National Title: 2009...maybe...just maybe?

So LSU seems poised to take the #1 recruiting class in college football.

Seems a little daunting for next year's opponents, right? Maybe, maybe not.

Coming off an 8-5 season (That still has me bewildered, I must say), the LSU Bayou Bengals are looking to return to grace and prove that its recent National Championship was no fluke.

Yes, the 51-21 blowout to Florida still burns and the 31-30 loss to Arkansas during the final seconds left most people scratching their heads, but I believe (and I hope that this belief is coated with realism and not optimism) that next year, LSU will be a forced to be reckoned with.

There's only one thing...

If you've ever walked around LSU's campus, there are usually bumper stickers, posters, etc. floating around on game day that state, "Fear the Hat."

Trust me, I do.

[Sidenote: Head Coach Les Miles was deemed "The Mad Hatter" following some of his play gambles (that happened to pay off) during the 2007 season. He also wears his hat perched atop his head, as if it's two sizes too small]

Granted, my football education stems about as far as, well, um...what I hear on TV but some of the things Les Miles does leads me to believe this man is, at times, truly beguiled.

For Example:

Trying to "stretch it out" (i.e. run out the game clock) with over three minutes left to play in regulation (and only a 6-point lead) during the Arkansas game. Huh??

Attempting a 62-yard field goal (in inclement weather) during the same game. What??

Or, my favorite, trying to get a first down on 3rd and 20 by running the ball straight up the middle (during the Alabama game). That's a winner.

There's lots to fear.

Conversely, Miles does occasionally pull a few tricks from his sleeve that yield a few tips of the hat (see: 35-3 victory over GA Tech in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl). But where are these tricks when you need em?

Having a top-notch recruiting class is great, but if we catch Miles looking like this (see picture below) anytime next season, there will be a lot to fear. Trust me.

Now excuse me while I go eat on my new Obama commemorative plate...and Geaux Tigers!