Jacked up: LSU fans crow, Ohio St. fans cry
by LISA HORNE, FOXSports.com
9:39 p.m.: LSU wins across the board
Game over, LSU wins. Shared trophies? I don't think so. The bottom line is this; LSU had the better athletes, and quarterback play made all the difference in the world. Boeckman's first INT was the game changer, after that, the Buckeyes couldn't regain the momentum, and LSU's D took advantage of it.
While everyone may not agree that the BCS gets it right, they did get one of the teams right ... LSU. One could say that OSU didn't belong on the field. Others can say it doesn't matter who was playing LSU, the outcome would have been the same. Does it really matter which opinion you have? The score would have remained the same. LSU is No. 1.
LSU dominated, and proved they are the best team in the country. So give them the BCS trophy, the AP trophy, all without any reservations. They deserved it.
Let Bourbon Street revel in the glory and all of the unabashed celebrations that is college football. While the system may not be perfect, it's what we have, and for the second straight year, the best team won. And isn't that what this is all about?
Till next year college football fans! May your team play their best season ever, and may you enjoy the sweet taste of success like LSU has sampled, without sharing it. It's very sweet and very rare ... enjoy it Tiger fans; it doesn't come along very often.
Congrats LSU ... undisputed No. 1 team in the country! Geaux Tigers!
8:11 p.m.: Time to party? ...
OK LSU fans, ready to start partying? Is it over? Fourth quarters can sometimes give you fits, can they not?
OSU fans ... is it over, or is there a comeback in the making? If OSU can score with ten minutes left in the fourth, they are in it. IF LSU stops them on the opening drive in the fourth, it could be over. It ain't over yet. Is it?
7:16 p.m.: Kinda reminds me of something
Is this starting to look familiar? Just when we thought this was going to look like a competitive game, LSU gets a huge lift on an INT and the tide turns. Seventeen unanswered points? If Tressel is any coach worth his salt, which I think he is, he will settle down his team.
Keys to OSU winning this game ... first and foremost, they need to calm down Boeckman and give him more time. The O-line, which controlled the war in the trenches in the first quarter, has lost their drive. They need to regain the dominance. Dorsey is now becoming a factor, which means the Bucks' O-line is wearing down. If the Bucks can make a long, sustaining drive, and keep the Tigers' O off the field, then this will give the team confidence. Run the ball, baby.
 |
| What will Ohio State's offense look like next season? ( Andy Lyons / Getty Images) |
Keys to LSU winning the game...pressure Boeckman. He throws the ball up for grabs when under pressure. Make him scramble, make him fear the D. If they can do that, then this game will be over. LSU has converted 8/10 third downs, and if they can keep OSU from converting one or two first downs, game over. Keep the crowd in the game, and let the momentum carry you into the the 4th quarter.
6:15 p.m.: Hard to tell ...
After watching both teams get a few possessions in, here is my take so far. LSU looks like they have not taken OSU seriously. Looks like Tressel has them better prepared, more focused. Sure, it's early, but Flynn's eyes look like a deer in headlights right now.Look for Ryan's pager to get dinged shortly.
Impressed with OSU's O-line winning the war in the trenches. So far, Dorsey has not been a factor. Also impressed with OSU's ability to keep the D honest with some deep patterns. I said that this was a key to winning the game.
I am also impressed with LSU, after getting ten points scored on them, to regain their composure and answer with a FG. The problem is, FG's won't win this game. The game plan, so far, isn't working. Neither is the home field advantage. But a long scoring drive just might take the wind out of the Buckeyes' sails. Will Miles go for the throat, and try to score quickly, due to his impatience? Or will he play it smart and chew some time off the clock and try and wear out the Buckeyes' D?
5:07 p.m.: Here are you orders ...
We're minutes to college football madness. Here's what we want from you, the fans. We want to hear your best reasons for why Ohio State has the best cheerleaders, or why LSU has the best cheerleaders. Whose band rocks better? And finally, which area has the best cuisine? I want some killer cuisines listed, sans Roadkill stew.Careful Buckeye fans, LSU may have you here.
P.S. I said the Tigers needed to use line-splits to slow-down the Buckeyes' D, and Corso just came on ESPN and said the same thing! Don't these guys have any original material?
2:58 p.m.: Interesting pregame notes ...
Some interesting pregame notes here ...
Last year, the heavily-favored Buckeyes arrived in Glendale, Arizona 10 days before the game and pretty much treated the whole BCS game as a foregone conclusion. They had fun going out and had a nice little vacation before getting their Bucknuts handed to them on a platter by the dissed Florida Gators.
