One reason why I think LSU is set to lose to Ohio State in the BCS Title Game is the fact that Tigers coach Les Miles doesn’t seem too concerned about finding ways to get his best players on the field.
Let’s look at the running back spot. Senior Jacob Hester has 204 carries for 1,017 yards and 11 touchdowns. He is averaging 5.0 yards per carry.
His 204 carries are more than backup running backsKeiland Williams (68), Trindon Holliday (50) and Charles Scott (43) combined. Yet all three average at least 6.7 yards per carry and, clearly, are more skilled than Hester.
Let’s set aside the fact that Holliday is the fastest player in college football or that Scott is a bruiser with good speed. This is really about the lack of playing time for Williams, who has the tools to be a first round pick for the Tigers. I find it amazing that Hester is getting three times the amount of carries as this very talented back, who has 458 yards and six touchdowns on the season.
Don’t get me wrong, Hester is a solid player, but he should be used primarily as a fullback or, at best, a goal-line back. If Williams had carried 204 times, I think he’d probably be considered one of the nation’s top five backs by now.
Then you have the quarterback situation. Matt Flynn is the ‘steady’ senior providing all kinds of ‘leadership’. This is what is generally said about guys who aren’t really that good to begin with. On the year, Flynn has 2,233 yards, 17 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He is hitting 55 per cent of his passes and his rating is 122.5. He has rushed for 207 yards for a 2.4 yards-per-carry clip.
His considerably more talented backup is Ryan Perrilloux, who played while Flynn sat out the SEC title game due to injury. On the year, Perrilloux started two games and played sparingly in eight others. He has 694 passing yards, is completing 68 per cent, has thrown eight touchdowns and two interceptions and has a rating of 175.6. Interestingly, Perrilloux has 203 rushing yards as well. He was 20 of 30 for 243 yards with one touchdown and one pick against Tennessee in the SEC title game win.
There’s no doubt that Perrilloux is more talented than Flynn. After all, he was the No. 1 quarterback in the nation coming out of high school. He is also a perfect fit for LSU’s new spread offense run by Gary Crowton. Furthermore, he’s the quarterback of the future at LSU.
With Perrilloux taking the snaps and handing off much of the time to Williams, LSU probably would’ve been a dominant 13-0 this year. Instead, Miles took the ‘safe’ route, playing Flynn and Hester on his way to an 11-2 mark that included several other close calls.
Now, it could be that Miles will take full advantage of the speed and talent that is available to him when the Tigers play Ohio State in New Orleans. But it’s probable that he will just go with what brung him to the dance in the first place–a not-so-dynamic duo that, frankly, is a better fit for the Big Ten than the SEC.
If Miles once again decides to rely on these less-talented (though safer) options, I think the Buckeyes will win this one.