Special thanks to Randy Rosetta of the Baton Rouge Advocate.

PA: Why has the LSU rushing offense been so average, even when Charles Scott was healthy?

RR: Two reasons: An offensive line that has never completely jelled and a season-long hunt for a fullback who could clear a path for Charles Scott or Keiland Williams or Stevan Ridley.

LSU entered the season with two new offensive linemen in center T-Bob Hebert and left guard Josh Dworaczyk. While both guys have had some good moments, there has been a noticeable disconnect when it comes to double-teams and secondary blocks, and the result has been struggles in run blocking and shaky pass blocking at times as well.

At fullback, Quinn Johnson was a beast the last few seasons who made life an awful lot easier for Scott and Jacob Hester. The LSU coaches have tinkered all season to find a replacement, including at times lining Scott up there before his injury. They seemed to have found a rotation of James Stampley and Thomas Parsons, a converted offensive lineman. How that tandem does moving forward will be a big key because the Tigers offense has to run the ball to be effective.

PA: How would you assess Jordan Jefferson's play this year?

RR: I think Jordan has been above average, especially considering the offensive package he’s been given to run most of the season.

Because of what Jarrett Lee went through last season, with all the interceptions and returns for touchdowns, LSU coaches Les Miles and offensive coordinator Gary Crowton have been very close-to-the-vest in how they have attacked defenses. A big part of that is drilling ball security it into Jordan’s head. That’s worked in that he only has four interceptions this season. But he also been hesitant to take chances with downfield throws unless the receiver is so wide open that you or I could get the ball to him safely. That less risky approach has contributed to a low third-down conversion rate and a high sack number because Jefferson hasn’t always checked down to his second and third receivers very well. Before the ankle injury Jordan had been a little more willing to scramble when the pocket crumbled and that gave LSU a much more dangerous weapon. But early in the season, and I assume now with the tender ankle, he will stay in the pocket more and be more likely to throw the ball away or plug straight forward to get what he can when the pressure gets too hot.

PA: What makes the Tigers so successful defensively?

RR: The Tigers have been much more opportunistic this season with forcing turnovers (17) than last season and have shored up their pass defense that way. As Ole Miss Coach Houston Nutt commented on Wednesday, LSU has been much less susceptible to big pass plays as well. Alabama got the Tigers for a 73-yard catch-and-run by Julio Jones, but that was a screen pass that LSU missed some tackles on right away to spring. The reduction in downfield strikes is a combination of better pass coverage, anchored by shutdown cornerback Patrick Peterson, and an underrated effort by the defensive line. LSU hasn’t recorded a ton of sacks, but the guys up front are generating pressure and forcing quarterbacks to turn the ball loose quicker than they want.

Another key has been the elimination of the confusion that dogged LSU most of last year with defensive co-coordinators. John Chavis has come in and stuck to his guns by putting the best 11 players on the field to start a series and sticking with them – no situation mixing and matching like last season.

PA: Who are the players to make it happen for LSU on defense?

RR: The two biggest stars for the Tigers are left cornerback Patrick Peterson and free safety Chad Jones. Those two were pegged as the most important playmakers for the LSU defense before the year began and they haven’t disappointed. Peterson basically takes away half the field with his pass coverage skills – usually on the foe’s top receiver. And Jones is a threat to deliver a blow or snare an errant pass from anywhere on the field.

The blue-collar stars are the linebackers, though, which fits in with Chavis’ schemes through the years at Tennessee. Kelvin Sheppard plays both the middle and Sam linebacker spots and is LSU’s leading tackler with 87 stops. Weakside backer Perry Riley is second with 77. And Harry Coleman, a converted strong safety, is third with 63. The fourth man in the rotation, Jacob Cutrera, has 56 tackles. Basically, the LSU defensive line has done a good job if funneling most plays into the heart of the field and the Tigers linebackers have done a good job of cleaning up.

PA: Obviously some luster was lost off the Ole Miss-LSU rivalry through the years. Did last year's game spark it somewhat from the LSU vantage point?

RR: I definitely think so. With Les Miles being a Michigan man who was used to making ‘The Game’ with Ohio State such a big deal as long as he did, he’s always embraced the tradition and nostalgia of the Ole Miss game. While this generation of players might not understand it, I think it helps to have so many Louisiana kids in red-and-blue, thanks in large part to Ed Orgeron’s recruiting this state so well. And, yes, not just the fact that the Rebels won last year, but so thoroughly dominated LSU has injected some new life into the game. The Tigers aren’t used to being manhandled by anybody and I think there’s some motivation to not let Ole Miss feel like it has the chance to supplant LSU as one of the perennial frontrunners in the SEC West.

PA: Do you think Les Miles is more interested in the Michigan job the second time around if it were to come open at the end of this season?

RR: I think he has always been interested in going back to his alma mater, but the timing was horrible two years ago. He had an LSU team getting ready to play for the SEC championship in Atlanta when the rumors rose to the surface and he felt obligated to those players to give them his full attention. Then when the chips fell right and all of a sudden the Tigers were in the BCS national championship game, well, I’m not sure many coached would walk away from that situation.

Now, with the Wolverines in trouble and LSU not in the national championship hunt, the timing makes more sense. It’s very comparable to the Roy Williams Kansas-North Carolina thing a few years ago with a twist. He turned down the job the first time because Carolina was still in good shape and he had a potential national championship team at Kansas. Two years later, he had taken KU as far as he could and the Tar Heels were reeling. Now there’s nobody at Michigan as powerful as Dean Smith, but it’s not inconceivable that a call from Bo Schembechler’s widow could get Miles’ attention pretty quickly. So, back to the question, yes, I think Miles would think long and hard about the UM job this time around if it were to open up and I’d be surprised if he didn’t head north this time.