Morning Wrap: Les Miles: "I'm Not Leaving for Michigan"

We were pretty sure that Les Miles wasn't leaving LSU to go to Michigan this time after what he went through back in 2007. And with all the success he's had at LSU.

But it didn't stop people from asking--or at least raising the question.

Miles put a stop to it all Monday evening after reports began circulating the Wolverines reached out to him about the job.

The 61-year old Miles has won 103 games in 10 seasons in Baton Rouge and at this point there's no good reason for him to leave.

Michigan has not found a coach yet and speculation is they are waiting on San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh to leave his current job. There are few "big name" coaches out there and even fewer that would take the Wolverines job, once considered a plum, now just considered a fading program trying to relive past glory.

But this story is always a good excuse to roll out one of our favorite Les quotes of all time (there are many). It took place after ESPN had reported he would take the Michigan job in 2007. Which was not true.

And because we can say that we had to scramble that morning to cover this press conference, which took place the afternoon before the SEC Championship game. We left, like many others, laughing.

Les Miles is One of a Kind: Calls Out Someone for Wearing Red

((ht: saturdaydownsouth.com))

Oh you Les Miles, never change.

Ever.

We had to share this after seeing it because LSU Les is truly one of the best press conference/interview guys in all of sports today.

He always shares whatever is on his mind. Granted, it doesn't always make sense, but he rarely holds back.

And we love him for it.

Check out the beginning of his weekly presser where he calls out someone for wearing red. (It's Alabama week). Mind you, we think the whole issue of calling out people in the media for wearing an shirt the color of the opposing team is completely childish and stupid, but that's another conversation for another day.

Here is the world this week according to Les:

Morning Roundup: LSU Takes Down Ole Miss in Bizarre Finish

Usually it's LSU that ends up with the bizarre and strange Les Miles-ish type finish. But not on Saturday night.

#24 LSU upset #3 Ole Miss after one of the strangest finishes this season.

The Tigers were up by 3, 10-7 with less than 2 minutes to go when Ole Miss got the ball. All Rebel QB Bo Wallace had to do was get the ball downfield far enough to get at least a field goal to get the tie and put the game in overtime.

And Wallace moved his team down the field, albeit with the help bad pass interference penalty against LSU. He got them close enough for a potential 42-yard kick to tie the game.

That's when the chaos ensued.

Ole Miss couldn't decide what to do with :09 left and got a delay of game penalty, which backed up the kick 5 yards.

Still makable for most SEC kickers. Gary Wunderlich, the kicker is fairly accurate, but not with a big leg. His long on the season 46.

Instead, Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze decided to run another play, it was 3rd down. Wallace dropped back with instructions to either throw a quick hitter to get closer for Wunderlich or throw the ball into the stands.

Wallace tried to throw it to a double covered receiver in the end zone.

It was intercepted. Game over, LSU wins.

Perhaps the only offensive highlight of the game--Leonard Fournette ran for 113 yards for LSU, who also turned the ball over 4 times.

The win moves the Tigers to 7-2 overall, 3-2 in the SEC. Ole Miss drops to 7-1, 4-1 in the SEC.

Your highlights from ESPN:

ICYMI: LSU Star DB Arrested, Jailed and Suspended From Team

((ht: wafb.com))

It appears...at this moment that LSU and coach Les Miles might need a new defensive back.

Jalen Mills, a two year starter at cornerback, was arrested Wednesday morning. The arrest stems from  a May incident at his apartment where he's charged with punching a female n the mouth.

Mills is facing 2nd degree battery charges. LSU's Sports Information Office says Mills has been "Suspended" from the team.

According to the Police report, the woman knocked on Mills's door looking for a friend. Mills allegedly got angry and shut the door in the woman's face. The report also says the woman knocked again, turned to leave and after hearing something, turned back around and was punched in mouth.

Read more from WAFB.com RIGHT HERE

The part of this story that is disturbing follows:

The woman, who was allegedly knocked unconscious and got stitches put in her lip, contacted police on or around May 29th. And Baton Rouge Police got ahold of Mills on May 29th.

