FROM THE REAL ART SPORTS DESK
Jordan Jefferson guides LSU to win; Les Miles' future subject of speculation

From the AP via ESPN:

When asked immediately after the game if he'd be back next season, there was an extended pause before Miles responded, "It's a wonderful place. I love it here." He said he has not been contacted by his alma mater.

Amid the uncertainty of Miles' future, Jordan Jefferson threw three touchdown passes to Terrence Toliver and ran for a score to help the No. 11 Tigers to a 41-24 victory over Texas A&M (No. 17 BCS, No. 18 AP) in the 75th Cotton Bowl Friday night.

More here.

Well, they've said for some years now that Les Miles knows how to prepare his team for bowl games. Indeed, LSU looked better in their Cotton Bowl win than I've seen in a couple of years. I mean, they looked waaaay better. They finally pulled off the dominant running game Miles has been trying to get going since he arrived in Baton Rouge back in '05. And success on the ground, in turn, made the usually iffy quarterback Jordan Jefferson look like the blue chip recruit he was a few years back. Yeah, the Tigers were in fine form last Friday night, and I loved it.

Of course, it didn't hurt one bit that the Tigers were playing the Texas Aggies, who I hate because, in addition to being a member in good standing of the purple and gold Tiger nation, I am first and foremost a Texas Longhorn lover with burnt orange blood. And the Aggies lost, which offered a nice taste of revenge to counteract the foul taste of defeat the 'Horns suffered back on Thanksgiving Day. It also didn't hurt that this was the Cotton Bowl, former home to the champion of the now defunct Southwest Conference, of which both the Aggies and the Longhorns were members. It all had the feeling of tradition, which is the one thing that makes me favor college ball over the entertainment and business oriented NFL.

Yeah yeah, I know that college ball is also a business, but we don't have our noses rubbed in it so much. Okay, I also realize that corporate sponsorship of bowl games puts a crimp in this point of view, but cut me some slack.

As for Les Miles potentially bolting Baton Rouge for Ann Arbor, I have one observation. Miles is a good coach, but not great. He's been a decent regent for the program at LSU assembled by Nick Saban, but I think Miles would be overwhelmed with the task of reinvigorating the Wolverine program. That is, going to Michigan, as fun as that might be for the former Wolverine player, would be disaster for Les Miles' career and legacy. He needs to stay at LSU until he wears out his welcome. And I think he knows that.

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