Is Competition a Bad Thing?

Is Competition a Bad Thing?

By: Dustin Nothnagel

Intern, Louisiana Gridiron Football

The 2014 LSU Tigers face uncertainty at a few positions going into the season opener against Wisconsin. Highly recruited running back Leonard Fournette is pressing hard to take carries away from senior back Terrence Magee, a battle is ensuing between a few young studs at receiver and a veteran group of pass catchers, along with the first quarterback controversy the Tigers have faced since the Jefferson-Lee exchange in 2011. With all of these lingering questions, and many more, should we consider that this instability along the Tiger’s depth chart is not a bad thing?

Maybe the old adage “competition breeds success” or “iron sharpens iron” should be considered when we think about who should emerge in the SEC West. For the first time in a long while, LSU actually has the advantage of being the underdog in their division. What LSU lacks in superstar, they make up for in depth; what they lack in stability, LSU makes up for in competition. Let’s consider the LSU quarterback “controversy” as just one position the Tigers can solidify with a wide-open battle for the job.

Anthony Jennings may be considered the favorite to win out the quarterback job for the Tigers over young gun Brandon Harris; but with Harris right on his heels, Jennings will be forced to improve on his game in order to keep the job he has earned in the spring. I do not believe that LSU has “controversy” in any position battle, much less the quarterback position. There is no doubt that LSU recruits just as good as any other school in the country, so why should Tiger fans be nervous about who goes under-center for the Tigers this season? Coach Cam Cameron has shown to be a masterful game planner and quarterback improver going back to his time in the NFL and with the Tigers last season. Whichever quarterback takes the field week 1 against Wisconsin will have one of the best offensive coordinators in the country, a plethora of receivers to throw to, and one of the best back fields in the country to hand the ball to. Not only will the Tigers week 1 quarterback have a great supporting cast, but he will have been tested by the ongoing competition he faced in preparation for the season. Altogether, it may be time for the Tiger football players to see some competition within the program.

For the longest time, LSU fans have been given the luxury of knowing who their stars were going to be during the season. Guys like Skylar Green, Glenn Dorsey, JaMarcus Russell, and Eric Reid have been the backbone for their team’s success without any regard for what may be lurking behind them on the depth chart. What differs from past teams and this year’s Tigers is that the 2014 Tigers may actually have a chance to sneak up on opponents. The pressure is no longer on the few superstars that each team has had, rather it is on the guys battling for playing time every day leading up to the season. Instead of forcing a few players to shoulder the load of expectation for the entire team, the pressure can be spread through the entire roster, which can lead to more effort and determination from the Tigers than ever before. The 2014 season is an opportunity for LSU players and fans to embrace competition as an aspect of the team and seize the best team in the country rather than having some of the best players. Competition can breed success for the Tigers if the university can take hold of what they have been missing in years past, insecurity.