MANVEL, Texas — Though he spends his falls mostly on the defensive side of the ball, Manvel (Texas) High School 2014 prospect Koda Martin got a chance to work on his receiving and route-running skills while lining up on offense on Saturday at his other high school position, tight end, during the Maverick 7-on-7 state qualifying tournament at Manvel High School.
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LSU coach Les Miles doesn't have a problem playing eight SEC opponents every season.
Miles also realizes the Tigers could play nine SEC games in the very near future.
Miles just doesn't think it's fair that LSU has to play Florida every season, while other teams in the SEC West don't.
As SEC presidents, athletics directors and coaches convene this week for the league's annual spring meetings in Destin, Fla., long-term scheduling has become the hot-button issue.
The league is expected to vote whether to change its current 6-1-1 format, in which teams play each opponent from their respective division, along with one rotating foe and one permanent opponent from the opposite division. SEC officials could vote this week to add a ninth conference game or at least eliminate permanent crossover opponents.
The SEC adopted its current scheduling format to ensure that longstanding rivalries like Alabama-Tennessee and Georgia-Auburn would survive expansion.
By drawing the Gators as a permanent crossover opponent, Miles believes the Tigers drew the short end of the stick.
Miles won't complain about the scheduling format publicly, but he knows LSU is at a disadvantage.
And Miles is probably right.
"When they give us our schedule, I'm looking forward to having a great competition," Miles said.
Since 2000, LSU has played Florida and Georgia -- two of the SEC East's best programs -- a total of 17 times. Auburn is the only SEC West team which has faced those teams more often, playing them 19 times. Arkansas, Mississippi State and Ole Miss have faced them a total of 10 times each, while Alabama has played them only eight times.
While it's not fair that LSU has faced the Bulldogs and Gators nearly twice as often as Alabama has played them since 2000, Miles' argument might fall on deaf ears. Auburn and Georgia aren't going to surrender the longtime series -- the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry has been played 116 times since 1892. Likewise, Alabama and Tennessee have played 95 times since 1901, a game so revered it's named for its traditional place on the calendar, the Third Saturday in October.
And Ole Miss would probably rather play Vanderbilt every season instead of Florida, Georgia or South Carolina, and Mississippi State isn't going pass up a chance to play Kentucky every year.
"There's never going to be a fair way," said Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin, whose Aggies drew Missouri as a permanent crossover opponent. "If you look back seven or eight years ago, you would have said the SEC East was the strongest division. You can't say what's fair, because things change in this league. You can't look at tradition. Ten years ago, you might have wanted to play South Carolina. Now you don't want anything to do with them. You don't know what Tennessee is going to do with a new coach. I know Butch Jones is going to do a great job."
Florida-LSU has become one of the league's most anticipated games every season. They've been two of the league's most dominant teams over the past decade. They've combined to appear in seven SEC championship games since 2003, and they've combined to play in nine BCS bowl games, including five BCS national championship games. In their past 10 meetings, LSU and Florida were both ranked in the top 25 of the coaches' poll nine times. Conversely, Alabama and Tennessee were both ranked only once in their past 10 meetings.
The loser of the Florida-LSU regular-season game has paid dearly over the past 10 seasons. LSU's 23-10 loss at Florida in 2006 knocked the Tigers out of the SEC championship game (the Gators defeated Arkansas 38-28 and then blasted Ohio State 41-14 to win the BCS title). Last year, LSU's 14-6 loss at Florida probably cost it a spot in the AT&T Cotton Bowl, if not another trip to a BCS bowl game.
Florida's losses to LSU in 2002, '05 and '07 kept them out of the SEC championship game and potentially BCS bowl games.
Miles also realizes the Tigers could play nine SEC games in the very near future.
Miles just doesn't think it's fair that LSU has to play Florida every season, while other teams in the SEC West don't.
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Derick E. Hingle/US PresswireUnder the current SEC scheduling format, Les Miles and LSU play Florida every season.
The league is expected to vote whether to change its current 6-1-1 format, in which teams play each opponent from their respective division, along with one rotating foe and one permanent opponent from the opposite division. SEC officials could vote this week to add a ninth conference game or at least eliminate permanent crossover opponents.
The SEC adopted its current scheduling format to ensure that longstanding rivalries like Alabama-Tennessee and Georgia-Auburn would survive expansion.
By drawing the Gators as a permanent crossover opponent, Miles believes the Tigers drew the short end of the stick.
Miles won't complain about the scheduling format publicly, but he knows LSU is at a disadvantage.
And Miles is probably right.
"When they give us our schedule, I'm looking forward to having a great competition," Miles said.
Since 2000, LSU has played Florida and Georgia -- two of the SEC East's best programs -- a total of 17 times. Auburn is the only SEC West team which has faced those teams more often, playing them 19 times. Arkansas, Mississippi State and Ole Miss have faced them a total of 10 times each, while Alabama has played them only eight times.