He told them he was in Houston and wouldn't be back until June 9th. They made arrangements to talk in person that day.

Mills never showed up for the meeting or answered his phone. That's when the arrest warrant was taken out.

So, here is a question--If you knocked a woman out cold and left town, would police bring you back? Maybe, maybe not.

If you knocked a woman out who wanted to press charges and identified you in a lineup, would not an arrest warrant be taken out on you? And would the local P.D not be asked to round you up?

Yeah, they probably would. Oh, wait, you play football? Okay, maybe not then....

Unfortunately, LSU has a track record of having a short term memory on things like this. (See Hill, Jeremy). So while Mills is "Suspended Indefinitely", we are suspicious how long "Indefinitely" will be.

You're up Les...

WAFB-TV has more:

WAFB 9 News Baton Rouge, Louisiana News, Weather, Sports

Ole Miss Upsets LSU 27-24 Capping A Wild Day In The SEC

LSU's National Championship hopes died Saturday night in Oxford, Mississippi.

Ole Miss kicker Andrew Ritter nailed a 41 yard field goal with two seconds left to win it for the Rebels 27-24.



“I knew I had to make that second one." Ritter said.  "The first one was going to be the difference, but I was fortunate enough to have another opportunity. I had to for my team; I didn’t want to let them and these unbelievable fans down. I just put it in God’s hands and I was fortunate enough it went through.”

 "That kick will make memories of a lifetime for him." Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze said. "I envisioned it just how it happened."

The vision of Rebel fans celebrating a Magnolia Bowl win over Ole Miss and then the chaotic celebration in the Ole Miss locker is one Freeze won't forget.

“It’s pretty crazy in there right now." Freeze said.  "It’s great to beat one of your biggest rivals and to capture the Magnolia Bowl for Ole Miss."

Ole Miss defensive end Cameron Whigham summed up what Ole Miss' win over LSU means.

This is the biggest win of my life; I’m just so proud to be a part of the Ole Miss family and be able to compete with my brothers each Saturday for 60 minutes.”  Whigham said.

ICYMI--From Les Miles With Love: Happy Columbus Day

God LSU Football Coach Les Miles is either intentionally or unintentionally one of the funniest college football coaches of all-time.

After beating Florida and explaining the irrelevance of a "Hammer and Nail" question on Saturday, Monday at his afternoon presser, Les shared a wish that so very few ever have---



Thank you sir and we hope you had a happy and healthy one....

ICYMI: Les Miles Wants You To Know About The Hammer and Nail

God we love Les Miles.

He is truly one of a kind, one of the few coaches in football...or any other sport that you have no idea what he is going to say during a press conference.

And we love that.

He will call you out for asking stupid questions. He'll let you know if he's happy or if he's sad.

And yes, despite the below video, he's pretty happy today after his Tigers beat a physical Florida team 17-6 in Death Valley.

That's when a reporter tried to come up with an analogy comparing this win to last years loss to Florida and a hammer and nail

The rest is pure Les:



CBS Sports gives us Saturday's highlights:

Ess-E-Cee The Early: Sakerlina Survives, Tennessee Survives, UGA Survives

((HT: SECDN/ESPN))

It was the theme of the day (early on, anyway) in the Ess-E-Cee where teams got skeered and still won...

Example Number One: Sakerlina was on the road and had to deal with this injury while playing in one of the more obnoxious environments around- the on-campus stadium at UCF...


The HQ covered Davis in high school at Stephenson High in suburban Atlanta... the kid can flat out run...
And UCF made a lot of people happy with their back door cover...

Example Number Two: The HQ never thought we would ever hear the voice of the Volunteers, Bob Kessling, ever talk about the Volunteers "surviving" a game against South Alabama (of all teams), but that did happen...

Vols only win by 7...
At home...
Against South Alabama...

The HQ would write that line again, but we don't know if we would believe it if we wrote it ourselves...

What is the world coming to...???


And, then, the 3:30 game...

Aaron Murray throws for four scores and may be the best one-loss team in 'Murica right now having gone 2-1 in the top ten with the early part of their schedule in a 44-41 win...

