HOOVER, Ala. – It has been 192 days since the Crimson Tide of Alabama rolled over LSU in the BCS National Championship.
One hundred and ninety two days of hurt for a Tiger fan base that has tried desperately to forget the decimation of their beloved team, but to no avail.
But the Tigers look to what will hopefully be their light at the end of the dark tunnel that is the 2012 offseason, and that light comes in the shape of junior quarterback Zach Mettenberger.
LSU coach Les Miles addressed his new quarterback’s role on Wednesday of the SEC Media Days.
“I think Zach Mettenberger is going to give us a really nice quarterback,” Miles said. “The things that he’s done in leadership, the approach he’s taken with this team has been very obvious.”
Mettenberger takes over an offense that ranked No. 106 in the nation last season — 10th in the SEC – after what can only be described as putrid play under center at times. However, despite Mettenberger’s limited play and past indiscretions, Miles has full faith that his quarterback can bring LSU back to the promised land.
“The good news is he’s not a young quarterback,” Miles said. “Now it looks to me that he’s kind of ready to go to the field. He’s not that freshman, that sophomore that really doesn’t understand the game.”
Mettenberger first came into the public eye as a freshman at the University of Georgia when he was charged with sexual battery, leading to his removal from the team.
Miles defended the junior college transfer, saying that since his arrival at LSU, Mettenberger has been a “quality teammate.”
Miles went on to say he understands that people make mistakes, but he believes Mettenberger deserves a second chance. Since then, Mettenberger has taken the shape of a leader on a team that has appeared far from unified at times, namely alleged rumors of locker room fights preceding the national championship.
“My biggest job has just been to develop as a leader every day,” Mettenberger said. “I’m just trying to learn and progress and be a person that has a positive influence on this team.” Mettenberger also set a high bar for himself following his breakthrough performance in the 2012 spring game.
On that scorching April afternoon, Mettenberger threw for 270 yards and two touchdowns in a game that Miles had previously claimed was going to be “very vanilla.”
“You can just see it in his eyes,” said sophomore receiver Odell Beckham Jr. “He’s ready. He has a phenomenal arm, and he’s going to lead us to a lot of victories. He’s got one of the stronger arms I’ve seen. We’ll be able to go four wide, five wide and just throw the ball around.”
Mettenberger will have the daunting task of developing a passing game with a Rueben Randle-less Tiger receiving corps, whose statistical leader was a true freshman in Beckham, who only hauled in 41 receptions for 475 yards and two touchdowns.
The self-proclaimed “Fab Five” of Beckham, senior Russell Shepard, juniors Kadron Boone and James Wright and sophomore Jarvis Landry aren’t making waves around the nation for their projected skills.
“Last year we were so run dominated, but this year, with a guy like Zach, you can sling the ball around and at the end of the day still have the run and the pass,” Beckham said.
When asked about last year’s quarterback play, Mettenberger shied away from anything remotely controversial, instead trying to give as much credit as possible to his former teammates.
There are 44 days untill LSU takes the field against North Texas. That’s 44 days for Mettenberger to get his team ready for a season filled with high expectations – and the longing to erase Tiger nation’s painful memories.
 
____ Contact Mike Gegenheimer at [email protected]