LSU-Auburn
Always a nailbiter in a series of close games. Every year you see something you've never seen before. This time was a battle of two highly respected coaches trying to outdo each other in the stupid department. Miles won the game but was he the winner in the "more dumb coach department of stupidness?"
Category 1: Back-up QB
Both brought in their second string quarterbacks for mediocre to horrible results. Tuberville for Auburn sought to stymie his momentum by bringing in his running qb at LSU's 20. The defense keyed in on the run and stopped it. The idea would have been a solid one at say, first and goal from the five, where a slash type athlete could do some damage. Bringing him in on the 20 to run was a waste. If they wanted to be clever, and offensive co-ordinator Al Borges is certainly that, as he is a creative strategian normally, why not tweak the obvious and line up with both in the backfield, but have Cox stand where the halfback normally does and then direct snap to Cox for a pass. Different twist and something defenses haven't seen. But this is the stupid contest and Tuberville wasted his ace at an ill timed moment and killed any momentum his team was building.
Les Miles, continued to bring in Perillioux for LSU, despite a game-shifting fumble, and then seemed to ignored the exasperating struggles for Matt Flynn's subsequent play when Perrilioux would get stuffed. Miles's stubborn continuance of a failing strategem gives him the decisive edge in this battle--though unlike last week it didn't result in a loss.
Category 2: Time-outs.
Miles blew through his left and right. Indeed their final drive was done with but one timeout in their back pocket.
Tuberville saved his for next weeks game for the most part and did nothing to stop the clock and try and get the ball back at the end of the game. If that wasn't bad enough the one he burned was after another terrible Perrilioux play and LSU on the heels on the previous drive. Flynn hadn't even broken the huddle, with around 10 seconds on the play clock and Tubs calls a T.O. to let Miles get time to call his play.
Hard to pick one guy dumber than the other in this one. I'll give the edge to Tubs. Even if I somewhat see the logic of thinking. I think he was waiting to to use the timeout just before the kick strategy twice. His guy had to make two winners vs. Florida could LSU's kicker make three against him. What I'm waiting to see is when the kicker MISSES the first kick and the opposing coach bails him out with a second chance by calling the timeout. I'd could easily seen the LSU kicker miss twice and then make the third.
CATEGORY THREE: Reviews
As per usual the home team in this rivalry got most of the calls and some generous spots. On a third down with the LSU player no where near the first down marker on the last drive. Tuberville failed to call Timeout to let his booth guys review the play or even challenge the officials marking of the ball. I didn't realize you could challenge a spot but Mike Patrick said you could so there is at least 20% chance that is truly the college rules.
Miles only review brainfart was when his player clearly went headhunting on replay and he argued it like it was a clean hit. Hurts you credibility for later arguments when you yell at the refs for making the obvious calls.
Here I got to go with Tubs. He let the refs maybe decide that game and bailed out Miles from making a critical fourth and short decision. Man that would have been fun. The spot would have made it a long kick for his kicker with long range. Would Miles give to Hester again (for the third week in a row), would he passed, gone for the endzone, who knows. We didn't get to see him have to chose because Tuberville blew it. Had he gotten a review, then he's forcing Miles to make a big decision and Miles has a poor track record of late making those kind of calls.
Heck if the kicker made it, Cox still would have a minute or so to get a field goal back for Auburn (AND Tubs had two timeouts he had squirreled away for the Alabama game).
CATEGORY FOUR: Bone head moves of the century...
Tubs with a one point lead and needing to keep a fg off the board opted for a 20 yard squib kick instead of letting LSU's lightning fast returner get the ball. Besides the obvious like instead of going 60 yards for a chance to LSU only had to go 20, and that more time would be eaten off the clock by kicking it further, Tubs played not to lose instead of to win. Horrible decision. After his offense, and his qb in particular showed such courage on their final drive he pussed out.
Then Les Miles, one-upped him again, by going for six when he easily could have settled for the game winning kick. Here, going for the TD with seven seconds left was a spot his risk taking almost cost LSU the game. Twenty things could have gone wrong. The guy could have bobbled and dropped the ball and time expired. Auburn could have picked off the ball (it was pretty good coverage--hell of a throw by Flynn). Flynn could have been forced out of the pocket and stuffed at the one as clock expired. Anything. Why not play it safe and bang in the field goal.
Ultimately, Tubs loses this battle. Miles went for the win whereas Tubs played not to lose. And Miles brainfart worked and Tubby's didn't.
