Was it fair that the Tide got a rematch after losing to LSU in the regular season? Is it right that the Tigers have the Southeastern Conference championship trophy in their trophy case while 'Bama has the national title in its complex?
The answer was the plan for a four-team playoff starting in 2014. The league that has won the last six national titles once again has changed college football forever.
Media days begin today in this suburb of Birmingham, where the SEC's headquarters rest, with well in excess of 1,000 news media expected. No other conference has credentialed even half as many media as the SEC's annual event has in the last decade.
And once again talk at the SEC event will center on which team will contend for the league's next national championship. LSU is already getting a lot of attention as the chosen one in 2012.
"I think it's a real compliment to our body of work," Tigers coach Les Miles said of being a national title favorite already in some predictions by experts. "The kids understand that they've earned nothing. It's like saying to your wife 10 years before you marry her, 'Boy, you sure are cute.' It's one of those compliments that no one remembers before you get to the wedding.' "
Miles knows all about being attractive on paper. LSU looked like a certain champion before the 'Bama rematch. But the Tigers mounted virtually no offense in the rematch that ended with the Crimson Tide winning 21-0.
"I have watched it several times," Miles said of the BCS title game. "We finished second in that game. It was miserable. We hadn't watched any games like that in quite some time. Certainly not the 13 before (last season). I think there's a good, solid honesty to playing a quality team at the back end. You have to step in and play. I think our guys understand that maybe better today."
It was baffling to some how LSU mounted virtually no offense against Alabama the second time. LSU didn't cross midfield until there were less than eight minutes left. The Tigers totaled 92 yards with five first downs. It was the first shutout in the 14 years of the BCS.
Miles and his staff and examined and reexamined the play-calling. The result?
"We would have called the exact same plays," Miles said. "We would have just executed them better. The plays would have been really good plays. We didn't execute well."
The big question for some could be ? how do you recover from a letdown like that? Some programs take years to get back in the national championship hunt after failing to win it all ? a hangover that can cause major issues in a program. Miles insists that recovery period is over.
"They already have that," Miles said of his team's hunger to rebound. "There's a want to play."
While there are a lot of familiar faces coming back, there were some major holes to fill. The position that will draw the most interest is quarterback, where junior Zach Mettenberger is taking over. It was a weakness at times last season and a major reason the offense was limited.
More of a true throwing quarterback, Mettenberger was dismissed from the Georgia team in the wake of off-field legal problems two years ago without ever playing a game. He came to LSU after a stint at Butler County (Kan.) Community College. There have been no issues in Baton Rouge.
"I'm really enjoying the way Zach's starting his career," Miles said. "I think Zach is a great teammate and is a guy who certainly understands the position he's in, and he's much better for the experience he's had."
So LSU looks ready to join the national title hunt once again. But first up for the SEC are three days of virtually non-stop media appearances by the coaches and players. It's the first SEC media day for new members Texas A&M and Missouri.
Alabama must explain how it hopes to repeat as national champion. Arkansas is also a potential national title contender from the West while a lot of eyes are on Georgia and South Carolina in the East. The hot seat? It's squarely on Tennessee coach Derek Dooley with Florida's Will Muschamp probably not far behind. Neither has enjoyed much success at schools once considered among the nation's elite.
Source: http://rssfeeds.usatoday.com/~r/UsatodaycomCollegeSports-TopStories/~3/4cDIfwa4CRY/1
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