Les Miles achieves his greatest upset victory
He rode off the field on his players’ shoulders, the crowd chanting his name: “Keep Les Miles! Keep Les Miles!”
And then instead of an emotional farewell for Les Miles, we got a big surprise.
There wasn’t anything special Saturday about LSU’s 19-7 victory against Texas A&M. It absolutely was not the kind of emphatic statement that would have indicated LSU was ready to challenge Alabama again for Southeastern Conference supremacy — which, of course, is what all this has been about, the reason Miles was about to be unceremoniously dumped.
But somehow sanity prevailed in Baton Rouge.
Miles isn’t going anywhere. The coach with the highest winning percentage in school history, the guy with the quirky play calls and news conferences but also a national title and a run of success unmatched at LSU, is keeping his job, as he should.
It’s the biggest upset Miles has ever pulled off.
It’s pretty clear the powers that be were ready to pay Miles up to $15 million to be rid of him and then to pay more to lure Jimbo Fisher from Florida State.
With reports Saturday afternoon saying Fisher had told the Florida State president he wasn’t going anywhere, Miles’ status probably grew a little more secure. LSU could fire him, but it better have a homerun hire lined up. If it wasn’t Fisher, who would it be?
And so Miles survives to coach again at Tiger Stadium.
Between now and the 2016 season, he would be wise to revamp his offensive philosophy. With Leonard Fournette returning, Miles doesn’t need to get wacky. But it’s time to go hire an offensive coordinator who can bring in a consistent, effective passing game and who can develop quarterbacks (the model would be what Bob Stoops did in hiring Lincoln Riley last offseason, and see how that’s worked out for Oklahoma).
That would be the shrewd play by Miles, though in the news conference Saturday,
even as he said he would consider staff changes, he sounded lukewarm on the idea. He should consider it, though, because the real issue hasn’t changed: He always has been and will continue to be measured against Nick Saban, his predecessor. It’s not a favorable comparison.
Since beating Alabama 9-6 in overtime in Tuscaloosa in 2011, the Tigers are 0-5 against the Crimson Tide (which, to LSU fans, means against Saban). And since then, even as Alabama has continued its run near the top of college football and mostly atop the SEC West, LSU has clearly slipped.
In Miles’ first seven seasons through 2011, LSU was 75-18, with a national championship in 2007 and two SEC titles. Since then, the Tigers are 35-14 overall and 19-12 in SEC play.
LSU was ranked No. 2 in the first College Football Playoff top 25 this month. But in three consecutive losses by double digits, the Tigers’ flaws were exposed, and they were familiar.
Miles’ best teams were built on fast, physical defenses and powerful running games. But pedestrian quarterback play also was a consistent feature. When the run game was slowed, the Tigers often couldn’t pass their way out of trouble.
But dumping Miles was always a dicey idea. Here’s a bulletin: Whenever the next coach arrives — and whoever he is — he won’t be Saban, either.
Miles didn’t know he was staying until after the game. And after this episode, perhaps the LSU power brokers involved should be concerned about their status. As for Miles? Maybe we shouldn’t be surprised after all.
He’s well known for pulling miracle finishes out of his hat.