Alabama Football: LSU back claims last season the Tide ‘was scared.’

Even without being part of the Monday lineup, SEC Media Days had plenty of Alabama football talk. LSU RB, Derrick Guice even claimed the Tide ‘was scared.’

What could possibly be gained by claiming Alabama football was scared against LSU last season? That is exactly what Derrick Guice did on Monday at SEC Media Days. Actually, the claim by Guice was not new. He and LSU had plenty of time to step back, reflect and amend.

Guice did the opposite by doubling down on his earlier claim. There may be good things to say about Ed Orgeron as a head coach. Perhaps in a parallel universe, something good can be said about Joe Alleva as an Athletic Director.

On Monday Alleva and Orgeron failed to properly prepare one of their star players. Derrick Guice is a terrific running back, one of the best in the nation. He needs neither bravado or theatrics to gain the attention of college football fans.

What he did on Monday (again) was to tell a team that has won 17 straight SEC games, by an average margin of 21 points, they were scared against LSU in 2016. There was zero to be gained and possibly much to lose by the claim.

In 2016, LSU rushed for 37 yards on 27 carries against Alabama football. No Bengal Tiger fan, player or coach should be surprised.

A few days ago we wrote about the Alabama football habit of dominating great players, including LSU’s Leonard Fournette.

Fournette’s career against Alabama football was 57 carries for a total of 145 yards. That was a paltry 2.5 yards-per-carry. Nick Saban’s defensive philosophy is to first stop the run. Since LSU has not produced much of a passing threat for years, the Tide could afford to load the defensive box.

That is exactly what Alabama football did against LSU and Derrick Guice in 2016. The real story is that in 2016, there was no part of LSU’s offense to fear, at least not for Alabama football.

What Derrick Guice did on Monday was to make LSU football appear immature, unwilling or unable to own up to its own deficiencies. The fault for that lies with Ed Orgeron and Joe Alleva.

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Player comments posted on locker room bulletin boards may not affect the outcome of games. But, instead of needlessly waving a red flag in front of the Crimson Tide, Guice should have stuck to comments about his pink attire.

RTR Forever!