re: Call your shot: who will the DC hire ACTUALLY be?

Steele isn't going to make a huge difference in one year. They return a lot, and will be one of the best defenses in the country.

Also: down vote university showing up in full force

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Bowl game doesn't count

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ISWYDT

Honestly any LSU fan that says they aren't nervous about Steele at the head is cray. BUT I do like the guys we have to coach the dline and the secondary and Steele is supposed to be great with the linebackers. We were kind of left in a lurch with the way Chavis left although that had as much to do with him feeling slighted by the contract verbage as anything but I digress. The point is, we had to make a hire quick with NSD right around the corner to make sure we didn't lose our class and I think Steele has had the tutoring to be a great defensive mind and can be great. As long as he can bring some aggressive nature back to our D and keep bringing the same talent level as Chavis did, we will be just fine. I think most LSU fans are more excited about the Orgeron hire than the Steele hire, but who the hell knows.

I had never heard of Nick Saban or Les Miles before they were hired to be the head coaches at LSU...maybe I'll be saying the same thing about Steele 10 years down the road.

But this thread is hiliraious btw. Awesome

Back then we did not have the access to sports we have today. Of course I know of Gundy and Dantonio now bc of the access we have but also bc they've had good teams. You guys knew Miles bc u were big 12.

It was 1999, many Big 10 games were still nationally televised

And Miles was at OSU on the mid 2000s when we had the Internet and everything

I do I do!

Its not like Miles or Saban were known names before coming to LSU and they aren't (weren't) exactly young. Again, I'm not saying Steele will be Jesus reincarnated but I don't think he is a bust hire either. We have great positional coaches with great defensive talent that can hopefully carry on the tradition of great defenses that Chavis helped continue at LSU (/reinstitute after the Peveto debacle).

I'm not one of those people that thinks that Chavis is a bad D coordinator. Sure he can frustrate you on 3rd and long/end of game lead protection, but every coach, even the great ones have bad games/make mistakes/have flaws.

I think that Chavis was an EMENCELY great hire for you guys especially considering how much he instantly upgrades you on the defensive side of the ball. I don't expect your defense to be top 25 this year but top 50 would be an amazing improvement. I do think that he will bring yall into the top 25 after 2 or 3 years but never top ten unless you change your offensive philosophy. Like it or not, great defensive stats are made by efficient offenses that can hold possession. The thing is that now with Chavis when you guys start winning more games, you won't quote stats as facts or as trying to prove you are better than others. You will appreciate the wins and let inferior teams try to spout stats at you to prove they are better.

Just ask Bob Stoops. When he was asked before the 2003 nat'l title game how he felt his offense would do going up against the best defense in the nation. He corrected the interviewer and said LSU was the best scoring defense. After that game, I bet he changed his mind.

I leave you with this. I think Chavis helped A&M FAR more than losing him hurt LSU. Maybe I'm wrong and our defense will suck. But I don't think it will. Especially not with one of the greatest defensive recruiters in the nation on our staff. Time will tell and eventually LSU will not be a national player every year any more (I know some of you think this time has already come). It goes in cycles. Everyone knows that. But it has been a damn fun 15 year ride so far.

Now I'm going to help my DAMN strong football team prepare for a championship. Have a nice day! - Sir Les Miles (never gets old)

You sir are the LSU fan version of me. Which is to say I completely agree with you and all your words.

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I've posted it time and time again, but LSU's offense DIDN'T "hold possession". In only ONE of Chavis's years did LSU have an elite Time Of Possession. You look thoughout Chavis's tenure, and LSU is pretty much middle-of-the-road as far as holding possession. Even when LSU had it's best defense under Chavis, 2011, the Tigers were just #26 in TOP.

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Stats. TOP doesn't necessarily mean game clock. I'm not trying to be stupid here or mean, but our offense holds the ball alot. Even if the game clock/situation doesn't always show it. I think that Chavis was helped by the style of offense we played and the stats were helped by it. To say it otherwise is niave a bit I think. That doesn't mean he isn't one of the greatest defensive coordinators right now.

For example, take a look at the best total defenses last year. Name 4 that realistically had great defenses. FWIW I don't think LSU had a great defense last year. We were good and especially got better as the year went on. But it wasn't a great defense. Also check out the TOP stats last year vs top defenses...nearly every team is top 25 in top that is top 10 in total defense.

Now 2011, that was a great defense and it didn't matter what the TOP was...that and 2003 were among the greatest defenses I have seen us field ever. Hats off to Chavis and the rest of the staff for that defense. Chavis has had great statistical defenses but I don't think he will at aTm...not top 10 at least, again unless you change philosophies. But he will field great defenses there and again you won't care if they are top 10 as long as they are translating to W's

edit: I'm not trying to say that TOP and total defense are totally linked...i'm trying to say that you can't say they are mutually exclusive

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I try to be realistic but honestly I am blinded when it comes to LSU football.

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I don't think anyone can blame you for that.

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Oh and I sincerely think that aTm fans have more in common with LSU than any other fan base I've come across

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I agree.

It has the makings of a great long-term partnership. The plan to divide and conquer Texas in on!