the first three rounds of next year’s NFL draft. Barkevious Mingo and Sam Montgomery are both predicted to be taken in the top 10. Fellow defensive lineman, Bennie Logan is also emerging as one of the top tackles in the SEC. Secondary stars, Tharold Simon, Eric Reid, and the playmaker, Tyrann Mathieu will all be in the NFL this time next year.

Statistically, the Tiger Defense was incredible in 2011. There is a good chance the 2012 version will be even better.

According to Chavis, the speed of the defensive line will be even greater and quarterbacks in the SEC aren’t going to have much time to throw the ball. When they do, it will be into another nightmarish group of secondary personnel that just keep getting better with each passing year in Baton Rouge.

To complete the picture, the Tigers will have an outstanding group of young linebackers led by Kevin Minter. Tahj Jones is penciled in as a starter with as many as six other freshmen and sophomores competing for the third spot. Don’t let the inexperience fool you. This spring, true freshmen Ronnie Feist and Lamar Louis made strong cases to start and they might not be the best new lbs to hit campus. Kwon Alexander and Trey Granier are both supposedly built and ready for SEC play.

Offensively, Zach Mettenberger is finally leading the team. Recently, while speaking to fans, both John Chavis and Frank Wilson gave high praise to Mett’s talent and leadership. Although we have saw little of him in 2011, the LSU spring game was an all out aerial assault where Mett was able to make throws against some of the best DB’s in the nation. Mettenberger is also taking the reins of a warhorse that rushed for over 2500 yards and returns a stable of 5 running backs that could start for any other team in the conference. It is also an animal that returns a ton of NFL quality depth along the offensive line, most notably future 2013 first rounder, Chris Faulk.

Many inside and close to the program feel that this will be one of the most prolific Tiger offenses in LSU history. If teams are going continue to stack eight in the box to limit LSU’s ground game, LSU now has a triggerman to make them pay. Receivers Jarvis Landry, Odell Beckham, and Russell Shepard are all capable of taking a 10-yard pass to the house and all are floored by the talent of their new signal caller. Rising stars, James Wright and Kaadron Boone are also more than capable of winding a DB on a long route as well.

Tiger fans should be ecstatic right? We should all be whipped into a frenzy and frothing at the mouth for the season to start? Well, not exactly, and possibly it is because of Zach Mettenberger. All this hype has begged the question…Why did he not play more last year? IF he is THE MAN to lead the 2012 campaign, then how come he couldn’t at least help in 2011? Mainly, why wasn’t he used on January 9th? Where was this silver bullet when the hounds (tooth) were taking over in the Superdome?

Even in optimism, January 9th lingers like a bad taste. Frank Wilson told fans that the program has a chip on its shoulder and will be playing with it all season. As a fan, I wanted to say I have a chip, too. Maybe mine will be knocked off on November 3rd under the lights of Tiger Stadium when Nick Saban rolls into Baton Rouge. Both teams should be undefeated again and the hype could eclipse last year’s battle of the century. If LSU wins that game as convincingly as it lost on January 9th, then Les Miles might be able to pull some folks back on his side of the fence.

Icon SMI

If you didn’t believe in Voodoo or Zombies before Monday night, witnessing the resurrection of the 2010 LSU offense surely changed your mind. 2010 was a season of offensive ineptitude that was buried by LSU’s magnificent 13-0 season in 2011. Apparently, it was a shallow grave as 2010’s offense reared its ugly head again in the BCS.

Hats off to the Tide. They were the better team on Monday night and deserve the trophy for winning the game. Alabama played a near perfect game. LSU couldn’t keep its offense on the field and for the first time, the LSU defense got tired trying to keep the game close enough for the offense.

This time, the Tiger defense and special teams couldn’t save the day. In the 21-0 thumping at the hands of the Tide, LSU looked putrid on offense. There is no way to sugarcoat it….LSU was horrid when they had the ball.