Evidence below that tied the game at 14...
((HT: SECDN/SEC on CBS))

Oke State Addresses Upcoming SI Article

((HT: Newsok.com))

Or, at least, they kinda did...

Head football coach Mike Gundy didn't say anything at his Monday press conference... he just read...
((HT: Oklahoma State Athletics))


But AD Mike Holder did...

The Sports Illustrated article alleges five fronts:

There was an alleged pay-for-play set up by an ex-coach as well as sham jobs...
Widespread academic misconduct...
Selective enforcement of the university drug policy
That the Orange Pride, the hostess staff engaged in sexual activity with recruits
Athletes who were of no use to the program any more were "cast aside..."

The next few days in Stillwater will be interesting...

ICYMI: Jeremy Hill Returns to LSU Football

((ht: cbssports.com))

Okay then.

2012's leading rusher for the LSU Tigers was allowed to return to the practice field Monday afternoon after his probation was extended by a Baton Rouge judge.

Jeremy Hill pled guilty to charges in April that he punched a man at a local bar. Hill was already on probation after an illicit encounter with a juvenile while still in high school.

The judge decided Hill should spend 40 hours doing community service and renewed the probation restrictions already imposed on him. She also allowed him the ability to take part in team activities.

Shortly thereafter, the LSU team took a vote to allow Hill to return. Coach Les Miles said that Hill would be subject to internal punishment, but didn't elaborate on what that would be.

NOLA.com provides video of Miles talking about Hill's situation Monday morning:

SEC Media Days Day #3: Nick Saban is Like Hitler

((ht: al.com))

The circus known as SEC Media Days has officially come to an end. Nobody was injured in the scrum, at least that we were aware of, but several slightly odd things came out of an event that is uniquely Alabamian.

Where as Day #1 featured Florida coach Will Muschamp taking a few thinly veiled swipes at former coach Urban Meyer and Meyer's new school Ohio State, Day #2 was highlighted by Javedon Clowney with a wink and smile telling the assembled masses that most of the SEC's quarterbacks and Clemson's Tajh Boyd are all afraid of him.

And then there was Day #3.

Among the highlights. Our favorite, Les Miles, going all-Les on a variety of topics:

((thanks XOSSports))

 

And Georgia QB Aaron Murray who, along with Coach Mark Richt, found Clowney's comments pretty funny:





And then the quote of the day courtesy of the huddled masses waiting for the star of the day, Alabama Coach Nick Saban. When asked about his coach, an Alabama fan named Lee Allen made a bit of an unfortunate analogy, comparing him to "Hitler", telling AL.com reporter Jon Solomon; "He's kind of like Hitler, he's a dictator. He brought us back to the top and I figure we're going to be here for awhile"

Read Solomon's entire article on the goings on RIGHT HERE

Having worked SEC Media days several times over the course of our career, nothing that comes out of it is surprising. With over 1200 huddled media members and hundreds of fans crammed into a small portion of the Winfrey Hotel, the event is literally like a traveling circus with both media types and fans falling all over each other trying to see or talk to their favorite coach or player.

If you've never been and are a football fan, we recommend going at least once. It's a sight and experience you just can't get anywhere else. If you want to see a slice of the U.S Sports Nation these days, there is no better place then outside Birmingham, Alabama. If you want to see the theater of the absurd in the same place, you can easily kill two birds with one stone, right there...

Honey Badger Likes The Weed and LSU Apparently Ignored It

((ht: usatoday.com))

So, let's read a little bit between the lines here on a story reported this morning by Jarrett Bell, USA Today's NFL writer.

Tyrann Mathieu, he of the "Honey Badger" fame at LSU, is telling NFL teams he failed more than 10 drug tests in his 2-years at LSU.

And it appears it took that many before LSU decided they finally should do something about it....

As Mathieu makes the rounds of NFL teams, trying to convince them to draft him, an assistant for a team he's already visited tells Bell, that Mathieu is admitting this.

Hmmmm...

