Jordan Jefferson...The Most Interesting Man in Baton Rouge

Here is my latest column on why Jordan Jefferson is "The Most Interesting Man in Baton Rouge" for 91.1 KLSU fm.

Click here to check out this piece of brilliance! 

Listen to "Out of Bounds" every Sunday night at 6 pm CT & "The LSU Pregame Tailgate Show" at 11:30 am love from the LSU Student Union. Follow the KLSU Sports Staff on Twitter @KLSUsports. Email Sports Director Carter "The Power" Bryant at sports@klsuradio.fm. 

Tiger Talk -- More Wednesday Hot Links

There has never been a day with this much big news regarding LSU football in a long time. Local reporters here in Baton Rouge are on their A-Game.

Here are more hot links from one of the craziest days in LSU football history...

Les Miles agrees in a principle to a new contract with LSU football that will stay pay him the same base salary of $3.751 million a year.

Glen Gilbeau of Gannett Louisiana Newspapers says Gary Crowton will not return next season.

LSU strength coach Tommy Moffitt will not accept the same position at Tennessee according to Wes Rucker of 247 Sports.

The Daily Reveille reports four-star running back commitment Jeremy Hill has been arrested on charges of oral sexual battery. Reporter Ryan Ginn breaks down the incident and says LSU should be fine without Hill.

Brandon Says Michigan Job Was Never Offered to Miles -- Wednesday Hot Links

Brandon must love the Bayou.
Photo via annarbor.com

Joe Schad might have been right after all.

Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon said the Michigan job was never offered to Les Miles or San Francisco 49ers head coach and former Stanford head coach Jim Harbaugh.  

Michigan hired San Diego State's Brady Hoke as their new head coach yesterday.

The problem for me is that this hard to believe. So did Brandon just feel like traveling to Baton Rouge because for the warmer weather?

Hopefully some of this will clear up by the end of today's press conference. 

Here are more must reads regarding LSU Football...

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If Les Leaves, What's Next?

A pictures is worth $4 million words
Photo via LukeMayeux

Michigan is already interviewing Les Miles. ESPN is reporting that Miles will take the job if offered. LSU will evaluate over the different options that could possibly take over, should Miles leave.

Let's take a brief look at a laundry list of candidates that could possibly replace Les at one of the best jobs in the country....

On-Staff Options

To keep it short, there are no major candidates currently on the LSU staff.

The only member on staff with head coaching experience is offensive coordinator Gary Crowton, who might be the only coach some fans would rather see go than Miles after the Tennessee game. He served in that capacity with BYU from 2001-2004. I've suspected that Miles has long had a hand in play calling and giving Crowton the reins would let him have complete control over the offense, but hiring him would not exactly rally the fan base.

John Chavis has only served as an assistant and Defensive Coordinator at the schools he has worked at in his long coaching career. Having a resume that goes back 30+years with the highest position being defensive coordinator says that Chavis has no interest in becoming a head coach. He would've done it by now.

The only wild card that I see on staff is Wide Receiver coach/Passing Game Coordinator Billy Gonzales. He has a decent pedigree, serving under Urban Meyer since Meyer's time at Bowling Green. Other than that, I cannot give much more argument for Gonzales to get the job, but I have a feeling he will at least get a look from the powers-that-be.

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Three Things to Look For -- Cotton Bowl Prediction

I've heard all about it.
Photo via onemansblog

Dallas Cowboys Stadium? For a bowl game? Three days after attending the Sugar Bowl?

Yes Please.

I can't wait for the Cotton Bowl. LSU will be playing Texas A&M for the Tigers last tackle football game of this season. Here are three things to look for...

1) How does LSU deal with Texas A&M's impact players?

The Aggies have won six straight games since junior Ryan Tannehill took over at quarterback. His top target, junior receiver Jeff Fuller, will have his hands full with Patrick Peterson. 

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Crowton Says He Wants to Stay at LSU

LSU offensive coordinator Gary Crowton expects to finish the last year of his contract at LSU next season.

Recently there have been rumors that Crowton would take the job as head coach of UL-Lafayette. Those rumors have been denied by sources at UL.

Many fans in Baton Rouge want Crowton to be fired after the season. Athletic director Joe Alleva has said decisions made in the offseason about LSU's coaching staff will be made by head coach Les Miles.

Fans have been critical of Crowton's inability to open up the offense and the lack of production from highly touted game breaker Russell Shepard. The offensive coordinator has produced better results with quarterback Jordan Jefferson.

LSU Offensive Midterms

The brains behind it all
Photo via collegefootballfansite.com

If I had to sum up LSU's offense in one statement, it might just go something like this:

"Damn, Les Miles is pretty self-conscious."

