Friday, May 9, 2008
2008 LSU FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
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Years from now, observers may say the 2007 season was the most memorable in LSU history.
When LSU hired Nick Saban as its football coach in November 1999, the Tigers had eight losing seasons in the previous 11 years. When LSU hired Les Miles to succeed Saban in January 2005, Miles inherited a different program.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State’s 2007 season began with a noon kickoff against Youngstown State on Sept. 1. Officially, that is. It’s easy to think of LSU’s 2007 regular season and the luck, good fortune, incredible breaks and bounces that went the Tigers’ way to put them in the Allstate BCS National Championship Game on Jan. 7 against Ohio State. Before the 1958 football season, “We’re No. 1” was a war cry heard in other parts of the country, not in Tiger Country. COLUMBUS, Ohio — Dotting the “i” to finish Script Ohio. Paul Brown. Woody Hayes. Archie Griffin. Seven national titles. Seven Heisman trophies. Considering they’ve met only twice on the football field, LSU and Ohio State are rather short on history. But the two national powers are long on highlights, dramatics and memories. LSU’s dominance of Mississippi State on the football field continued, but the Tigers weren’t always dominating in extending the trend. The pollsters did not rank LSU No. 1 before this game, but the Tigers got their attention by pounding the No. 9-ranked team. Before the largest crowd to see Virginia Tech play, No. 2-ranked LSU won its home opener by smothering the Hokies 48-7, dominating from the start as if most of the Tiger Stadium record crowd of 92,739 were in on the act. “I like what we did,” LSU coach Les Miles said. “I certainly understand it, but I’m not letting anybod7 bestow anything on us.” Three games into a college football season unusually spiced with upsets and close calls, the No. 2-ranked LSU Tigers had been largely impenetrable, unaffected by even the slightest adversity. The trend continued against the Blue Raiders in Tiger Stadium. With few exceptions, what No. 12-ranked South Carolina tried on a rainy Saturday afternoon in Tiger Stadium, No. 2-ranked LSU did better. Two quarterbacks. Taking chances. Running the ball. Winning with defense. LSU coach Les Miles said there was no hint of the “array of circumstances” that combined to flatten his No. 2-ranked team’s competitive pulse early and delay the fact of its 34-9 victory over an unranked Tulane team. Playing its first home game as the nation’s No. 1-ranked college football team in more than 48 years, LSU set attendance records for Tiger Stadium and the number of tailgaters on campus. When LSU became the consensus No. 1 team in college football and the unanimous pick atop the AP poll on Oct. 7, Les Miles compared his team’s midseason ranking to being ahead at halftime. This game marked three consecutive epics with dramatic endings for the LSU football team — who knew there were more to come. Chad Jones, a Les Miles recruit, knocked the ball from the grasp of Alabama quarterback John Parker Wilson to give LSU possession at the Crimson Tide 3-yard line with 99 seconds left. Jacob Hester, a Nick Saban recruit, clutched the ball with both of his big hands as he went airborne over the goal line for the winning 1-yard touchdown run with 86 seconds left. Before the LSU Tigers lined up against Louisiana Tech, the door opened for LSU to dream of returning to the No. 1 ranking in major college football when the weekly polls came out Nov. 10. After the good and bad, the No. 1-ranked LSU Tigers left Vaught-Hemingway Stadium talking about the work ahead of them. Somehow, it seemed fitting the last game in Tiger Stadium in this crazy football season would be decided with no time on the clock. LSU’s best offensive player missed most of the fourth quarter. Its best defensive player missed almost the entire second half. Its senior quarterback didn’t play at all, and others went to the sideline with injuries throughout this SEC Championship Game. The one thing that has become so obvious about this LSU football team that will meet Ohio State for the BCS national championship is its ability to, some how, some way, find a way to win. While having several outstanding players, the Tigers don’t have the spectacular skilled players that so many top teams do. A double dose of football is getting the new year off right for the City of New Orleans. The first two weekends in January translate into a football bonanza. A breakdown of the Buckeyes' season, with capsules of their 11 victories and one defeat. COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State will be playing in its third national championship game in the last six seasons. NEW ORLEANS — The latest chapter in this city’s long history of significant college football postseason games will be written Monday. Both LSU and Ohio State descended on the Big Easy on Wednesday, ready to begin their bowl-week preparations. It is just 20 days until kickoff for the Tigers in the BCS National Championship game. The Tigers are back to practice after having the past four days off. Coach Les Miles has closed to the door to media during practices. It's been 16 days since the Tigers last took to the field. LSU is still a couple of days away from cranking up preparation for Ohio State and the national championship game. Fresh off its SEC Championship victory on Saturday, LSU celebrated an invitation to play in the BCS National Championship game in New Orleans. |
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