Read the entire USA Today story RIGHT HERE

Mathieu's agent tells USA Today that his client is on a "Business Trip" when he visits the teams and he's being completely honest.

Which is nice.

((**UPDATE**--LSU released a statement from Mathieu praising the school and their drug testing program and complaining about information being released about him from the interviews. And while the LSU website says 'He disputes it', if you read what he said, he doesn't deny anything--Read the statement RIGHT HERE ))

It's good business and necessary if Mathieu ever wants a shot at playing in the NFL. However, the question, raised in the story, but not elaborated on is this: Why did LSU do essentially nothing to help the kid?"

And before you, LSU fan says, "It's not OUR responsibility"...we'd argue, yes, it WAS. Obviously the kid has a problem with recreational drug use. He's admitting it.

And yeah, sure LSU and Les Miles, you eventually suspended and kicked him off the team, but not before passing the double digit mark for failed drug tests.

Sorry, at most other schools, we're pretty sure that doesn't happen.

The only conclusion one could draw is that Les Miles or someone in Baton Rouge decided to overlook the issue. Or ignore it.

Maybe because the "Honey Badger" was one of their stars. Maybe because the team was trying to win a national title in 2011. Or maybe it was "We though keeping him around would help him".

Well, it didn't.

It's not our place to preach, but: Is it not the responsibility of a University or in this case an athletic program to recognize a kid in need? Should it not be incumbent on them to force the kid to seek help? And hey, who knows, maybe they finally got around to doing that. But it's hard to believe that there was not mention of failing drug tests 1 through 10--or more, it wasn't until well into double figures before they decided to finally step in.

We're sure the SEC won't do anything about this. In fact they will more than likely ignore it with the hope that it goes away. You can make the argument that ignoring the results of a drug test is a potential NCAA violation, but considering the NCAA's track record of late, we doubt they'll wade into this.

Should there be an investigation. Yes. Will there be. No.

In the end, yeah, sure, you can say it's an "SEC" thing--cheating to win and you probably wouldn't be wrong. The problem we, and YOU should have with what LSU did... or didn't do is "At what cost does ignorance become bliss?"

Les Miles+Harlem Shake= The End Of The World

((HT: LSU Football))

The HQ has always thought the Minnesota Timberwolves response to this foul dance craze was the best ever...
Remember...???


Then, Les Miles did this...


Can this officially stop now...???
The HQ implores it to stop...

(Opinion) Coaching Carousel gets stupid: Les Miles and Jon Gruden stuff

Okay. This one has been bothering me for awhile.

It's bad enough that college football schools just randomly, willy-nilly fire coaches. But what is worse is the random speculation that seems to fly out of left field for who will replace them.

Sure, I get that over-zealous alumni think that if they get a new football coach that they'll get a "Big Name" guy and he'll fix everything, but how often does that work?

It was absolutely amazing on Tuesday to see how fast the Les Miles/Arkansas rumor flew around the Internet. Yes, it came from a pretty reliable blog (Sports by Brooks), that is often ahead of the mainstream media when it comes to big-ticket stories. But Brooks's Tweet that Arkansas made a 5-year, $27.5 million offer for Miles to leave LSU to come to Arkansas went viral in hours. Heck, it was mentioned during the Indiana/North Carolina basketball game last night.

Read the ESPN.com story on it RIGHT HERE

The problem with it...

While maybe Arkansas asked Miles agent about it, there is and was no way that it would ever happen. It would defy any kind of logic. Sure, Les is a bit of a wild-card...but. A successful, national championship level coach spurns the team he's coached for years to jump to a wannabe? No, not in our lifetime.

We do however believe Arkansas floated the offer. (The Times-Picayune in New Orleans reported it too)  But we would also add that there is a BIG difference between an offer being made and someone actually considering it. 

And then there is this.

WREG-TV in Memphis is now reporting that Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam has offered former Tampa Bay Buccaneer coach and current ESPN football analyst Jon Gruden a share of the Browns if he'll take a contract offer from the University of Tennessee.

Read that story RIGHT HERE

The problem.

