I just don't think LSU is that good. They haven't impressed ME from the start--and they haven't "progressed" so much as they have "scratched and clawed to hold what they got"--which does have its own merits, and must be contended with on its own terms.
But they are coming into OUR place, where history and the "intangibles" potentially make this a "Karma Bowl": I don't know how Coach Mullens and Co. will use what to push which buttons--but I know they WILL do so as they can and see fit--and I trust this Head Coach in particular to do it right.
Not saying "we got this one"--but we sure do have a shot: It'll come down to our states-of-"body mind and spirit" entering/exiting the TUNNEL at the Swamp Saturday--and whether we can pace ourselves accordingly. I LOVE that this Coach "gets", DEPENDS on reading all that and seriously factors it into everything, from preseason to each gameday, prep to play gameWEEK.
LOOK, we aren't anything LIKE "there" yet--but a game like this can show not just where we are headed, but how FAST we may get/ may be getTING "there".
They have the overall talent advantage to smack us upside the head, get the lead early and KEEP IT (if this was the same squad under EITHER of our last 2 Coaches, I'd be readyimg myself for just that outcome; As it is, I am looking at these games, one by one, more as "classes", links in a chain of chances to "learn and grow", as our Coach presents it)...These are young kids just beginning to see themselves, this TEAM and this program differently: One bad bounce could tip it all over, get them pointing fingers and covering their own butts instead of remembering to watch their teammates' backs...So look for signs of the TOUGHNESS we saw ALL GAME this past Saturday; Keep it close, fight it out start to finish, and we can hold our heads high no matter what.
I doubt I'll feel any BETTER about a "close, tough loss" (I still think LSU isn't all that much BETTER than us RIGHT NOW), but I am TRYING to see EVERYTHING in terms of our "growth and future" now.
But then again, we OWE these guys, program to program, fans to fans too: There are scores to settle, going back to the whole "Hurricane fiasco" and their taking advantage of it when our backs were against the wall, and so on.
So though it won't be an issue on-the-field, there ARE some deeper, underlying emotional deals for the fans, at least. I may understand our long range goals and TRY to be philosophical about whatever actually ensues--but I WANT this one, for a lot of reasons, some NOT so "philosophical"!
SCREW the "experts". To HELL with the various "indicators". Go GATORS!!!
But they are coming into OUR place, where history and the "intangibles" potentially make this a "Karma Bowl": I don't know how Coach Mullens and Co. will use what to push which buttons--but I know they WILL do so as they can and see fit--and I trust this Head Coach in particular to do it right.
Not saying "we got this one"--but we sure do have a shot: It'll come down to our states-of-"body mind and spirit" entering/exiting the TUNNEL at the Swamp Saturday--and whether we can pace ourselves accordingly. I LOVE that this Coach "gets", DEPENDS on reading all that and seriously factors it into everything, from preseason to each gameday, prep to play gameWEEK.
LOOK, we aren't anything LIKE "there" yet--but a game like this can show not just where we are headed, but how FAST we may get/ may be getTING "there".
They have the overall talent advantage to smack us upside the head, get the lead early and KEEP IT (if this was the same squad under EITHER of our last 2 Coaches, I'd be readyimg myself for just that outcome; As it is, I am looking at these games, one by one, more as "classes", links in a chain of chances to "learn and grow", as our Coach presents it)...These are young kids just beginning to see themselves, this TEAM and this program differently: One bad bounce could tip it all over, get them pointing fingers and covering their own butts instead of remembering to watch their teammates' backs...So look for signs of the TOUGHNESS we saw ALL GAME this past Saturday; Keep it close, fight it out start to finish, and we can hold our heads high no matter what.
I doubt I'll feel any BETTER about a "close, tough loss" (I still think LSU isn't all that much BETTER than us RIGHT NOW), but I am TRYING to see EVERYTHING in terms of our "growth and future" now.
But then again, we OWE these guys, program to program, fans to fans too: There are scores to settle, going back to the whole "Hurricane fiasco" and their taking advantage of it when our backs were against the wall, and so on.
So though it won't be an issue on-the-field, there ARE some deeper, underlying emotional deals for the fans, at least. I may understand our long range goals and TRY to be philosophical about whatever actually ensues--but I WANT this one, for a lot of reasons, some NOT so "philosophical"!
SCREW the "experts". To HELL with the various "indicators". Go GATORS!!!