Seriously, only "The Mad Hatter" would be stubborn enough to keep playing a quarterback who is completing only 53% of his passes, has a TD-INT ratio of 2:7 and averaging 5 yards an attempt.

And, best of all, this so called "mobile" quarterback is bruising out a whopping 3.3 yds per carry.

The only conclusions I can think of that is keeping Miles from pulling Jordan Jefferson are either he doesn't want to hurt the kid's feelings or he doesn't want to admit he was wrong for letting JJ keep the keys to the offense for so long, which is garbage when you have a team with National Championship talent.

Now that my Jefferson bash is out of the way, lets take a look at the rest of the offense.

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Texas Connection Leads LSU in 33-29 Victory, Tigers Now 6-0

Photo via Fox Sports
Does this shot remind you of the Byrd catch versus Auburn in '07?

Is LSU really atop the SEC West? Can Christopher Nolan write a script better than this season for LSU? Am I in "Limbo" right now? 

The answers are yes, no and maybe/probably so. But the only answer that matter is the first one, as the Tigers defeated the Florida Gators in "The Swamp" 33-29.

The Tigers move to 6-0 on the season, and will have McNesse State next Saturday night in Tiger Stadium. LSU moves up three spots in the AP Top 25 to No. 9, with Auburn and Alabama right in front of them at No. 7 and 8 respectfully.

And even though "Lucky Les" had to pull another rabbit out of his hat to win it at the end, the game shouldn't have been that close. LSU is a better football team than Florida and Saturday night proved it.

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O Jordan Jefferson, How Little Can Change in Two Weeks

Tiger fans are tired of seeing the option
Photo via alligator.org

Haven't we been here before? But let's cut the small talk, let's get to the facts.

North Carolina: 15/21, 151 yds, 71.4%, 2 TD, 1 INT, 153.7 rtg

Vanderbilt: 8/20, 96 yds, 40%, 0 TD, 1 INT, 70.3 rtg

Mississippi State: 10/16, 97 yds, 62.5%, 0 TD, 0 INT, 113.4 rtg

West Virginia: 10/22, 75 yds, 45.5%, 0 TD, 2 INT, 55.91 rtg

TOTAL: 43/79, 419 yds, 54.4%, 2 TD, 4 INT, 97.2 rtg

Now after seeing all of those stats, some might say:

"97.2 rating? Thats not bad."

After hearing that college passer rating is not calculated on the 158.3 scale that the NFL uses, but on a scale on which the max rating is 1261.6, they might then say:

"How the hell is this guy still playing?!?!"

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Three Things to Look for -- LSU versus Miss St. Prediction

Nevis has racked up 3.5 sacks this season
Photo by: LSUSports.net

Saturday Night in Death Valley. I can't believe it's here.

LSU kicks off their home season versus Mississippi State on Saturday. The Bulldogs come into Baton Rouge winless. But head coach Dan Mullen's club played Auburn tough, losing that game by only three points

What everyone will be looking for is LSU's quarterback play. I won't waste your time discussing who should be the starter, because HKT columnist Thomas Powers did a fine job of that the other day. 

Here are three other things to keep a keen eye on...

1. What about Mississippi State quarterback Chris Relf? 

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Jefferson or Lee? The FULL Breakdown of why Lee Should Start

Should Miles keeping holding on to Jefferson as the starter?
Photo via SaturdayDownSouth

HardKnockTigers would like to introduce new columnist Thomas Powers to the staff. "T-Pain" has been my best friend for a while now, as we've attended countless number of LSU Football games together. He can be reached at thomas.powers10@gmail.com.   

Anyone who has watched LSU's quarterback play against both UNC and Vanderbilt seems to have a common opinion:

"Seriously?"


Jordan Jefferson's play over the first two weeks has been average at best (23-41, 247 yds 2 TDs, 1 INT) and has left a lot to be desired from anyone who has an idea of how football is supposed to be played, which is, you know, scoring touchdowns, gaining yards, etc. "JJ" has left LSU fans doing the unthinkable... wanting Jarrett Lee back.

After witnessing a "Jamarcus-ian" (Raider, not LSU, version) 8-20, 96 yd performance by JJ and Lee completing the first non-screen pass to hit a receiver in stride of the season, more and more Tiger fans seem to be coming to the side I have been firmly standing on for a while...

Giving Lee another shot. Here's why...

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Russell Shepard Mathematics -- LSU Media Day

Russell Shepard Mathematics is simple.

LSU wide receiver + quarterback + running back + 5-star recruit + recruiting ambassador + engaging personality + top end speed + game changer = Elite SEC GameBreaker.

Is my math correct?

Well, for LSU, we will have to wait and see. Last year, the Tigers were toward the bottom of the SEC in offense, particularly in explosive plays.

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