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It was one of the most bizarre finishes to a season in recent memory. Head coach Les Miles waving farewell to the Tiger Stadium crowd following the final home game of the 2015 season. His fate believed to be sealed, only to find out minutes later that this big cat had more lives left to live in Baton Rouge.
It was just a month earlier that LSU was riding high with a 7-0 record and the Heisman frontrunner in its backfield. But injuries and a one-dimensional offense met with the meat of their schedule and the Tigers lost the next three games, falling out of the national picture as Leonard Fournette dropped out of the Heisman hunt as well.
There was a promise to tweak an offense that began and ended with Fournette. But Tigers fans have grown tired of that same old song and dance from Miles.
So, entering his 12th season at LSU, what will Miles bring to the table for 2016? Like Miles, offensive coordinator Cam Cameron survived the late-season collapse and will again head up the offense. What can we expect from Dave Aranda, LSU’s third defensive coordinator in three years?
Those are questions LSU faithful are anxious to have answered as the 2016 season approaches.
ON-FIELD PERFORMANCE
SEC standing: Among the best
Grade: B
The Tigers are always competitive. However, over the past couple of seasons they haven’t won the big games and have had to settle for also-ran status and lower bowl invitations.
With Fournette leading the way, LSU led the SEC and finished seventh nationally in rushing yards (257.4) last season. Fournette is back after leading the nation last year in yards per game (162.7).
A distant fifth in the SEC in total defense last season, yielding an average of 347.2 yards per game, Aranda will be tasked with tightening that group up a bit to the levels of Alabama, Missouri, Georgia and Florida, all of which allowed 310 or fewer.
But the biggest anchor over the past couple of seasons has been an inconsistent passing game. The Tigers ranked 11th in the SEC last season, averaging just 179.8 yards per game through the air. Only Auburn, Vanderbilt and Missouri threw for fewer yards per game.
It was play-calling as much as execution. LSU only attempted 23 passes per game, fewest in the conference, 116th nationally.
RECRUITING
SEC standing: Behind only Alabama
2016 rank: No. 3 nationally, No. 2 in SEC
Grade: A+
The Tigers continue to be filthy rich with talent. Miles has constantly brought in recruiting classes that rank near the top in the country. It’s been a blessing and a curse at the same time. With such talent, expectations are naturally through the roof and the Tigers haven’t seriously challenged for a championship since 2011.
It certainly hasn’t been for a lack of talent. In the most recent recruiting class, Miles brought in six players rank among the top five in the country at their respective positions, and 10 in the top 10 at their positions.
It was only a last-minute push by Alabama and Florida State that prevented LSU from hauling in the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation.
PLAYER DEVELOPMENT
SEC standing: Average
Grade: C+
This has been the rub at LSU since the Miles era. He brings in the talent but doesn’t develop it. There’s no more glaring area to back that argument than at quarterback. Neither Anthony Jennings nor Brandon Harris has shown signs of improvement and some would say that both have regressed.
Jennings’ stock plummeted to the point of being benched. Harris went from a completion percentage in 2014 of 55.6 to 53.6 in 2015, and although he more than doubled his touchdown throws (from 6 to 13) he also tripled the number of interceptions thrown (from 2 to 6).
Still, it’s almost a no-win situation for Miles and his staff when it comes to developing what most already consider the nation’s top talent. There’s almost nowhere to go but down, and it would be safe to say that the best a coach could hope for would be to maintain that higher level of excellence.
But numbers don’t lie and LSU leads the SEC with 64 NFL draft picks in the Miles era, including 13 first-round picks. LSU led the nation with nine picks in 2014 after setting the school record of nine the year before.
In 2015, LSU had 40 players on NFL opening day rosters, according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune, and five made the Pro Bowl.
FACILITIES
SEC standing: Among the best
Grade: A
LSU has some of the finest facilities in the SEC and the country. And it has Nick Saban to thank for that. It was during the Saban era that LSU upgraded its lagging facilities. And the school did it up right and continues to maintain that status long after the Saban era.
From training and weight rooms to coaches and players lounges, to meeting and training rooms, LSU’s facilities don’t take a back seat. Recent renovations to Tiger Stadium put LSU among the top three in the SEC in capacity. Seating 102,321, Tiger Stadium is behind only Texas A&M (102,512) and Tennessee (102,455).
Even mascot Mike the Tiger has had his facilities vastly improved. His habitat, just a few steps from Tiger Stadium, went from 2,000 to 15,000 square feet and includes a waterfall and stream as well as trees and plants.
COACHING
SEC standing: Comparable
Grade: B-
Miles has brought in the talent to LSU. He gets his players to play for him. Nobody can argue with that. But the gameplan hasn’t evolved, and that’s what has infuriated LSU fans since his arrival.
Wasting talent continues to be the knock. Forget Alabama and its four titles in seven years. Auburn has won one national title and played for another since Miles won his only championship at LSU in 2007.
Ole Miss has beaten Alabama in consecutive seasons. LSU has lost five straight to Saban’s bunch.
Still those on Miles’ side are fiercely loyal to “The Mad Hatter” and will unabashedly defend the grass-eating, clumsy clapping goofy character on the sidelines who has maintained perhaps the greatest era in LSU football history.
You can’t argue with victories and Miles has them piled up over 11 years at LSU, averaging 10 wins per season in that span.
Now the dean of SEC football coaches, Miles has won 10 or more games a school-record seven times and is second all-time in victories (112) at LSU to Charlie McClendon (137).
The Tigers have also earned bowl bids in 16 consecutive seasons, beginning with Saban’s first season there in 2000.
Miles is the only coach in LSU history to beat Auburn, Florida and Alabama in the same season. He’s done it three times.
Glenn Sattell is an award-winning freelance writer for Saturday Down South.