Jordan Jefferson looked confused for the whole game. The line, which had performed so well all season, became penalty prone and porous. The stable of running backs was kept in the stable by Bama. The Tide forced LSU to pass the ball and LSU couldn’t do it. It was a train wreck and the blame rests squarely on the conductors. How could Miles, Stud and Kragthorpe implement a game plan that relied so heavily on the option? Did they think they could fool Saban and Smart a second time? Why not make a change when Jefferson wasn’t able to make his reads quick enough to avoid the rush and get a few completions in the flats? Yes, Lee wouldn’t have been mobile, but at least he could have made a read and gotten the ball off.

This loss is going to sting and no amount of winning in 2012 is going to take the pain away unless the Tigers beat Alabama next November and play for another championship. This is the type of loss that completely overshadows what an incredible season LSU just put together. It is vexing, perplexing and simply dumbfounding.

Whenever a team ends the season with a loss, there will be questions. My biggest questions are….Why not exhaust all options in the biggest game of the season? Why not see what Lee or Mettenberger could do? Why leave the game in the hands of a player who was plainly confused and frustrated? Why recruit all these stars and keep them unplugged on the biggest stage?

Last July, Les Miles was asked whether or not the 2011 Tigers were capable of making another trip to New Orleans in January. Miles told his audience that “The want for this team to qualify to travel down there in a bus and again play in the national championship game is the goal; it’s what it should be. It’s who we are. Let’s see if we can establish that legacy. When they play it in New Orleans, we’re coming.”

Apparently that “want” way back in July was pretty powerful. It propelled LSU through an unbeaten season and had the Tigers hopping on another BCS championship bound bus to New Orleans this week. Wednesday’s ride also cemented LSU’s legacy of playing for BCS championships in New Orleans. Three of four championship games in the Crescent City have involved the Tigers.

This time will prove to be the most difficult. LSU won’t be facing an easy out from the Big What-Ever conferences. They will be facing one of the most dominant defenses and running backs to ever don the crimson and white… Alabama. Fortunately, LSU has already seen this beast and tamed it in its own den.

The first “Game of the Century” was labeled many things: Ferocious. Unrelenting. Breakneck. Apocalyptic. Magnificent. Awesome.

This time…it will be greater, even more epic.

Both teams have had weeks to prepare. Both coaches have drilled their teams to the point that the game plan haunts their dreams. There is only one task at hand…to do whatever it takes and leave it all on the field for victory. The only hurdle being that each team must beat the best, and in 2011, LSU and Alabama are the clearly the best.

In a game where preparation will be paramount, it will ultimately come down to which coach did a better job over the past few weeks. This is where the myth of Saban as some savant when it comes to bowl prep meets reality. Saban is 7-6 in bowl games and his teams have been outscored 27.7 to 29.1. Miles on the other hand is 6-3 in bowl games and his teams have outscored their opponents 31.4 to 19.3. Miles has clearly shone brighter in this department.

The time off has also put a few more weapons back into Miles arsenal. Some that weren’t available in November. Center PJ Lonergan will be back. Lonergan is one of LSU’s best run blockers and when paired with guard, Will Blackwell, the duo becomes a ferocious hole making machine. The pair combined for over 170 pancake blocks this season. This is good news for tailbacks Spencer Ware and Kenny Hilliard. Both figure to benefit from improved blocking up the middle, especially with 280lb fullback, JC Copeland, charging through the gap like a bull on parade. Unlike November, LSU should be able to make some daylight in the middle of Bama’s run defense; especially if Bama has to spread it out to contain the option (LSU had over 100 rushing yards off of option plays in November).

Kenny Hilliard is also an intriguing addition to the game plan this time around. In November, the freshman was not fully battle tested. After a fantastic finish in 2011, Hilliard should have a prominent role in Monday’s game. The 240lb load from Patterson, LA has proven that he can protect the ball whether he is pounding the middle or catching the ball out of the backfield. The 1-2 punch of he and Ware could prove to be too much for the middle of Bama’s defense over the course of four quarters, especially when speedsters like Ford and Blue start taking the ball off tackle or a pitch from Jefferson on the option.

