Les Miles, presumably the only SEC coach that is truly on a "hot seat" this year, is trying to show that the wheels on the bus at LSU are firmly mounted. He's got both the talent (albeit mostly young and inexperienced), and the opportunity (the SEC west is fairly open this season) to bring his Bayou Bengals back in a big way this season—if he can avoid the mistakes of last season.
As for Butch Davis and his Tar Heels, they were finally beginning to garner the kind of national attention that a team like North Carolina needs to really get the ball rolling. Their offense wasn't much to brag about but their defense, led by the supremely talented Marvin Austin, was going to be a showstopper. The unit returned nine defensive starters from 2009—most of whom were considered to be NFL level talent.
The presence of what was shaping up to be a very formidable defense was the reason why the opener against LSU looked as if it might go the Heels way—Vegas agreed—they were considered the favorites to win the game at one point. However, once the NCAA came calling, the complexion of the game changed. Now, we are not only uncertain as to how good this game will be, but whether it will be much of a game at all.
Yesterday, it was reported that defensive tackle, Marvin Austin has been suspended indefinitely. That was a mighty blow, but most saw that one coming. Now, today, it has been learned that Greg little will be out as well.
That hurts the offense a great deal because Little was the leading receiver in 2009. He tallied 724 yards and five touchdowns for the Heels last season and was one of the most explosive players on the team.
Little's suspension places more pressure on North Carolina quarterback, T.J. Yates, to make something happen—not good. Yates is already fairly pedestrian as a quarterback, does he really need to be placed in this position, this early in the season, on this grand of a stage? It just seems like a recipe for disaster.
Furthermore, even if Yates can hold it together, who can he count on to step-up and make plays for him at the receiver spot? Is Erik Highsmith ready to go from freshman phenom (37 catches, 425 yards, and two td's) to sophomore superstar? Is Jheranie Boyd ready to step in and become legit? Yates will need the play of both if he plans to keep the defense of LSU honest.
Ryan Houston and Shaun Draugn will also be counted on to try and exploit the weaknesses LSU has up front. The Tigers have plenty of talent, as mentioned above, but they are young and it is not yet known if they will be better than last season's unit (which often struggled with the pass rush and often gave up too many rushing yards).If Houston and Draughn can find some room to run, they might be able to control the tempo of the game and keep the quick feet of the Tigers offense off the field—a must if they plan to keep the game interesting.
As of now, it is not known how many of North Carolina's players will miss the first game (up to 16 is possible), so it is hard to say just how thin the Heels' defense will be when it takes the field. However, if the rumors are true, and they will not only be without Marvin Austin, but possibly Quan Sturdivant (LB), Bruce Carter (LB), Kendrick Burney (CB), and Deunta Williams (FS) as well, nothing the offense does will matter because it wouldn't be enough—LSU would win the game handily.
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