While it's not fair that LSU has faced the Bulldogs and Gators nearly twice as often as Alabama has played them since 2000, Miles' argument might fall on deaf ears. Auburn and Georgia aren't going to surrender the longtime series -- the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry has been played 116 times since 1892. Likewise, Alabama and Tennessee have played 95 times since 1901, a game so revered it's named for its traditional place on the calendar, the Third Saturday in October.
And Ole Miss would probably rather play Vanderbilt every season instead of Florida, Georgia or South Carolina, and Mississippi State isn't going pass up a chance to play Kentucky every year.
"There's never going to be a fair way," said Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin, whose Aggies drew Missouri as a permanent crossover opponent. "If you look back seven or eight years ago, you would have said the SEC East was the strongest division. You can't say what's fair, because things change in this league. You can't look at tradition. Ten years ago, you might have wanted to play South Carolina. Now you don't want anything to do with them. You don't know what Tennessee is going to do with a new coach. I know Butch Jones is going to do a great job."
Florida-LSU has become one of the league's most anticipated games every season. They've been two of the league's most dominant teams over the past decade. They've combined to appear in seven SEC championship games since 2003, and they've combined to play in nine BCS bowl games, including five BCS national championship games. In their past 10 meetings, LSU and Florida were both ranked in the top 25 of the coaches' poll nine times. Conversely, Alabama and Tennessee were both ranked only once in their past 10 meetings.
The loser of the Florida-LSU regular-season game has paid dearly over the past 10 seasons. LSU's 23-10 loss at Florida in 2006 knocked the Tigers out of the SEC championship game (the Gators defeated Arkansas 38-28 and then blasted Ohio State 41-14 to win the BCS title). Last year, LSU's 14-6 loss at Florida probably cost it a spot in the AT&T Cotton Bowl, if not another trip to a BCS bowl game.
Florida's losses to LSU in 2002, '05 and '07 kept them out of the SEC championship game and potentially BCS bowl games.
BATON ROUGE, La. -- Sometimes a picnic is just a picnic.
LSU hosted its annual Bayou Picnic recruiting day Saturday, an invitation-only event targeting select high-profile recruiting targets. And while some recruits were on "commitment alert," the Tigers had not landed any new commitments by the time Memorial Day weekend ended.
That's not to say it wasn't a significant event in the recruiting process.
LSU hosted its annual Bayou Picnic recruiting day Saturday, an invitation-only event targeting select high-profile recruiting targets. And while some recruits were on "commitment alert," the Tigers had not landed any new commitments by the time Memorial Day weekend ended.
That's not to say it wasn't a significant event in the recruiting process.
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The No. 2 player in the country is going to Michigan. The Wolverines coaches are elated five-star Paramus (N.J.) Catholic cornerback Jabrill Peppers is headed to Ann Arbor, but that means five other coaching staffs are going back to the recruiting board and moving on down the list.
So where do those five teams go from here?
So where do those five teams go from here?
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For most college football recruits, announcing a top 12 doesn’t attract a ton of views. For someone like ESPN 150 safety Jamal Adams (Lewisville, Texas/Hebron), a top 12 is news that many programs have anticipated for months.
That’s because Adams, a 6-foot, 199-pound, four-star defensive back, has been quite vocal about his high school football team's expectations and teammates but very tight-lipped about his recruiting. Many have speculated his interest, but he’s rarely confirmed or denied any reports.
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Defensive back Jabrill Peppers (Paramus, N.J./Paramus Catholic), the No. 2 ranked player in the country, is set to make his decision at 5 p.m. on Sunday on ESPNU.
Here’s a look at how his recruitment has progressed along the way to his decision.
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BATON ROUGE, La. -- GeauxTigerNation writer Gary Laney took your questions:
From: Hunter Johnson: Do you think LSU would rather sign Racean Thomas or Darrel Williams at running back with Leonard Fournette, and does Kwon Alexander being from the same high school as Thomas helps us? Also any update on the situation at kicker?
From: Hunter Johnson: Do you think LSU would rather sign Racean Thomas or Darrel Williams at running back with Leonard Fournette, and does Kwon Alexander being from the same high school as Thomas helps us? Also any update on the situation at kicker?
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BATON ROUGE, La. -- GTN writer Gary Laney took your questions, which were so plentiful this week we decided to spread the mailbag over two days. Look for more on Friday.
From Georgia Tiger Fan (from Tuesday's chat): How close is LSU to winning another national championship?
Gary Laney: A nice broad question. LSU is going to be in a position in the next two years where, if it plays well and catches a couple of breaks, it could put itself in position to be in the serious national championship conversation in mid November, which is all anybody can ask for.
From Georgia Tiger Fan (from Tuesday's chat): How close is LSU to winning another national championship?
