LSU-Bamageddon: College Football Week 10

If I were voting for the all-conference team, Wilson would obviously get my vote. But I think Jefferson is more talented. Tyler Bray and Aaron Murray may be, as well. Wilson's in a great system, but he's not producing to the level Ryan Mallett did.

Jefferson beat out and out-produced Jarrett Lee four years in a row in camp and on the field only to have a (big) mistake leave him without a job. Every time he enters, LSU looks unstoppable. Lee has gone from dreadful as a freshman to very good as a senior. But he doesn't have Jefferson's talent. Lee is a game manager; Jefferson is a game changer.

 

LSU has been awesome but I think Tide wins. Trent Richardson and Saban's coaching over the Mad Hatter being the difference.

 

I think LSU wins Round 1. ;D

 

The one and only round. Not a prayer of a BCS rematch.

 

ESPN2 now: Toledo's got 60. Toledo's about to lose in regulation.

 

This is like watching an Arena League game.

 

The NBA lockout is like manna from heaven for the MAC. Temple and Ohio get mothership ESPN treatment on Wednesday.

They will not score 123 points, I assure you.

Frank Solich's head would explode.

 

This being said, I assume you've never actually watched Jordan Jefferson.

LSU's pass offense the last two years has been ANEMIC. And they were WAY, WAY too talented at WR to be nearly last in the nation in touchdown passes last year.

Lee has been great for them. The game manager stuff is bullshit. It's a quarterback's job to be a game manager. It's his job to get the ball to the right place. When you do that, everybody stays more engaged because they know if they execute, the ball's going to get to them at the most opportune times. Jefferson is perfect for his current role. As a runner, he's a good enough passer to keep a defense honest. As a passer, did I mention he's a good runner? You can't trust him to accurately complete an open medium-range pass. It's the failures to execute the simple plays that make him no more than "meh" as a QB.

The only thing I agree with is he won LSU's quarterback battles. But that doesn't make him an elite SEC quarterback, far from it. That just means he beat out Jared Lee in two consecutive August camps (Lee was the starter in Jefferson's true freshman year coming out of camp...and Jefferson didn't make it through camp this year before he was suspended).

 

I watch a lot of SEC football and a lot of LSU football. I've watched Jordan Jefferson do a mediocre job despite obvious skill in a horrible offense. I blame Gary Crowton for that.

And you're right about their freshman camp, but I think Jefferson was the hands-down starter until the suspension. Yes, he was suspended before camp finished, but that doesn't mean he didn't outproduce Lee in camp.

I've watched most of four games and parts of two others this season for LSU. Every time Jefferson comes into the game, the defense is on edge in a way it has no reason to be with Lee in. He throws a significantly better deep ball, and the mid-range pass stuff -- I don't see it. Jefferson was great as a sophomore. The wheels fell off last year. I fault Crowton, a guy who continues to screw up royally, now at Maryland.

I don't think LSU will beat Alabama. But I think Jefferson would provide a better chance. I think they have to gamble a bit against the (other) best defense in the country. I respect the other view point. I fully understand it. But I don't think this is a Wally Pipp or Drew Bledsoe scenario. Jefferson offers more. And, yes, he runs a lot and throws the deep ball well. That doesn't mean he's not a complete quarterback. Those aren't bad things.

I think LSU has two guys, Jefferson and Russell Shepherd, that it hasn't figured out. Shepherd is a tricky one until he shows more consistency as a wide receiver because this team shouldn't be relying on trick plays all the time. Jefferson, in my opinion, is easy: He should start.

 

First of all, when you are talking about Lee, you're talking about the SEC leader in pass efficiency. And he had a better pass efficiency rating than Jefferson last year.

Second, I don't know what you are seeing if you don't think Jefferson has an issue with accuracy. He is bad about one-hopping the simple pass. And deep balls? He whiffed on a ton of open deep passes last year. I'd say Lee has been MUCH better at completing the deep ball this year than Jefferson was a year ago although Lee is more content to dink-and-dunk. Jefferson's upside was he'd make enough plays for you to offset the gimmes he'd choke on. You'd live with it. But he certainly has an issue -- a bad issue -- with accuracy and getting the ball where it needs to be on time.

And look, I know Crowton was a trainwreck, but make no mistake about it, the change in the offense has more to do with Lee than Studrawa or Kragthorpe. This is Miles' offense and when Jefferson's in the game, the personality of the offense more closely resembles last year's offense because they re-open parts of the playbook that are pretty much dormant with Lee in the game. They run the cut-read option. They run the mid-line and speed option. They throw with Jefferson on the move. With Lee in, it's more under center. It's more of the simple series of power runs and play-action. It's more pocket stuff out of the gun on passing downs. It's simpler. Last year with Jefferson taking most of the snaps, they were a 50-50 spread-to-I team. Now, with Lee, they are probably 75 percent "I." When Jefferson comes in, they are pretty much 100 percent spread because that's what he's in there to do.

If Lee had played more last year, the personality of the offense would have looked more like it does now, Crowton or no Crowton.

What LSU has learned this year is it's a better conventional offense than a spread offense. And Lee is better running the conventional stuff than Jefferson and that's why Lee plays more. Now, I do think they'll need the stuff Jefferson's better at to win a game or two, maybe this week. I can see Jefferson coming off the bench to rally them to win this week. Win the biggest regular-season game in school history (arguably) and get a QB controversy in the process!

 

I agree with what you say, actually, except the "Don't blame Crowton" stuff and the fact that Jefferson is inherently inaccurate. Let's not ignore the fact that he's a senior and that he drew rave reviews as one of the most improved players in the country this spring and the fact that every time he enters the game, he plays well.

One thing I will say: I don't blame Miles for not messing with what's working so well. You're right, Lee has been great. And maybe I still have visions of 2008 in my mind when I think of him. That's probably unfair. But I can't help but feel Jefferson is a more dynamic player who offers more. I'd bet good money that, if LSU wins, Jefferson will have played a crucial role in a touchdown drive, and it will be a role Lee can't fill. Maybe Jefferson is as inaccurate as you say. If that's the case, I would agree that you have to keep Lee in the game. But Jefferson can do things Lee can't.

 

In other SEC news, Georgia is without RB Richard Samuel for the rest of the year after he hurt his ankle against Florida. It also suspended Crowell, Carlton Thomas AND Boo Malcome, its next three RBs, allegedly for failing a drug test. And remember that they cut their original top two RBs in preseason.

The good news is it's against New Mexico State. The bad news is that I'm now Georgia's third-string tailback.