As reported by FOXSports.com football analyst Mark Kriegel, this year the Buckeyes have changed their tactics. They arrived a mere five days early, and have been holed up in their hotel room. Not a Buckeye to be found anywhere in the French Quarter. This is all business. Serious business for Ohio State. On the other hand, there have been plenty of Tiger players roaming the fun-filled, bead-strewn and liquor-laden avenues of New Orleans.
Question to the fans:
Which coach is taking the right course in preparing his players for the game? And will it have any effect on their mental focus and preparation for the BCS National Championship?
Finally, ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit has predicted an LSU win. Does this spell disaster?
If you're a Buckeye fan ...
Good news here! The Vested One will not allow another blowout in a BCS game. The Big Ten has suffered enough ridicule from the SEC fans, hasn't it?
The other side of the coin says that while it may not be a blowout, the Bucks could still lose. After all, the Buckeyes were supposedly in a rebuilding year, and had no prayer of going to the Rose Bowl, much less the Big Dance this year.
Yet here you are with one loss to Illinois and defending a rather "weak" schedule to all of your detractors. Consider this: Kansas was in a similar position and got an emphatic win over Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl. Uh huh, the same team LSU beat. So hey, maybe this is the time to sit back and say "Hey, if Kentucky and Arkansas, two average SEC teams, can beat LSU, why can't we?
The key to the Buckeyes' success is simple: keep the Tigers' D honest. Boeckman will have to pass on first down to avoid third-and-long situations. Moreover, the D will have to second-guess the play calling on first down.
The Buckeyes need to avoid obvious running situations where they have to run past Dorsey. He's a beast and unless his back spasms or bad knee flare up, he will be a major force in the game. Yes, the Bucks have a great O-line, but they haven't faced Dorsey and Co.
Special teams is also an area where the Buckeyes can excel. Let's face it, the Tigers' kick return has been below average, even though they have two good returners in Holliday and Doucet, so this is an area of where the Buckeyes might take advantage. Instead of risking a fourth-and-short backfiring, kick it and play for field position.
If Tressel can keep his Bucks "in the game" through the third quarter, then this could be a huge game-changing motivation. Remember, LSU usually has the game "in hand" in the third quarter, and when they didn't, they lost in OT — twice.
Bottom line: Pass on every other first down to keep the D off-balance, give the ball to Beanie Wells and let him fly, and air it out on some deep posts. If the Bucks' O-line dominates in the trenches, this could be a long day for LSU.
If you are an LSU fan ...
Finally! A chance to prove you, as a two-loss team, deserve this shot. This is your exclamation point for how good the SEC really is. Feeling a little pressure? Relax. OK, don't relax. This is for all the marbles and let's face it, your November's performance wasn't exactly stellar. Then again, you had some key injuries and everyone is now healthy. OK, relax.
The key to you winning the game is also very simple — the O-line. If the Tigers can protect Matt Flynn, then this game will be a cakewalk. He's had some problems with INTs, but if the line can protect him and give him time to find the open receiver, this could get ugly.
He also has a very capable counter-part, Ryan Perilloux, but Perilloux has had some moments that have caused LSU fans to grab their chests in pain. If OSU allows the QB to escape the pass rush with abandon, then the Bucks' D will be too tired in the second half to keep the game in check. Miles should pay close attention to this. LSU needs to get a big jump on OSU to get the psychological edge here.
The other advantage LSU has is speed. While the Bucks have speed on their D-line, the rest is average. Speed kills and it did a major face-plant on the Bucks last year against Florida. Miles should widen their splits on the line to create an offense that will slow down the Buckeyes. Look at it this way — it makes Laurinaitis and Co. have to take a few extra steps to get to the ball-carrier.
Bottom line: Keep the splits wide, to slow down the Bucks D-line and give the O-line better blocking angles to open up the holes, mix it up with play-action, comeback routes and don't try any screens against the Bucks LBs — they're too smart for that to work.
Intangibles ...
LSU definitely has home-field advantage here, but OSU has a coaching advantage. Tressel is superior to Miles in this department. The problem with Miles is his clock management and risky play calling, and this is what I am calling as the game-hanging play: Miles' luck finally runs out on a risky call.
The other intangible is obvious: no more beat downs. Tressel simply can't allow a conference to continually bad mouth (and rightfully so) the Buckeyes. This is a defining moment for OSU — heck, for the entire Big Ten. Enough is enough. Time to send a message. The Big Ten is back.
Prediction: Ohio State 31, LSU 20.
Let the smack begin.
advertisement
