Stubbs era begins as Miles era may be reaching its final chapter

Ready or not, the Charlie Stubbs era as the Nicholls head football coach will begin this weekend when the Colonels take the field against San Diego State.

What exactly will happen in between now and November when his inaugural season ends – that remains to be seen.

But I can tell you one thing, it’s going to be one heck of a ride that’s going to be very exciting to watch.

The brand of football the Colonels played in the past few seasons was, well, downright boring under former coach Jay Thomas.

Very, very boring.

Run right, pitch. Gain of 4 yards.

Run left, pitch. Loss of 2 yards.

Run up the middle, no pitch. Gain of a few feet.

Punt or extra point. Bring on the defense.

Repeat cycle.

That was basically the entirety of the triple-option attack the team implemented. And while I’m not going to sit here and claim it never worked, (because the team did win plenty games in Thomas’ tenure) it still wasn’t exactly eye candy for the average football fan, and interest in the program did suffer under Thomas.

But now my friends, it’s time for the fun to start.

Under Stubbs, the Colonels will implement a brand-new pass-friendly offensive alignment.

Gone are the days of three tight end sets (unless the team is deep in the red zone, of course).

In are four wide receiver sets, bubble screen passes, slant routs and a quarterback slinging the ball across the Thibodaux turf upward of 40 times a game.

The field is called MANNING Field after all.

Let us forget the fact that the Colonels pretty much have zero passing quarterbacks on the roster with collegiate experience. Please also avoid the fact that even as a running team, the Colonels won just three games a year ago. That’s all trivial details. It will still be awfully fun to watch.

And while the first few years will probably be rather difficult, Stubbs is a winner. He will get things turned around and employ a very explosive team in Thibodaux that will win games – the right way, with good football players who are equally good in the classroom and the community.

He has won everywhere he has been. I see no reason to believe that will change now.

Take a 70-mile drive to the north and you’ll find the LSU football team hard at work to prepare for their season opener against North Carolina, which can be seen this Saturday on ABC at 7 p.m.

As you know, this Louisiana summer has been awfully hot with record-high temperatures being recorded both here and worldwide daily.

Some speculate the cause of that is global warming.

But those in Baton Rouge know our precious polar caps will be fine, and it’s just the heat on Les Miles’ office chair radiating off the tile floors of the Charles McClendon Football Practice Facility that’s spreading all across the globe.

Make no mistake about it, it’s all or nothing for Miles this year.

A successful season for the Tigers, then the past few years immediately get labeled as a fluke due to an inexperienced quarterback.

Because after all, the 2008 and 2009 versions of the Tigers were supposed to be Ryan Perrilloux’s teams. Any coach without a quarterback is at a handicap, those people would say, and Miles was just a victim of the boneheaded mistakes of the former East St. John star.

Because this is the same guy who seamlessly took the torch handed to him from former coach Nick Saban and won the national championship in just his third season with the program.

He didn’t just become a dunce over night, the Miles supporters will say if the Tigers win 10 or more games in 2010.

But another bad season for Louisiana’s beloved Tigers? That heat will turn into an inferno that could very well find Miles taking his poorly-sized hat to another university next season.

You give a dog a cheeseburger for breakfast; he’ll never want to eat dog food again for obvious reasons.

You give the LSU faithful two national championships in five seasons after a 45-year title drought and they’ll never accept losing again.

This is not the 1990s where just being decent is acceptable.

The big suits in power across the university itself, as well as in the athletic department understand what a successful football team does for LSU’s image worldwide.

It’s not a coincidence that the Tigers’ have reached the coveted “Tier 1” academic status just recently since becoming a football power.

Seeing a sweaty quarterback holding a beautiful crystal national championship trophy in front of a worldwide television audience sells LSU to the entire world, not just potential athletes.

That’s probably the last thing a college student should consider when picking a school, but you and I both know “fun” factors into the decision quite a bit, and dominant football is fun.

Dominant football in a football-crazed part of the world like Baton Rouge? That’s even better.

So the heat is on and time will tell how this shapes up.

But either way it will be very exciting to see Stubbs’ write his first chapters, while Miles may be penning his final as the coach at LSU.