Gary Laney: A nice broad question. LSU is going to be in a position in the next two years where, if it plays well and catches a couple of breaks, it could put itself in position to be in the serious national championship conversation in mid November, which is all anybody can ask for.
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An offer from an SEC school often makes recruits take a step back and re-evaluate a top group or a commitment.
That's not the case with Jared Wangler (Warren, Mich./De La Salle). LSU offered the 6-foot-2, 218-pound outside linebacker Wednesday, but he remains committed to Penn State.
That's not the case with Jared Wangler (Warren, Mich./De La Salle). LSU offered the 6-foot-2, 218-pound outside linebacker Wednesday, but he remains committed to Penn State.
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BATON ROUGE, La. -- The spring game is back in Louisiana.
Gone for several years because of a change in the Louisiana High School Athletic Association rules, spring games returned this year and provided great evaluation opportunities for coaches. You had matchups like West Monroe (with ESPN 150 offensive tackle Cameron Robinson) against Monroe Neville (ESPN 150 safety Laurence "Hootie" Jones).
You had quarterback Brandon Harris (Bossier City/Parkway) putting up big yards in a spring game. You had Baton Rouge's University Lab, featuring three major prospects in three different classes -- 2014 ESPN 150 offensive lineman Garrett Brumfield (LSU commit), 2015 running back prospect Nick Brossette and 2017 stud Dylan Moses -- taking on rising class 5A power Zachary.
It's May in Louisiana, but around high school campuses, there's a touch of September.
This week's targets: LSU's coaches were spread out at spring games over the weekend.
Gone for several years because of a change in the Louisiana High School Athletic Association rules, spring games returned this year and provided great evaluation opportunities for coaches. You had matchups like West Monroe (with ESPN 150 offensive tackle Cameron Robinson) against Monroe Neville (ESPN 150 safety Laurence "Hootie" Jones).
You had quarterback Brandon Harris (Bossier City/Parkway) putting up big yards in a spring game. You had Baton Rouge's University Lab, featuring three major prospects in three different classes -- 2014 ESPN 150 offensive lineman Garrett Brumfield (LSU commit), 2015 running back prospect Nick Brossette and 2017 stud Dylan Moses -- taking on rising class 5A power Zachary.
It's May in Louisiana, but around high school campuses, there's a touch of September.
This week's targets: LSU's coaches were spread out at spring games over the weekend.
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LSU and Ohio State were the top two for ESPN 150 wide receiver Saeed Blacknall. Now the two are bookends for the Manalapan (N.J.) High School star's top five.
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NEW ORLEANS -- There are probably a lot of kids at St. Augustine High School who can do an impression of Avery Johnson, the former NBA player and coach with the distinctive, high-pitched voice.
They could probably tell you their favorite play by the "Honey Badger," Tyrann Mathieu, and they've seen the exploits of BenJarvus Green-Ellis on NFL Sundays.
Indeed, St. Augustine, New Orleans' historically African-American all-boys Catholic High school, has a rich history of stars including the two mentioned above.
They could probably tell you their favorite play by the "Honey Badger," Tyrann Mathieu, and they've seen the exploits of BenJarvus Green-Ellis on NFL Sundays.
Indeed, St. Augustine, New Orleans' historically African-American all-boys Catholic High school, has a rich history of stars including the two mentioned above.
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BATON ROUGE, La. -- It was just 10 days ago that LSU fans were excited to have landed junior college receiver D'haquille Williams (Reserve, La./Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College).
Not so fast.
Not so fast.
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GeauxTigerNation's Gary Laney talked all things LSU football, from the upcoming season to the 2014 recruiting class, in ESPN.com SportsNation.
Click here for the transcript.
Click here for the transcript.
BATON ROUGE, La. -- In Catholic High's weight room -- a modern, updated facility named for Catholic alum Gayle Hatch, the coach of the 2004 U.S. men's Olympic weightlifting team -- Bears head football coach Dale Weiner created a Wall of Fame of sorts, photos of Bears who have gone on to play college football.
In the middle of the photos of many of the 127 players who have gone on to play college football during Weiner's 26 years as head coach (he'll start year No. 27 this fall) are the words "Tradition Never Graduates."
In the middle of the photos of many of the 127 players who have gone on to play college football during Weiner's 26 years as head coach (he'll start year No. 27 this fall) are the words "Tradition Never Graduates."
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ABOUT GEAUX TIGER NATION
Gary Laney
Gary Laney joined ESPN.com in 2012 after spending a year and a half as online sports editor of the Baton Rouge (La.) Advocate. Before that, he covered LSU sports for the Advocate. He has also been the sports editor at the Beaumont (Texas) Enterprise and covered McNeese State athletics for the Lake Charles (La.) American Press. Laney currently lives in Baton Rouge. Email him at glaneyespn@gmail.com