Speaking of Jefferson, the embattled QB is living, breathing, proof of Miles’ ability to coach his team up for big games. The typically frustrating signal caller becomes a veritable war daddy in big games. As it relates to this game, Jefferson is 2-1 in bowl games and 2-1 against Bama. In both losses, Jefferson had his team in a position to win at the end. Jefferson finds a spark in big game situations; it should be fun to watch what happens in the biggest game of his life. Helping to keep that spark going will be a receiving corps that virtually disappeared in the November tilt. It will be imperative that Reuben Randle makes an impact in this game. For that to happen, Jefferson needs to be successful in finding Shepard, Beckham, and TE, Peterson, in the short passing games. Shepard and Beckham are sneaky good in the open field against safeties and backers and Peterson is a mismatch against any linebacker. LSU must exploit this to get its primary receiving weapon in single coverage down field. If this happens, Bama could be in big trouble.

That trouble comes from the other side of the line. A line that will now have a healthy Ken Adams back to help against the run. Which will be needed as Trent Richardson and a healthy Eddie Lacey should see more carries this go around and a big presence like Adams will be needed. This is where Bama can generate its best shot at putting points on the board. AJ McCarron and the Alabama passing game are not going to beat LSU. LSU’s secondary is a force that allows Chavis to use Mathieu to frustrate a QB while Morris Claiborne blankets a whole half of a field. This allows guys like Keke Mingo and Sam Montgomery to create havoc for the opposition. However, LSU’s front seven is fast not big. They are built to attack the quarterback and stop the run by committee. Sending the Bama O-line and Trent Richardson full bore into the heart of LSU’s defense 40 to 50 times is where the Tides best prospects lay. This physical barrage would allow the Tide to have an effect on the LSU two-deep. That is the one thing that hasn’t happened to the Tigers yet this season. Get tired on defense. Tiring the Tigers out could allow Richardson to do some damage on a wheel route or create some openings in the middle if the LSU linebackers start to cheat up against the run.

Yet that probably won’t happen. LSU has beaten the Rose Bowl and Orange Bowl Champs, Oregon and West Virginia. Both are teams built on wearing out opponents. Neither winded LSU, and Bama couldn’t do it the first time. This time won’t be any different. This game will be just as physical. Both teams will have fewer mistakes. LSU will be fortunate enough to have more weapons at its disposal this time. That and the crowd advantage in the Mercedes Benz Superdome. I will be happy to put money down that 40,000 LSU fans in a dome will be just as loud as 93,000 in Death Valley or 102,000 in Bryant-Denney.

This is a battle between the two best teams in the country. While it will be close, I’m confident the LSU Tigers will have what it takes to bring home the victory.

It is finally here. The BCS championship is just days away, not weeks. With all due respect, the only game that matters this bowl season is just around the corner. Sorry OK state, even though you won, giving up 38 points and 590 yards doesn’t make your case for #2 any stronger. I digress, back to the two best teams in the country, LSU and Bama. In case you forgot some details, here are some stats to get you reacquainted with the two combatants.

Average offensive rank of BCS opponents:
LSU: 69 Bama: 92

Average defensive rank of BCS opponents:
LSU: 41 Bama: 40

Scoring offense:
LSU: 38.5 PPG Bama: 36 PPG

Scoring defense:
LSU: 10.5 PPG Bama: 8.8

Rushing / Pass offense:
LSU: 215 / 160 YPG Bama: 219 / 213 YPG

Rushing / Pass defense:
LSU: 85 / 166 YPG Bama: 75 / 116 YPG

INT / Fumbles Forced:
LSU: 18/12 Bama: 12/6

Turnover Margin:
LSU: +22 Bama: + 6

Sacks:
LSU: 37 Bama: 26

Sacks Allowed
LSU: 14 Bama: 15

Tackles For Loss:
LSU: 98 Bama: 84

Red Zone Appearances:
LSU: 61 appearances, 44 TDs, 13 FGs
Bama: 55 appearances, 32 TDs, 8 FGs

Red Zone Defenses:
LSU: 23 opponent appearances, 12 TDs, 8 FGs
Bama: 17 opponent appearances, 6 TDs, 4 FGs

Field Goals:
LSU: 16-18 Bama: 18-29

If you are travelling to New Orleans for the game this weekend, there will plenty of spots that will command your attention. However, there is one that deserves a visit by Tiger and Tide fans alike (any college football fan, really). The place is Mike Serio’s Po-Boys & Deli. The deli is barely a 6 iron away from Bourbon St., and offers up world famous muffalettas and po-boys a, cold beer and a ton of football history. It is also place where fans know they will be sampling some of the same foods that their own teams have enjoyed through the years, including both the Tigers and the Tide.