Ultimate Dumbest Good Coach: Tommy Tuberville.
Category 1: Back-up QB
Both brought in their second string quarterbacks for mediocre to horrible results. Tuberville for Auburn sought to stymie his momentum by bringing in his running qb at LSU's 20. The defense keyed in on the run and stopped it. The idea would have been a solid one at say, first and goal from the five, where a slash type athlete could do some damage. Bringing him in on the 20 to run was a waste. If they wanted to be clever, and offensive co-ordinator Al Borges is certainly that, as he is a creative strategian normally, why not tweak the obvious and line up with both in the backfield, but have Cox stand where the halfback normally does and then direct snap to Cox for a pass. Different twist and something defenses haven't seen. But this is the stupid contest and Tuberville wasted his ace at an ill timed moment and killed any momentum his team was building.
Les Miles, continued to bring in Perillioux for LSU, despite a game-shifting fumble, and then seemed to ignored the exasperating struggles for Matt Flynn's subsequent play when Perrilioux would get stuffed. Miles's stubborn continuance of a failing strategem gives him the decisive edge in this battle--though unlike last week it didn't result in a loss.
Category 2: Time-outs.
Miles blew through his left and right. Indeed their final drive was done with but one timeout in their back pocket.
Tuberville saved his for next weeks game for the most part and did nothing to stop the clock and try and get the ball back at the end of the game. If that wasn't bad enough the one he burned was after another terrible Perrilioux play and LSU on the heels on the previous drive. Flynn hadn't even broken the huddle, with around 10 seconds on the play clock and Tubs calls a T.O. to let Miles get time to call his play.
Hard to pick one guy dumber than the other in this one. I'll give the edge to Tubs. Even if I somewhat see the logic of thinking. I think he was waiting to to use the timeout just before the kick strategy twice. His guy had to make two winners vs. Florida could LSU's kicker make three against him. What I'm waiting to see is when the kicker MISSES the first kick and the opposing coach bails him out with a second chance by calling the timeout. I'd could easily seen the LSU kicker miss twice and then make the third.
CATEGORY THREE: Reviews
As per usual the home team in this rivalry got most of the calls and some generous spots. On a third down with the LSU player no where near the first down marker on the last drive. Tuberville failed to call Timeout to let his booth guys review the play or even challenge the officials marking of the ball. I didn't realize you could challenge a spot but Mike Patrick said you could so there is at least 20% chance that is truly the college rules.
Miles only review brainfart was when his player clearly went headhunting on replay and he argued it like it was a clean hit. Hurts you credibility for later arguments when you yell at the refs for making the obvious calls.
Here I got to go with Tubs. He let the refs maybe decide that game and bailed out Miles from making a critical fourth and short decision. Man that would have been fun. The spot would have made it a long kick for his kicker with long range. Would Miles give to Hester again (for the third week in a row), would he passed, gone for the endzone, who knows. We didn't get to see him have to chose because Tuberville blew it. Had he gotten a review, then he's forcing Miles to make a big decision and Miles has a poor track record of late making those kind of calls.
Heck if the kicker made it, Cox still would have a minute or so to get a field goal back for Auburn (AND Tubs had two timeouts he had squirreled away for the Alabama game).
CATEGORY FOUR: Bone head moves of the century...
Tubs with a one point lead and needing to keep a fg off the board opted for a 20 yard squib kick instead of letting LSU's lightning fast returner get the ball. Besides the obvious like instead of going 60 yards for a chance to LSU only had to go 20, and that more time would be eaten off the clock by kicking it further, Tubs played not to lose instead of to win. Horrible decision. After his offense, and his qb in particular showed such courage on their final drive he pussed out.
Then Les Miles, one-upped him again, by going for six when he easily could have settled for the game winning kick. Here, going for the TD with seven seconds left was a spot his risk taking almost cost LSU the game. Twenty things could have gone wrong. The guy could have bobbled and dropped the ball and time expired. Auburn could have picked off the ball (it was pretty good coverage--hell of a throw by Flynn). Flynn could have been forced out of the pocket and stuffed at the one as clock expired. Anything. Why not play it safe and bang in the field goal.
Ultimately, Tubs loses this battle. Miles went for the win whereas Tubs played not to lose. And Miles brainfart worked and Tubby's didn't.
Ultimate Dumbest Good Coach: Tommy Tuberville.
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