Friends of the Program

FOTP, celebrating our favorite homers

As the football season approaches, FOTP will be scouring those cradles of blond optimism and rampant overreaction known as SEC message boards in hopes of  exposing some of the more illogically based spewings of completely unqualified people with access to the internet who through a friend of theirs with “ties to the program” seem to have all the answers.

The first installment of blatant homerism comes from the Legion of Croom over at Gene’s Page.  It seems that some of the Mississippi State faithful, namely poster theCross, think that their talent compares favorably to that of The Hat’s treasure trove of genetically fortunate student athletes down on the Bayou.   At least he organized his thoughts well, but common sense and a pretty crystal football beg to differ kind sir.

theCross says:

We are Close!!!  I just don’t buy the LSU has more talent.  Here’s how I see it…

QB:  Honestly who knows, their guy never played a down, Wesley won 6 Games.

RB:  MSU I’ll take our guys Dixon , Ducre, Elliott, Bonner (for your star watchers, that’s two 4 stars, a 3 star and a 2.

WR: LSU However, If Co-Eric get’s his head out of the sand, with smith’s experience, and Wilder’s speed, WE ARE NOT THAT FAR BEHIND.

TE:  LSU, Richard Dixon choose to make them better instead of us.  We have a ton of talent but it is inexperienced.

OL:  I had to break this up in to two parts.  Because of the things each team does. 

A.      Interior OL, since we pound Dixon up the middle 70 % of the time, I feel that our two seniors, Strauder, Gates along with Brignone (one of the strongest guys in the SEC) is better than what they have because of their NFL potential and the fact that that what we do best.

B.      Exterior Line:  LSU, only because we lost Brown, if we still had Brown with Sherrod, we would have the best set of Tackles in the league.

DL:

A.      Interior,  EVEN: I know about their stud, Ricky Jean-Francois but I think that Bowman is as good, and will be as good or better in the pros just like so many other MSU DL that go in as low draft picks, and have good to great careers.

B.      Exterior,  LSU by a land slide, everthough I think we have SEC quality talent, just not in the same category with LSU.  In 2009 (or 10), I think we will be able to compete with anyone in the country with McCardell and the other guys.

LB:  EVEN, may even give MSU a Slight lead.

CB:  LSU, again like Brown and the OLine, if Johnson was playing it would be MSU and no contest.  Note:  LSU lost 2 starters I believe. 

S:  MSU and no contest, in fact MSU was better last year, and will be again next year and for years to come.

ST:

A.        Kicking and Punting, LSU

B.         Covering, Even

C.        Returning, MSU

Summary:  If I had to pick 3 positions that defines success in any league, from Jr. High to NFL, it would be CB (shut down corners are worth their weight in gold, allows you to put 8 in the box), DE (pressure the passer into making mistakes), OT (protect the passer gives time to look down field).  Although I rate LSU better in all three, this still proves how close we are, because if not for Brown and Johnson being suspended/kicked off, we would be better at both CB and OT, with the potential at being Even with them at DE in 2009.

One More thing I think depth has been an issue in the past, but we are catching up you may not believe this but I bet Les Miles does.