For decades, the owner, Mike Serio, has slowly turned his family business into a shrine to LSU athletics and college football. There is a smattering of professional sports memorabilia, but it is plain to see that Mike has a passion for LSU and college sports. Mike’s commitment to his Tigers runs deep. He has attended 347 straight Tiger football games (home and away). Not even losing his home to hurricane Katrina could put a damper on his Tiger spirit. It is this type of notoriety that has landed Serio and his deli on ESPNU’s Road Trip and the Food Network. That and delicious food. Whether it is the Italian staple, the muffaletta or a famous New Orleans po-boy, Serio’s delivers the goods. Read more…

Gunner Kiel of East High in Columbus, Indiana, became the latest recruit to join the LSU recruiting class of 2012. The addition of Kiel makes good on Miles’ promise to sign at least one highly rated quarterback in this class and brings the Tigers 2012 haul up to 22 verbals.

Kiel will early enroll to LSU in January and participate in spring drills. Along with Mettenberger, Rivers and Randall, Kiel will help round out one of the most talented groups of signal callers that LSU will have seen on campus in at least a decade.

With Jordan Jefferson and Jarrett Lee graduating, Kiel will be right in the mix to get a starting position in year one of his career.

It is safe to say, the Tigers are clearly in reload mode.

Recruiting is a lot like Christmas. There are presents already under the tree and a few that Santa will be delivering in early February. To help out, SDS and Calling Baton Rouge have enlisted the help of Mr. B Brubeck*.

B, let’ talk about the gifts Santa’s elves have already delivered to LSU and who might be showing up in the stockings at the recruiting bash.

Who is still on the wish list for LSU? Any chance to see them in purple and gold next year?

LSU is currently sitting on 21 commitments, so they are going to be very picky on who gets the next four spots.

1. Landon Collins is on top of LSU’s wish list and he will probably not decide until signing day. I would say he is 75% to LSU right now. His family wants him to go to LSU, but his girlfriend is going to Bama and he might not be thinking with the head on his shoulders.

2. Lorenzo Phillips - LB from Patterson should commit soon.

3. Jeremy Hill - RB from Redemptorist has said he will sign with LSU…..as long as his legal issues have been resolved.

4. QB Gunner Kiel is still a possibility. Contrary to reports, this will actually be a fight between Vandy and LSU. Distance is a factor and his Papa Kiel went to Notre Dame. But, his family is not high on the Irish coaching staff. Actually, the family is very high on the LSU staff and if Miles and company were in South Bend, Gunner would already be committed to the Irish. Anyway, everyone knows the Irish are about a decade and new coach away from being a national championship contender. Miles always has an ace in the hole on signing day, so expect a commitment from someone that the experts say we should not get (Anthony Alford or Channing Ward are also two other possibilities).

Which prospects are ready to go, batteries included and should make an immediate contribution like the Honey Badger or Freak Johnson?

With the talent in the last 2 classes, it looks like the 2012 freshmen will have an uphill battle.

But, the one guy I am looking at it is DE Torshiro Davis. He is a fierce pass rusher and could move into Ken Adams spot in the 2 deep. The only hope is that LSU can hold on to him. He has said that he wants to play early and says that the depth LSU has long the defensive line is a concern for him (and the other coaches in the SEC). Imagine, Barkevious and Torshiro sacking the QB. There is no way Verne Lundquist gets both those names right in one sentence.

Who are some players, that with some assembly required, could come in and make an immediate difference such as Odell Beckham?