(1) Gruden is still being paid by Tampa Bay and the NFL won't allow him to double dip.
(2) Gruden just started a new deal with ESPN.
(3) According to multiple NFL reporters, the Browns deny any knowledge or existence of said offer.
(4) Haslam himself denies this.

The real issue here is the Tennessee fans believe that Gruden should be there coach. And they will say anything to make it happen. Yeah, sure his wife went there and he was a grad assistant there for a year, but really, be honest with yourself Tennessee fan: Why would he take THAT job?

Unfortunately, this is all exacerbated by a local and to an extent national media who fan the flames by speculating who THEY think would be a good coach for them. Sometimes it's delusional (ie: James Franklin to NC State or Miles to Arkansas) and sometimes it's very good (ie: Mark Stoops to Kentucky).

And then there is Auburn. Auburn, a school teetering on the edge of probation and coming off the worst season in decades. A school with a lot of money and the stereotype of the way-too over-zealous fan base. And that fan base is a bit torn. Many want to hire Bobby Petrino, who would win, but further pile dirt upon the schools reputation. Or do they go the more traditional route and hire a Mark Hudspeth or Sonny Dykes? Inquiring minds want to know....

We totally get that everyone has an opinion. And college football fans think their team can achieve greatness simply by changing the coach. But not everyone is Nick Saban and not everyone associated with a big name means a ticket to greatness. Does anyone outside of Tennessee think Gruden can walk in and take a team that won 1 SEC game this year and contend for a title in 2013? How long a rope would he get before they'd be calling for his head too?

The thing everyone forgets is sometimes you have to get a really good assistant coach (ie: Wil Muschamp at Florida) or go to a coach who has had success at a lower level (ie: Hugh Freeze). There are guys out there who'd be great at a bigger school, if the alumni and media would allow the school to look at them.

They also forget that quite often a name is floated just for the simple fact that coach wants a better deal where he is. How many times does Jimbo Fisher's name get floated for jobs? Each time Miles name gets out there, he gets a bigger and better extension. Don't buy the hype, when these names get floated, it's usually an agent looking to get his guy more money.

We just wish that everyone would refrain from jumping to quick conclusions. The thing that so many schools, alumni, fans and media seem to forget is that sometimes the devil you've got is better than the devil you want.

Besides, Todd Graham can't have every job? Can he?

Welcome to Carousel:

Les Miles Should Lead Our Armed Forces From This Moment Forward...

((HT: Jacques Doucet))

Just watch his opening statement from the Ole Miss postgame press conference...


If this man does NOT lead men into battle to take any hill that needs to be taken, then we as a nation have sorely misplaced our value in enthusiastic leaders of young men...

The only things missing were the Jim Craig-like pose with Les wearing an American flag searching for Bobby Hebert and a quartet in perfect four-part harmony singing the "Battle Hymn of the Republic..."

Carry on 'muricah...
Your country and passions are safe for another night...

More LSU/Bama: Bobby Hebert tossed from Press Box

((ht: yahoo/forde))

Louisiana legend, former New Orleans Saints QB and New Orleans Sports Talk Radio host Bobby Hebert has what you could "Say" is a larger than life personality.

And that personality is not exactly endearing itself to those in charge at LSU.

You see, Mr. Hebert found himself being escorted from the press box Saturday night during the LSU/Alabama football game, after repeatedly being warned not to loudly cheer.

Yes, that is taboo in the world of the press box.

According to Yahoo Sports reporter Pat Forde, LSU's assistant AD Herb Vincent had to get a uniformed police officer to escort Mr. Hebert from the press box.

This comes after Hebert drew tons of attention after the LSU/Bama National Championship game in January when he tried to call out Tiger coach Les Miles during his post-game press conference and was HIGHLY critical of Miles play calling.

And SURPRISE: There is video--

ICYMI: Bama Escapes LSU In One Piece

AJ McCarron was, to put it in a word, REALLY ineffective in the second half against LSU as the top-ranked team in the country was in a fight that a lot of people knew would happen eventually...

