JP46

What else could we expect her to say to the people around Starkville. For all we know, her employer is a Miss. St. graduate and/or supporter. Being his mother, she probably does hope he stays home and can say that to people honestly, but to him she can also say he has to make his own decision.

Well, I will put it like this. As I recall the Florida game, LSU looked to me like they came ready to play. Maybe it's a matter of degrees (of focus), and maybe they weren't at 100% following big games against Alabama and Arkansas, but they played pretty hard for most of the game and well enough to win except for mistakes in critical situations (and losing Beckwith). Was Beckwith's injury due to lack of focus? How many teams play at their highest level of focus every week? I wasn't too enthused with Orgeron's hiring, but to me LSU played with more intensity week in and week out than they did under Miles.

As far as the Bobby Knight quote (assuming I remember his statement correctly), I think he was just saying in a loose way what you are saying.

A running back with great focus on ball security is certainly not as likely to fumble as when he is not properly focused, but great focus doesn't guarantee no mistakes. No one is perfect, and the other team can force mistakes even from players who are playing highly focused. And sometimes, shite just happens, sometimes more than once in the same game. I can see a ST player 100% focused, trying his best to cut off a gunner on the punt team, and then throwing what he thinks is a legitimate block only to have the gunner turn his body at the last split second, making the block appear to be a block in the back (to the official). Is that lack of focus, or just an error in judgement in the heat of the action, or just bad luck because of the way the official saw it? That's just one play, but sometimes there can be several plays like that in a game.

Agree - good information and much appreciated.

Not sure - I saw in one story that Aranda thinks he can be used in a variety of ways, inside and out.

I hope in the future that LSU can bring in more early enrollees, especially in the case of the very best players who will probably only be here three years. I think it is a trememdous advantage for any recruiting class. The spring conditioning program and spring practices gives them a nice head start to the playing field, possibly making them productive as true freshmen, at the very least improving our depth for the coming year. Obviously, it also gives them a chance to get acclimated to the academics and campus life in general, and living away from home.

I wouldn't say "certain" but I feel REALLY good about getting him to LSU. He has always liked LSU, and he wants to play in the "best conference" (his words) and where his family can more easily see him play (many SEC games will be within 4-5 hour drive: Vandy, Kentucky, Alabama, Tenn, Ole Miss, Auburn, Miss. St., Georgia).

I might get pissed off, but first I'm gonna be shocked.

The difference in football game travel for Cam's family, between LSU and FSU, is even more pronounced if you consider all the games, not just home games. Almost all of FSU's away games are up and down the east coast, even farther away from Clinton than FSU is. His family can much more easily get to LSU than FSU, but also can easily attend LSU away games at Alabama, Miss. St. and Ole Miss. Even an LSU game at Auburn would be fairly easy to get to. Not to mention the much bigger stage and greater atmosphere of SEC competition. Hopefully, they have considered all of this fully.

Besides having to hire a new coordinator every couple of years, maybe even both of them, there is the additional problem of luring the very best out there to LSU. If we have the best already, then there is no where to go but down when we have to replace one of them. Who would be the equal right now of Dave Aranda? I dread losing him - maybe there will be some one just as good available when he leaves, but it's a risk.

I agree - IMO Jimbo should be achieving more in that conference with the advantages he has at FSU.

Actually, I won't be very surprised if the OP ends up being right about next year. LSU has been so hamstrung with stale, predictable offense and lackluster performances for so long that it is hard for me not to be really optimistic about next year. I wasn't an Orgeron advocate, but I wasn't really sold on Jimbo, and even my favorite Herman lost a lot of his shine at the end of the year. I can't help but feel optimistic for next year, that the sleeping giant will rise up again.