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Story Archives: Miles deserves kudos
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Miles deserves kudos
My very good friend Leo Boothe rang me up last week and told me I need to stop putting Nick Saban above Les Miles.
The local judge was referencing to my column about Miles bringing in Jordan Jefferson at the end of a drive against Kentucky to score from one yard out when I said Nick Saban would not do that with A.J. McCarron.
Boothe offered to put me in solitary confinement. Not really (I think).
Boothe is probably one of the biggest Les Miles fans around and he is right. Miles does not need to answer to anybody else or be compared to anyone else.
I still think Saban is the best coach in the nation, but LSU is very fortunate to have Miles. I'm sure if I was an Alabama fan, I would be finding nit-picking things to say about Saban. It's just the way I roll.
But the bottom line is Miles out-coached Saban last year and Miles has won with his own players.
Miles also offered a scholarship to Tyrann Mathieu, while Saban did not. I believe Saban goes too much by the size of the athlete. Remember he passed on Drew Brees when he was the Miami Dolphins coach. Everyone is well aware of how Mathieu and Brees have panned out.
My biggest complaint last year was the play-calling. And even though Gary Crowton has tried to put that off on Miles, it's apparent that Crowton WAS the problem. I have been very pleased with the job Greg Studrawa and Steve Kragthorpe (guy still has to have a lot of input) have done with the play-calling
And a nice job of mixing it up with Jarrett Lee and Jordan Jefferson. That first pass Lee threw to Reuben Randle showed me Lee is not looking over his shoulder and playing tentatively any more. And I credit that to Kragthorpe, as well.
I like the roll-out with Jefferson, It opens up so much and forces defenses to prepare for two different styles, which can't be fun the week prior to a game.
And Brad Wing, what can you say about this guy? Except don't taunt. Yes folks, he taunted and the penalty was fair. But the only thing is, if you call it for that, call it for every other game where a player gives the slightest move of a taunt. Something tells me this rule will have to be tweaked. And I said the penalty was fair. I didn't say it was a good rule. And you can't Wing for making a great decision after LSU had been moved back five yards following a penalty. And what a great weapon this guy has been with his foot this season.
The only concern I have is not a new one. I see offensive linemen going down every week, even if it is something minor. Thank goodness for depth on the line for a change. But I think the only thing that stops LSU from going 11-1 or 12-0 is Alabama or losing a couple of key guys on the line.
It's a no-no to look ahead, but c'mon, how can you not be drooling over November 5.
The fact it is in Tuscaloosa makes Alabama the favorite.
It's a game that I guarantee you will be better than the BCS National Championship game.
Right now if I had to pick, I would have to take the Crimson Tide by a field goal, but there's still a lot of football to be played before then.
And I guarantee one other thing you won't hear my saying - Miles will be out-coached by Saban.
I'll plead not guilty on that one this time. |
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