"Every Thursday, we go through a two-minute drill," McCarron said after. "We go against a pretty tough defense in practice, too. The confidence level was that we would go and score a touchdown.

"This place is awesome to play in," he told ESPN. "It's something special to play here. Everyone had the look in their eyes that we would go down and win."

McCarron also joked that the offensive line wouldn't have to pay for a meal all week long when they return to Tuscaloosa...

Here's the end of the drive that took the Tide to the game-winning score for TJ Yeldon...
((HT: CBSSports.com))

 

72 yards in 43 seconds...
Not bad...

But the HQ, and a lot of people surrounding the HQ, thought that #lesbeingles killed Les Miles in this game as he went 0-for-3 in gambles (the fake FG, the onside kick, and the 4th-and-1 into the pile in the 4th quarter)...

And it will be the gambles that LSU people will remember...

So Much For That Whole South Carolina Thing...

((HT: ABCColumbia.com))

A lot of people were not surprised that this game in Death Valley:

1) Was a grinder and was played nowhere near the 20's and,
2) Would not be an upset if LSU actually won

So, there we are...

The LSU defense completely handcuffed Connor Shaw, kept him in the pocket, and forced the passing game to beat them instead of having the running game beat you in a confined space.

Offensively, it was simply to have Zach Mettenberger manage (as much as the HQ HATES THAT TERM) and just try not to screw things up when they needed him not to screw things up.

Freshman Jeremy Hill took up the slack on the ground with two scores and South Carolina, on the other hand, was held to 34 yards on the ground- 211 total.

Here's your wrap from FOSG Merissa Lynn in Lou-zee-anna...


"I don't know if he got hit in the head tonight or not," Spurrier said of Shaw after the game. "Some of his decision-making was a little off. Connor has played beautifully all year. He had some good plays tonight but he wasn't as sharp as he's been."

But, probably, the more telling words came from JD Clowney.

Whether or not the team pays attention to the words below will be the answer over the next few weeks as we hit the home stretch in the Ess-E-Cee:

"Some guys came out to play but some guys didn't. It may be because they were scared. We will address that in practice. We can't come out against Florida like that."

Now, will everyone listen to the young'un, or did he step out of line...???
That's the larger question...

This is EPIC: The "Dark Chiz Rises"

((ht: bloguin.com/crystalballrun))

Oh...my....gawd!

This is either--(a) Awesome or (b) Someone with WAY too much time on their hands.

The website "Run Crystal Ball Run" has come upon one of the funniest videos we've seen in a long time. (Yes, it may be funnier than the UGA Montana video in the previous story on OSG Sports)

You can read the story by following the link RIGHT HERE

The video, a trailer for the Batman "Dark Knight Rises" movie has some seriously funny photoshopped  pictures of embattled Auburn coach Gene Chizik and shots of LSU and coach Les Miles.

The editor also did a masterful job of manipulating the sound and story to make it applicable.

Revel in it's awesomeness:

Honey Badger to stay at LSU or not?

((ht: nola.com/espn.com))

This kind of depends on who you believe.

ESPN.com's Joe Schad reported on Monday that former LSU standout Tyrann Mathieu was considering staying at LSU after being dismissed from the football team late last week.

BUT...Nola.com reports that is indeed NOT true and not even possible. They quote sources as saying Mathieu is returning to home in New Orleans while investigating a move to FCS school McNeese State.

The question is: Who do you believe?

The ESPN.com story is RIGHT HERE

The NOLA.com story is RIGHT HERE

OSG Sports reported on Friday that even if Mathieu was dismissed as a 3rd drug violation, he would be forced to sit out for one season. But not forced to leave school, never to return.

You can read that story RIGHT HERE

Quite frankly, we think it's absurd Mathieu would sit out, then return to LSU, though stranger things have happened. There is no reason to believe that his sights are set on a career in the NFL and sitting out for at least a season for bad behavior will only hurt his cause.

No, he can go to McNeese, dominate there and write his own ticket, checkered history or not. Playing at the FCS level would not inhibit him getting to the NFL and as long as he behaves, there are a lot of things that pro teams will overlook, right or wrong.