2/8/10 6:15 am CST

Hell has frozen over, pigs have flown and the New Orleans Saints have won the Super Bowl! I am so happy for Tom Benson, Sean Payton, Drew Brees, the entire team, the city of New Orleans and the state of Louisiana. Head coach Sean Payton and the Saints played the game to win, as proven by going for the touchdown on fourth and goal on the one yard line and then calling an on-side kick to start the second half. Not only was the game priceless for New Orleans and the state of Louisiana, it was also beneficial for LSU football in terms of recruiting.

I am very happy for for former LSU wide receiver Deverly Henderson and cornerback Randall Gay who both played very well in the game. I am also happy for Tracy Porter from Port Allen, Louisiana, who made the defensive play of the game by intercepting Payton Manning's pass with under two minutes to play in the game. I also thought that former LSU running back Joseph Addai played a great game for the Colts.

In LSU football news, Spring practice begins at LSU on February 25 which is only 12 days away. My goal is to attend at least two practices each week depending on how things are with my wife. I like starting Spring practice early, like Les Miles is doing this year, because it gives the team more time to work on getting bigger and stronger after Spring practice is over and it gives the coaching staff more time to evaluate recruits in late April and May.

Speaking of recruiting, I expect LSU to pick up a few more recruits for the 2011 signing class at the next Junior Day. If I had to make a prediction, it would be that LSU's next commitments from juniors will be Greg Robinson (OL, 6'6", 300, Thibodaux), Bradley Sylve (WR, South Plaquemines), Odell Beckham (ATH, Newman) and Mickey Johnson (DT, St. Paul of Covington).

In basketball news, the LSU lady Tigers continued their losing skid with a 102-101 triple-overtime loss to Ole Miss. LSU head coach Van Chancellor is known as a great defensive coach but one would not know that by watching yesterday's game. Ole Miss had players wide open from the top of the key and for easy lay ups the entire game. Chancellor has had top-five recruiting classes the last four years and was preseason picked to win the SEC West. With the loss, LSU's record fell to 15-7, 4-6.

2/7/10 6:45 am CST

Good morning, Tiger Fans. Today is Super Bowl Sunday and the New Orleans Saints have made the people of Louisiana very proud. From all corners of the state, rich and poor, black and white, have come together in support of the Saints. Whether the Saints win or lose today, this season has been victorious for the city and people of New Orleans. I'm looking forward to a great game.

In basketball news, LSU lost to No. 4 Kentucky 81-55 and played very hard from start to finish. LSU took a 6-1 lead to start the game and the score was tied 10-10 with just over nine minutes to play in the half. Kentucky went on a 22-0 run and led 42-14 at the half time break. LSU opened the second half in a 2-3 zone defense and played very well. As a matter of fact, LSU outscored Kentucky 41-39 in the second half. I was very proud that the team played very hard the entire game and I have a feeling the team is going to play very well Wednesday night at Arkansas.

LSU was led in scoring by Bo Spencer with 25 points. Tasmin Mitchell scored 10 points and Storm Warren scored seven. LSU is very thin talent-wise, and for LSU to have a chance at winning a few games Mitchell, Spencer and Warren are each going to have to score in the upper teens or 20 or more points in each game. I keep waiting for Aaron Dotson and Dennis Harris to have break out games, but for some reason they have not been able to get things clicking. I admire Coach Trent Johnson and his style of coaching and I am looking forward to the 2011 season with a top-10 recruiting class coming in.

There is nothing new to report in LSU football. I look for Coach Miles to name a replacement for tight end coach Don Yanowsky by no later than the middle of this coming week. I have been told that Miles already has a replacement for Yanowsky. I was also told that Miles is going to take a few days off with his family before getting back to earning his paycheck. Miles and the entire staff much be very tired. I know I was glad when recruiting came to an end and was very happy that it ended on a high note.

LSU is currently taking ticket requests for the Tigers’ 2010 season-opener in football against North Carolina in the Chick-fil-A Classic in Atlanta. Requests are being taken from both season ticket holders as well as the general public. Here's more info sent out by LSU's Sports Information Department:

Ticket prices are $60 and $85 and they can be purchased at the LSU ticket office or over the Internet at www.LSUsports.net/tickets.

To begin the process, no limits will be placed on individual game ticket orders at this time. Please be advised, however, that if the demand for tickets exceeds the supply available to LSU, the LSU Priority Point System will be used.

Season ticket holders must log in to their season ticket account in order to receive their priority point consideration. The deadline to submit ticket requests for this game is May 31, 2010.

LSU has been allotted 31,000 tickets for the contest, which takes place on Saturday, Sept. 4 in the Georgia Dome. It’s the first time LSU has played in such an event.

“This game will bring tremendous exposure for our football program and our university,” LSU coach Les Miles said. “We’re excited about opening the season on national television against an outstanding opponent from the ACC in North Carolina.”

The game will be the first between LSU and North Carolina since 1986 when the Tigers posted a 30-3 Homecoming win over the Tar Heels in Tiger Stadium on their way to claiming the SEC title that year.

Reader comments: Don, with the Super Bowl tomorrow, here is a quiz for you. Name the quarterbacks from Louisiana high schools who later in their careers started at QB in the Super Bowl. Hint: There are seven of them, behind only California (nine) and Pennsylvania (nine). Another Hint: Bert Jones is not one of them.

