SEC fans: it’s time to relax. It’s been a long year of college football, and we just had an all-SEC national championship in New Orleans. It was simply incredible. Anyway, now that 2011 is officially in the books, we can begin to take a way-too-early look at the SEC and what teams could possibly emerge next year as national championship contenders.
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.”
To go along with the SEC Championship, Les Miles was named the AP SEC Coach of the year and Tyrann Mathieu was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Year (to go along with his Heisman nomination). The Tigers have also set several school records this season. The 2011 LSU Tigers set a record for conference wins (8), wins against top 25 teams (8), wins by double digits (12), 40+ point games (9), and wins (13).
Does anybody care that a 12-0 LSU team is about to butt heads with a Georgia team riding a 10 game win streak? Does it matter that LSU is the third consecutive SEC West team to pull off an undefeated regular season? Where is the appreciation for Richt pulling his team from the abyss after two gut-wrenching losses to open the season? Saturday should be serving as the marquee conference championship game for the NCAA. Instead, it feels more like a circus side show than a pairing of the best teams from America’s best conference.
The SEC Championship is finally upon us. This year has flown by, but both LSU and Georgia are playing for big things tomorrow in the Georgia Dome. Here’s what to look for in this football game:
To stop the LSU running attack with their five-headed monster in running backs Spencer Ware, Michael Ford, Alfred Blue and Kenny Hilliard, along with quarterback Jordan Jefferson’s option attack, you have to be men against the run…not just boys. Can Georgia complete that task? We’ll have to wait and see:
But the question isn’t whether the Tigers will score or not. They will. The real must see TV on Friday is the LSU secondary versus Tyler Wilson and his aerial assault team. It will be a war between the SEC’s best QB and the best secondary. The highlight will be the battle between Morris Claiborne and Jarius Wright. This clash will be just as epic as Patrick Peterson vs. Julio Jones as both are the best in the SEC at their positions.
The LSU offense isn’t going to try to land a one-shot haymaker on BAMA like Florida, Ole Miss or Tennessee. LSU has staying power. The Tigers aren’t going to hang for a half and then fade away into a Tide of oblivion in the second half.
As we all know, LSU starting running back Spencer Ware was suspended against the Auburn Tigers this past weekend, but that was seemingly no big deal, as LSU has four legitimate running backs who could start on any team in the conference.
LSU rolled into this matchup with Auburn with two of their best players in Tyrann Mathieu and Spencer Ware suspended. The LSU Tigers routed the Auburn Tigers 49-10 at Tiger Stadium. LSU freshman running back Kenny Hilliard was dynamite.
