Countdown to Showdown: 6 Days
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MEMORABLE MOMENTS FROM 2007
‘Have a great day’
Les Miles’ four-word ending to a hastily called Dec. 1 news conference has taken on a life of its own since he spat them out about two hours before his LSU Tigers took on Tennessee for the SEC championship in Atlanta.
The last seconds of Miles’ terse 45-second statement — “Have a great day” — ended months of speculation about his future at LSU.
The speculation started the first week of the 2007 season when then fifth-ranked Michigan, Miles’ alma mater, lost 34-32 to Appalachian State.
From the day Miles was introduced at LSU in January 2005, faint whispers were heard that Miles would walk through an open door the day Michigan coach Lloyd Carr left that job. That was not an “if” but a “when.”
Those whispers heard, there were two buyout clauses in Miles’ first contract. If Miles resigned to take another coaching job, his buyout was $500,000. If he left to coach Michigan, the buyout went to $1.25 million.
The “when” came: Carr’s Nov. 19 resignation, two days after Michigan lost 14-3 to Ohio State.
LSU dropped a 50-48 triple-overtime game to Arkansas just days after Carr’s announcement, and the whispered rumors became thunderous.
It was no secret Bo Schembechler, Michigan’s beloved former coach, was Miles’ mentor. Miles played for him, coached on his staff. Miles professed love for his alma mater and only recently transfused a couple of pints of the maize and blue running in his veins with purple and gold.
Despite the loss, LSU was to take on Tennessee in the Dec. 1 SEC Championship Game with the faintest of hopes that college football’s dominoes would continue to fall its way and, with a win over Tennessee, the Tigers could play in the BCS Championship Game.
ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit set the first domino in place that day: His pronouncement on college football “Gameday” was Miles was going to take the Michigan job and the announcement would come within the next few days.
The call came about 11 a.m. (CST) in Atlanta: LSU and Miles were going to make a statement at 1:50 p.m., a little more than two hours before game time.
Miles stood at the dais, shooed aside a request to sit down, muttering something on the order of this won’t take long:
“There was some misinformation on ESPN, and I think it’s imperative that I straighten it out.
“I am the head coach at LSU. I will be the head coach at LSU. I have no interest in talking to anybody else. I’ve got a championship game to play, and I am excited about the opportunity of my damn strong football team to play in it. That’s really all I’d like to say. It was unfortunate that I had to address my team with this information this morning. With that being done, I think we’d be ready to play. There will be no questions for me. I represent me in this issue. Please ask me after. I’m busy.
“Thank you very much. Have a great day.”
Days later, Miles’ wife, Kathy, said what many folks were thinking.
“I’m proud of Les,” she said. “He’s such a team guy. That’s the No. 1 attribute Bo instilled in him. He put the team in front of his professional dream.”
Days later, LSU and Miles, 54, signed a new contact. The $1.25 million buyout clause was in it.
Vote for the most memorable moment of 2007
Advocate sportswriters have selected 20 memorable moments from LSU’s march to the BCS Championship Game, from the 45-0 win over Mississippi State through the 21-14 SEC Championship Game victory over Tennessee. This series will run through Jan. 1 when readers will be able to go to The Advocate’s Web site — http://www.2theadvocate.com — and vote on their most memorable moment of the season. The voting results will be run in Jan. 7 Advocate Sports’ BCS Game Day Special.
The list so far:
2theadvocate.com's Countdown to the Showdown Archive
BCS TRIVIA
TODAY’S QUESTION:
Which two teams combined for the fewest single-game total yards in BCS Bowl Game history?
MONDAY’S QUESTION:
Which two teams combined for the most single-game total yards in BCS Bowl Game history?
USC & Texas, 1,130 yards.
USC 574 yards, Texas 556 yards. Jan. 4, 2006 Rose Bowl. Texas 41, USC 38.
NOTEBOOK
TIGERS SCHEDULE
Today: Practice, watch football
Wednesday: Practice, bus to New Orleans
BUCKEYES SCHEDULE
Today: Practice
Wednesday: Travel to New Orleans
Who’s in charge here?
By now, college football fans across the country know the names of the head coaches of the two schools playing for the BCS Championship Monday. Les Miles — “The Hat” — is the head man at LSU. Jim Tressel — “The Vest” — coaches at The Ohio State University. But, how much do you really know about these men?
LES MILES
- Born Nov. 10, 1953
- Hometown is Elyria, Ohio, in northeast Ohio
- Played football, baseball and wrestled at Elyria High. All-Ohio offensive lineman. Was voted into the Elyria High Hall of Fame, joining another Elyria native, Vic Janowicz, the winner of the 1950 Heisman Trophy.
- At 6-foot-1, he was considered undersized for the offensive line. In 1972, he elected to play at Michigan, the same year Bo Schembechler was named head coach. Lettered his last two years on Big 10 championship teams.
- Graduated in 1976 with economics degree.
- First job out of college was trucking agent in his hometown. Friends said, with bonuses, he pulled down about $50,000 annually.
- In 1977, called Schembechler asking for a job. Persistence paid off with graduate assistantship on Michigan staff through 1979, then part-time assistant through 1981 season.
- Left Michigan with Bill McCartney, who hired Miles to be offensive line coach at Colorado. Returned to Michigan as O-line coach in 1987.
- When Gary Moeller resigned at Michigan in 1994, Miles took O-line job at Oklahoma State. He stayed for three seasons then took job with Dallas Cowboys coaching tight ends.
- In 2001, took head coaching job at Oklahoma State. Turned Cowboys into winners with 28-21 record in four seasons.
Head coaching record: 61-27.
JIM TRESSEL
- Born Dec. 5, 1952
- Mentor, Ohio, is his hometown
- Dad, Lee, is an Ohio coaching legend.
- Played four years at quarterback for dad at Baldwin Wallace, and was all-conference QB in 1974 senior season. Earned education degree.
- First job was graduate assistant at Akron; full time at Akron the next year.
- Left Akron in 1979 for two-year quarterbacks-receiver coaching stint at Miami of Ohio.
- 1981-83: quarterbacks coach at Syracuse.
- 1983-85: assistant at Ohio State.
- Took over head job at Youngstown State in late 1985 and was there through 2000 season.
- Named Ohio State head coach in 2001.
- Only coach to win the I-AA title and the national championship in I-A.
Head coaching record: 208-72-2.
Sources: LSU & Ohio State media guides; Cleveland Plain Dealer
BREAKING DOWN THE SHOWDOWN
LEFT GUARD
HERMAN JOHNSON
6-7, 356, Jr.
Olla
Played high school in Denton, Texas … started 23 consecutive games … the biggest LSU football player ever … started last 10 games in sophomore season chalking up 62 knockdown blocks and 22 “pancake” blocks … played 11 games in redshirt freshman year in 2005 … played in 97 percent of LSU snaps this season … Coaches All-SEC first team … AP All-SEC second team … best game was 2007 Tulane with 11 knockdown blocks.
“…that left guard (Herman) Johnson is a monster in there.”
Frank Beamer, Va. Tech coach
STEVE REHRING
6-8, 345, Jr.
West Chester, Ohio
Second-year starter … All-Ohio prep lineman … though enrolled in spring 2004, took redshirt that year … played in first three games in 2005 before pneumonia sidelined him the rest of the season … returned in spring 2006, then started last nine games that year … Buckeyes averaged 59 more yards per game in his 2006 starts … started 12 games this season … key lineman in allowing only one sack per game in last two seasons.
“Experienced and intelligent. Steve has used his size and strength to great advantage this year.”
Jim Bollman, OSU assistant coach
Wednesday, Jan 02, 2008
11:05 AM