It’s been a month since my last post and that was no accident (or straight laziness). I came off the 7th overtime of the Texas A&M game red hot with anger. It frustrates me that I’ve tried to talk about each game on this website and while it’s fun to break down LSU’s performance and share my thoughts, one maddening loss after another has made it a burden that I didn’t want it to be. LSU football has become an annual routine of enjoyable and thrilling Saturdays filled with high hopes and expectations only to set me up for an unnecessary disappointment. I’m fueled by winning because I have a competitive nature. Every time LSU wins I get excited and become a more and more passionate fan and then we drop a winnable game all that passion for LSU and for winning just fuels into my anger about the loss. Every year I think it’s going to get better and this year it did, but not enough. The sequence of events that ended our regular season were painful to watch and made me question whether I should ride the merry-go-round again.
The only reason I was able to come back around to talk about LSU football (the very topic that has caused so much pain) is that we have been given one more chance to win in Arizona against UCF, and I want to win.
UCF is undefeated, and has won 26 straight games including their post-season win against Auburn last year. They don’t know what it feels like to be punched in the mouth by a mad SEC powerhouse. They can also be a dangerous opponent. The last two years they’ve been undefeated and have played only one meaningful game (a year ago). This match-up is the coaching staff’s biggest nightmare. They have yet to show weakness and should have a full tank coming into this bowl game. With their best quarterback injured we might have a jump on their offense, but even still we know much less about the new starter, Darriel Mack than the Heisman finalist, Mackenzie Milton. We can get what we can get from the film of their tighter match-ups, but this game lies in the hands of our players.
LSU has gone through years and years of coaching shakeups and fans waiting for change, but despite all this LSU has churned out remarkable athletes year after year. This year’s group is probably the best group of football players we’ve seen in a while, specifically on defense. While I love Coach O’s personality and admire Dave Aranda’s genius, this is a game where we get to watch some of the most tremendous athletes in the nation play the game they love.
I would love to beat UCF. LSU is just as done as I am with un-reached potential and unfinished jobs. They want to be the best team on the field just as much as we do.
GEAUX TIGERS!
Can’t argue with anything you said Micah, but I would ask that you remember what the expectations were back in August for this team. I think they exceeded those expectations for sure. 2 of the losses this year went to the final seconds and given their schedule, I would think they did pretty darn good. At then end of this season they will have faced 5 top ten teams (at the time they played them), including #1 and #2. Nobody has that tough a schedule, or even close. I look forward to the UCF game with the knowledge that UCF will be on a mission to prove their merit and could make life tough for the Tigers. We shall see on January 1st.
I agree with Micah’s assessment and even the reply above. Everybody’s right, both to temper expectations but to also be frustrated that we have not quite turned the corner into a Championship team. I remember when I went to LSU in 1995 and Gerry DiNardo was “bringing back the magic” to LSU football we would often play tight games but come out on the wrong side of a close score. When Nick Saban came to LSU we continued playing tight, competitive games but we would come out on the right side of those close scores more often than not. I think LSU is on the cusp and perhaps next year they will tilt the scale to be on the right side of tight games.
One more idea, remember that Jeaux Burreaux came to LSU after the Spring Football and had never really played a meaningful down at the college level. Look at what he was able to do this year. Imagine what he should be able to do this coming year. I believe he will be the difference that gets us over the hump. Geaux Tigers!