Stupid $#%!'n Tar Heels

by CW on Dec 3, 2006 5:02 PM EST in Football

Afer the ESPN broadcast team basically discussed how awesome North Carolina was the entire broadcast - alums tend to do that - the Tar Heels barely held on against a very game Irish team that just couldn't seem to get a rhythm going until the breakneck pace at the end of the game. Player of the Year Kerri Hanks' free kick drifted a little right in the waning seconds and that was that. A great season from our girls, and even though a great core of seniors move on, we'll still be competing at the top next year.

The men's basketball team has a nice measuring stick game tonight against Maryland at 6:30, and then the top ten (?!) Alabama Crimson Tide coming into town Wednesday night. If the team looks competent - dare I say, possibly win a close game! - then maybe this season won't be another NIT-bound campaign.

(For the few of you who don't know, when we were all angry about the team dropping that game to Butler, we were unaware Butler's probably going to be your 2007 national champions, running roughshod over the entire preseason NIT bracket. Faint enthusiasm for Irish hoops.

Let's take an early look at LSU, from the guys at BlueGraySky:

LSU would be rough. LSU is in the top 20 in scoring offense (11), total offense (18), scoring defense (6), and total defense (2). They're the most talented, balanced team in the SEC, and maybe the third-best team in the entire country.

On offense LSU has four talented running backs and they all share the carries, with none of the four going over 430 yards on the season, nor under 280. (Reminds me of the Holtz days.) At quarterback they've got 6'6 Jamarcus Russell, and as Charlie might say, "Alls he does is complete 68% of his passes and throws 26 touchdowns to seven interceptions." I'd be surprised if Russell wasn't a top 10 pick in the NFL draft next year. On defense they've got coaches' first team All-Americans in safety LaRon Landry and defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey, and until the Arkansas game had been equally stout against the run and the pass.

On top of that, they're pissed. They lost to Florida in the aforementioned 5-turnover meltdown, and their only other loss was a 7-3 baseball game at Auburn, wherein they outgained the orange tigers 309-182 and LSU. At the end of the game, LSU wideout Craig Davis was tackled four yards short of the end zone as time expired. They've got something to prove.

Of course, they also were taken to overtime by Ole Miss two weekends ago, and according to Brian, have faced a bevy of terrible passing attacks this season:

An interesting note on LSU's pass defense: it has faced no one who even approaches competent save Chris Leak. (We all agree to discard Brandon Cox from that category, right? Right.) Eric Ainge missed UT's game against the Tigers. Jonathan Crompton stepped in, but not very well.

Leak was held in check -- 17/26 with an interception for 155 yards -- but that's partially because Tim Tebow ganked his touchdowns. If we face the Tigers I'll provide a fuller breakdown, but a cursory glance at their opponents reveals a virtual who's who of D-I's worst passing offenses. Wait... make that worst offenses, period.

It'll be fun, in the "We're outnumbered four to one by Bayou Bengals fans playing against a team that'll be favored for the title in 2007" sort of way.

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