After an agonizing day where I had to hear about LSU's former coach Nick Saban taking the Alabama job (see previous post), I got to thoroughly enjoy the absolute beat down of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the Sugar Bowl! See the story HERE. If LSU had gained 4 more yards at the end against Auburn (and if the officials, well, nevermind . . .), LSU might be playing on Monday night against Ohio State. This team had a great offense and defense and they were a pleasure to watch. I now have to suffer through 8 months without college football! Ugh! Fortunately, I still have the New Orleans Saints in the NFL playoffs next week. Who Dat?
Anyway, what an awesome game! JaMarcus Russell was incredible, and though he is probably going pro, I wish him the best and can honestly say he is one of the best QBs LSU has ever had. Did you see the sick 58 yard TD pass to Brandon LaFell in the third quarter? Unbelievable. LSU fans have criticized him a lot over the years, but he was resilient and kept battling back. He's a classy, humble guy. If you remember, he was the guy who housed Fats Domino along with 20 other people in his apartment after Katrina. Good kid. He also said he was going to get with his family and pray about whether he needed to turn pro. I hope for the best for him.
Notre Dame moved up and down the field in the first half to the tune of 261 yards, but the second half was another story entirely. LSU outgained them 333 to 30! With all the talk about how great a coach Charlie Weiss is, it was Les Miles and his staff who made the adjustments. Plus, extreme talent won out in the end. LSU now has back to back 11 win seasons and top 5 finishes! Way to go Tigers! Next year, maybe they'll win the whole thing.
Well, this definitely takes the sour taste out of my mouth concerning Saban. I still think it was lousy of him to leave Miami after only two years and to go to LSU's rival in the SEC West after repeated denials that he was not going to be the Alabama coach. There has to be a better way to handle that type of situation. But, I've quit expecting anything else, unfortunately.
Alas, tonight, the season ends sweet as Sugar. Geaux Tigers!
Hi Alan:
Just wanted to say I appreciate your spirit in your comments at Marty's blog and I suppose other places (I dont read many). I do not agree with you or others on all issues, but I do sense a very real bond in a burden to reach a lost world. You are an encourager to me.
Posted by: alvin reid | January 04, 2007 at 08:31 AM
Well I was just going to comment on football but Alvin's comment caught my eye.
Alvin, this is precisely what attracts me to the SBC, and also typifies why all the uproar. I never heard folks disagreeing over interpretation of doctrine, or evidencing any real freedom of interpretation, when I was a Methodist or Presbyterian. And I noted to some of my friends the other day, the growth I've experienced in the last 12 months, where the only change has been involvement in the defending of the faith, the BF&M and all that. Personally, this has all been healthy.
Football: I was raised to age 15 in Calumet City, IL. Our family integrated our neighborhood. The only 2 families I knew that weren't Irish or Polish Catholic, were 1-Jewish and 1-Christian Scientist.
We had no love for Notre Dame, and this was the time when they had a huge winning streak going and then in 1951, they lost to Southern Methodist (we went to a Methodist Church, then, on occasion) and my Dad celebrated for 3 days.
My family rooted for Notre Dame, since we're from Indiana, but those old feeling against All Things Catholic still welled up, half a century! later. And here I thought I'd repented.
Incidentally, I tried all evening to email the yahoos doing the play-by-play. They kept saying "no-truh dame". That's incorrect. In English, it's "no-ter dame" and in French it's "no-truh dahm".
Poseurs ... yuck!
Posted by: Bob Cleveland | January 04, 2007 at 09:10 AM
Good for LSU - I even wore my purple shirt for you yesterday :-)
Posted by: Chris McCorkle | January 04, 2007 at 10:46 AM
We Arkansas fans feel those if only's with regard to the LSU game... LSU has a great team and great q'back for sure. Let's all root on Micah's Florida Gators and show the nation what SEC football brings to the NCAA.
Posted by: Bryan Riley | January 05, 2007 at 08:54 AM
Hot boudin, cold cous cous. Come on Tigers, push push push.
To (that hot place) with Ole Miss, to (that hot place) with Tulane too...(oh, never mind...it just isn't the same on a Christian blog.)
After Ark. and Tenn. failed to produce against the Big 10, I have no choice but hold my nose and pull for the Gators on Monday night. Can't say that I would have done that while the Ole Ball Coach was there, though. I guess I can now officially remove Florida off of my list of "teams I won't pull for even if they're playing a legion of demons for my eternal soul". That leaves only Texas A&M, the San Francisco 49ers, the NY Yankees, and any team coached by Bob Knight. Thinking about putting Bama on the list though...time will tell.
Posted by: Stuart | January 05, 2007 at 04:58 PM
Great to have another LSU fan around, Stuart. I am constantly outnumbered!
I'm torn about the Ohio State/Florida game as well. As for Bama, I was softening to them yesterday, trying to see Saban's side and be all understanding. Now, I'm hearing that he's trying to hire Jimbo Fisher (LSU's OC) for 800K to 1 million dollars and is also trying to our offensive line coach, Stacy Searels as well. They might have left anyway, but good grief. $800,000? A year? For a coordinator? This is getting ridiculous!
I'm seriously considering writing a post on idolatry. I'm sure that will go over really well!
Posted by: Alan Cross | January 05, 2007 at 05:26 PM
I'm sorry, I thought this was the post about idolatry...
Posted by: Marty Duren | January 06, 2007 at 05:49 PM
So laughing out loud at Marty's comment.. and often so right on.. which is why it is funny and sad. Alan, it's an honor to get a Marty comment... he doesn't comment much on others blogs ya know.
Posted by: Bryan Riley | January 06, 2007 at 09:10 PM
Funny! Seriously, I think that being a fan who enjoys the games but can let it go is fine. But, when you are spending millions of dollars a year for a football coach, while there are so many bigger issues that require attention - well, it's getting ridiculous. It is seriously causing me to think more critically about the whole thing. Every school and fan base is guilty of this, so I am not picking on Alabama here. But, when do we ever warn people against giving an undue amount of attention to trivial things like sports? I know it's something that I have to think about. But, bringing that up in the South could be dangerous!
Posted by: Alan Cross | January 06, 2007 at 09:43 PM