If you are an obsessive reader of the summer magazines - like me - you will have noticed on the Athlon Sports website that they have gotten to the number 15 on their ranking, which is Georgia. That's not the interesting part, the interesting part is that LSU is ranked 24th with Auburn at 22nd and Arkansas at 17th.
Athlon Sports thinks LSU will finish 4th in the SEC west.
I do not buy into the Les bashing and I especially do not buy into all these people writing LSU off for 2010.
This team has won a BCS National Title not three years ago and people are calling for the ship to sink because of some questionable calls against Ole Miss and a loss in a bowl game, the first bowl loss under Les Miles by the way.
Yes 8-8 in the SEC over the past two years, I know. But the structure is there for this team to really threaten as a contender for the whole SEC. There's some muscle on the bones they just need to learn how to use it properly.
If talent wins football games than the SEC talent rankings have Alabama and Florida as either 1 or 2 respectively and LSU at a solid 3rd. Great talent comes out of that state they're going to have the players.
I'm not saying I think LSU should beat us in Baton Rouge, I'm saying that they should be expected to be a top contender in this division and if you're skeptical of the Arky hype than the logical enemy in the west to focus on is LSU. Suggesting that they will finish fourth is way too fatalistic and just a result of off season wanking calling for the head of a coach who's won a National Title.
Atlanta will once again be decided in Baton Rouge, just like two years ago and just like it was decided in Tuscaloosa last year.