Kavahra Holmes and Avery Johnson will both get big opportunities if Rueben Randle goes pro as expected. Holmes is probably the fastest player in the state and who can argue with Johnson’s blood line (PP7′s little brother). My sleeper is LB Lamar Louis, he just reminds me of former Rebel and current San Francisco LB, Patrick Willis…in purple and gold of course.

There were some players from last year’s class that weren’t the shiniest of the bunch, but still were fun to watch. Guys like Jarvis Landry on special teams and Jemauria Rasco on the DL. Who are some of the current Tigers and prospects that could work their way into the two-deep next year?

If Josh Dworaczyk does not get another year from the NCAA, Trai Turner or Corey White could start at guard. Look for La’El Collins to step into the starting line-up as well.

The recent OL talent that LSU has attracted (Austin, Collins, Turner & White) is just impressive. All are big, physical men who fit our offense style that will make our ground game even better next year. Elliot Porter will also move into the back-up center role behind Lonergan. Zach Mettenberger will be the starter at QB next year but look out for Jerrard Randall. He will be situational for us, but wow, he is lightening quick.

About last year’s class, any broken parts yet? Guys who should’ve been competing, but aren’t?

There are unconfirmed reports that Trevon Randle was released from the team this week. Miles rarely speaks about players who have left the team, so we will probably never get the whole story. Inside sources say he had an attitude about being red shirted and constantly broke minor team rules that when added up, Miles had no choice but to remove Randle from the team.

Where do you think this class will rank?

LSU is currently ranked 5th in Rivals class ranking. I think we end up third, behind only Texas and Bama.

*B BRUBECK – This lifelong Tiger fan was born and raised in the Deep South and is married with 2 future Tiger girls. If his house caught on fire, the first thing he would grab would be his LSU football tickets. Like their father, his children also have deep hatred for all things not purple and gold. A dedicated Tiger fan, B, has immersed himself in Tiger lore and boasts a wardrobe and Tiger den that would make most fans envious. In addition to being a season ticket holder and Traveling Tiger, he will be also be attending his 8th consecutive LSU recruiting bash this February.

Here we go again, the spin doctors and talking heads are all lining up against the Tigers. LSU doesn’t stand a chance, again. A team that finished 13-0, won eight games against ranked opponents, beat #3 twice and #2 on the road doesn’t seem to be good enough to beat #2 again in the friendly confines of the Superdome. LSU’s dominance just seems to shrivel and shrink when compared to the gaudy 11-1 record of the Tide, who faced five ranked teams and lost at home to the only one it faced in the top ten.

It seems that LSU might as well be 12-1 and Bama should be 12-0 because on November 5th, LSU actually lost and Bama did enough to win the game. You just gotta love revisionist history being used to justify an unpopular decision in the present. This will be wholly unpopular in the state of Alabama, but if you are indeed national champ material, shouldn’t you take care of business at home when all of college football turns it eyes towards you for the “Game of the Century?”

Champions don’t make poor coaching decisions to give up precious field position. Champions don’t have the ball and the game taken from them. Champions don’t opt for a gimmick play when they have a warhorse in the backfield. Champions don’t send a maimed returner out to field a punt. Champions make their opponents pay for those mistakes. Champions overcome a player falling down before a wide open path to the end zone. Champions overcome two interceptions. Champions win the field position game. Champions make the right coaching decisions on the field and stick to the game plan. Champions defy the odds and the naysayers. Champions win on the road with 102,000 rooting against them and millions watching.

Yet, none of that really matters now. The BCS has made the “Game of the Century” moot. It has made the accomplishments and let downs of both teams irrelevant. What does matter is that in the end, the two best teams are meeting. It doesn’t matter that one is showing up without a conference crown. It doesn’t matter that one is showing up without a loss. In the BCS’s eyes, both teams are 0-0. Both teams are the best in the land, and #3 isn’t even close. Whether the score is 9-6, or Mike Gundy-like 39-36, two of college football’s most dominant teams EVER are about to tee off. Even people who have a problem with Bama being there, such as myself, can appreciate that.