LSU Does NOT Have a Quarterback Controversy

The Fighting Tigers of LSU are off to a 2-0 start and are ranked in the top 20, with one win in conference play. On paper, this sounds fantastic. But in a town that has been treated to two BCS National Championships in the past 7 seasons, expectations are high and simply having the higher final score is not good enough. It isn't just winning, but how the LSU Tigers win.

Only is a football town like Baton Rouge, Louisiana could a head football coach like Les Miles, who has won nearly 80% of his games and is now in his sixth year as head football coach, be on the hot seat. Tiger fans expect the team to contend for a National Championship very year, can accept an SEC Championship as a consolation prize, and some fans might put the tar-and-feathers, intended for the head coach, away until next season if the team can land in a BCS bowl game or finish in the top 10.

LSU has two quarterbacks on its roster that are serviceable, at any level: the starter, junior Jordan Jefferson, and redshirt junior Jarrett Lee. Jordan Jefferson struggled badly in the first half of the Tigers' game at Vanderbilt this past Saturday, finishing with an unimpressive 8 for 20 performance. And, in Tiger Country, any time the starting QB lays an egg, it's a rotten one. Many fans on message boards and talk radio shows have called for Coach Miles to make a change at the QB position, which Miles is, correctly (I believe), refusing to do on Saturday against the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the Tigers' home opener.

First and foremost, you do not play musical chairs with your starting quarterback and expect to have a consistent offense. One bad half of football, which is all any rational person using facts can come down on Jefferson for (especially in light of an efficient year last season - just look at the numbers), is not justification to shake up your entire offense and risk shaking the confidence of your starter. Lee trashed the entire 2008 season and when he was allowed behind the wheel last year, he looked exactly the same. Why would Les Miles want Lee doing anything not involving a mop (for mop up duty) unless Jefferson in injured?

A common evaluation that I hear about the LSU quarterback personnel is that Jordan Jefferson is a better athlete, but Jarrett Lee is a more effective leader. I completely disagree with the athlete/leader labels. Lee is the better athlete; look at him - big guy...cannon for an arm. But Lee is no leader on the field; he never has been. That is why he is not playing. LSU won the Vanderbilt game and was comfortably ahead when Lee entered the game. I cannot put any stock into the one meaningless attempt and completion that Lee had, except to say I am glad it wasn't to the other team. The rest of the 2010 season has had Jefferson at the controls.

LSU defeated a team ranked higher than they were in North Carolina. Suspensions or not, LSU could not have expected UNC to be a pushover. LSU blew a 20 point lead and did not secure the victory until the final play of the game. There was PLENTY of blame for the blown lead to go around in that game - especially coaching and playcalling, but not a QB who completed over 70% of his passes, 2 TDs and a meaningless INT on 3rd down at the end of the first half that functioned as a punt. What was the problem with the QB in that game? There was not any.

Then LSU blew away Vanderbilt in their own house. THAT is the goal in any SEC game. Much like in the NFL, an SEC win is a win is a win. Southeastern Conference football is not a video game. If the coach jerks the starter without a good reason (and I do not believe one ineffective half on the road is a good reason) more harm than good will happen to the team. Lee should get as many mop up reps as as the coaching staff can get him, just in case there is an injury to the starter, but Lee, to this point, has earned no more playing time than that.

Many fans have suggested that Lee may give LSU a better chance to win in spite of the (glaring) statistical differences. Supposedly, Jordan Jefferson has played "poorly" in both of his starts as he played "poor;y" last season. ‎Not looking up stats is another way of intentionally blinding one's self to facts to promote one's (likely weaker) position. If someone can make a case for a QB completing more than 70% of his passes with 2 touchdowns and an efficiency rating over 150 (which is what happened in the North Carolina game), I'd love to hear it.

Tiger fans and their perception of Jefferson (and QBs in general) have been skewed, for years, by the overall performance of the team. In the mid-2000s, too many Tiger fans, in my opinion threw former first-overall NFL draft pick JaMarcus Russell under the bus while he was at LSU. Yet he broke nearly every single season and many career LSU passing records (and a couple of SEC records). To some, Russell was good enough to be picked #1 overall in the NFL but not good enough for Tiger Town. Makes no sense.... It is not rational.

There are very few that would attempt to argue that Jefferson's performances have been much better than "average", on the whole, since he has been the LSU starter. Some have argued that Matt Stafford (also a top pick in the 2009 NFL draft) has a touchdown to interception ratio of nearly 1 to 2 in his freshman season at the University of Georgia. If Stafford recouped to become a great SEC quarterback, maybe Lee could too. But Matt Stafford's freshman numbers are still golden compared to those of Lee over Lee's entire collegiate career, especially considering the TDs Lee threw to his opponents (interceptions returned for touchdowns). Stafford's story after his freshman year was "success, success, success". Lee got a break and earned substantial playing time against the University of Alabama and started at home against Louisiana Tech in 2009. It looked like he hadn't learned anything since his freshman year. It was the same old story. I thought it was Groundhog Day!!!

If Jordan Jefferson hasn't done enough, based on his record since last year (6-3 in the SEC, 60%+ completions and a 19-9 TD-INT ratio, over a 130 efficiency rating) and in the first game...WHAT IN THE WORLD has Jarrett Lee done to not warrant yanking his scholarship? I understand why people who want to see Les Miles get fired want Jarrett Lee to play. That makes sense. Playing Lee might, no...will get him fired sooner.

That's RIGHT! Jarrett Lee is THE MAN!!!

I have seen absolutely nothing from Lee to instill me with any confidence...NONE...that he can LSU win any non-rent-a-win games, ever. Jefferson has lost four SEC games as a starter. How many has Lee WON? The answer is three - Auburn, MSU, and South Carolina  during the 2008 season- that's it. Not only did LSU lose every other time this black omen set foot on the field, but the Tigers were blasted by 14 or more points in three of those games.

Even in 2009, when Lee came on in relief against Bama...remember that LSU was up by four points at the half and was WINNING by five points when the 4th quarter started. Enter Jarrett Lee...exit LSU. Fortunately, Lee made up for the loss the following week in Tiger Stadium in that thrilling second half comeback by nipping 3-7 WAC juggernaut Louisiana Tech with that clutch 7 for 22 performance, overcoming the halftime deficit. Tongue planted firmly in cheek....

I have heard a lot of "what" from many Tiger fans, which is, "Bench Jefferson." I have heard very little "Why." Statistics are not everything in football and the QB is not solely responsible for wins and losses. But Jefferson's stats are far superior, his winning percentage is far superior. Jefferson's losses are nowhere near as embarrassing as those suffered by LSU when Jarrett Lee was the starting quarterback. Jefferson's worst game as a starter, Saturday, ended in a 24 point drubbing on an in conference opponent in their own house in which he regrouped and completed 63% of his 2nd half passes. After 18 starts, everyone deserves a clunker.

So...WHY would Les Miles be motivated to bench the superior producer and superior result-achiever (winning) for one who, just two years ago, had fans saying, "Hmm... a $19 million buyout? Well it's only money!" and, last year (along with the replay officials), contributed to costing us a shot at a BCS game by blowing a second half lead against Alabama. Why would Miles risk his future and reputation on the same young man that put the excitement back into home games against in-state rivals like Louisiana Tech?
 
Thanks for your interest in regaining the starting job, Mr. Lee, but, "Have a nice day!"

All LSU player photos from the media gallery of lsusports.net. Georgia photo from onlineathens.com.