Interesting fact: Drew Brees will be the first quarterback out of Texas ever to start as QB in a Super Bowl.

Another Interesting Fact: No player from a Florida has ever started a Super Bowl as quarterback.

Answer to quiz: Terry Bradshaw, David Woodley, Doug Williams, Stan Humphries, Jake Delhomme, Payton Manning, Eli Manning.

2/6/10 6:15 am CST

Good morning, Tiger Fans. To start this report, Scott and I would like to thank all of you for your warm reception at the Recruiting Bash on Wednesday. I should have said something earlier, but late is better than never. It was nice meeting so many of my readers.

Yesterday was a huge day for email and most of the messages I received were concerning my report card grading of the recruiting class.

The biggest concern from my readers was only signing two offensive linemen and that is a valid concern. I do know that Les Miles would have liked to have signed four offensive linemen, but was not willing to offer scholarships to any average offensive linemen because of having 11 offensive linemen on the roster who are redshirt freshmen, sophomores and juniors and only one senior in Joseph Barksdale. Offensive linemen currently on the team include Barksdale, Alex Hurst, Josh Dworaczyk, Will Blackwell, Greg Shaw, Chris Faulk, T-Bob Hebert, Patrick Lonergan, Josh Williford, Matt Branch, Stavion Lowe and Cordian Hagans. I am hearing rumblings that Lonergan will work at guard and center during Spring practice. I have also heard great things about the progress made by redshirt freshmen Josh Williford, Chris Faulk and Matt Branch. My guess is that if the season started today the starting offensive line would be Hebert at center, Hurst and Dworaczyk at the two guard position, and Faulk and Barksdale as the starting offensive tackles. There is some talk that Dworaczyk will be moved to right tackle and Faulk will be moved to guard. I also believe that Will Blackwell will be cross trained to play both guard and center. I do look for Miles to sign four or five offensive linemen in the next signing class.

The second biggest concern was that LSU only signed one quarterback commitment, Zach Lee. Two juniors, Jordan Jefferson and Jarrett Lee, will be returning along with redshirt freshman Chris Garrett and redshirt freshman walk-on Barrett Bailey (6'4", 210) who is a pretty darn good walk-on quarterback. I do expect Miles to sign two quarterbacks in the 2011 signing class.

In other LSU football news, tight end coach and recruiting coordinator Don Yanowsky has accepted the offensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator job at Memphis to coach with Larry Porter. Yanowsky was rumored several weeks ago to be accepting the Memphis job. I have not heard any names of who might be replacing Yanowsky. I have been hearing rumors that former LSU center Ben Wilkerson might be returning to LSU as a grad assistant coach.

In basketball news, Coach Trent Johnson's Tigers will start the second half of the 2009 season toady against No. 3 ranked Kentucky at the PMAC. LSU is 9-13, 0-8 on the season and will be hard pressed to win a single SEC game this season. I fully understand that Johnson is short on talent and experience and is having to deal with what he has to work with. I do believe that Johnson will make a run at winning the SEC West next season with five incoming freshmen recruits and transfer Malcolm White. I learned yesterday that Ross Miller, who is on his official vist to LSU this weekend, is having a great time and is a strong lean to LSU.

Coach Van Chancellor's Lady Tigers will be playing Ole Miss Sunday at 2 p.m.

In LSU baseball news, pitcher Anthony Ranaudo and catcher Micah Gibbs are preseason All-American first team by Baseball America Magazine. Leon Landry is preseason picked for the third team. The Southeastern Conference led all conferences with 13 players on Baseball America's preseason All-America team. Ranaudo was the Tigers’ No. 1 starter throughout the 2009 season, recording a 12-3 mark and a 3.04 ERA in 19 starts (124.1 innings) with 50 walks and 159 strikeouts. The junior right-hander from Jackson, N.J. finished No. 3 in the nation in strikeouts and No. 5 in wins. Here's more information in the form of press release sent out by LSU's Sports Information Department:

Ranaudo, a 2009 third-team All-America and second-team All-SEC selection, became the first LSU pitcher to lead the SEC in strikeouts since Kurt Ainsworth (157 Ks) in 1999. He was the winning pitcher in the deciding game of the College World Series Finals versus Texas on June 24, working 5.1 innings while allowing four runs on eight hits with five walks and four strikeouts.

Gibbs was named to the 2009 Rawlings NCAA Division I Gold Glove Team as one of college baseball’s top defensive players. The product of Pflugerville, Texas, was also voted to the SEC All-Defensive Team by the league coaches.

Gibbs batted .294 last season with 16 doubles, two triples, six homers, 42 RBI and 58 runs. He helped lead the Tigers to the national championship by hitting .357 in the College World Series with three RBI and six runs scored.

Gibbs recorded a .989 fielding percentage during the ’09 season, committing only seven errors. He threw out 22 runners attempting to steal and was charged with just four passed balls.

Landry, a Baton Rouge native, was rated the No. 14 prospect by Baseball America last summer in the prestigious Cape Cod League. Playing for the Harwich (Mass.) Mariners, he batted .364 (36-for-99) with four doubles, two homers and 12 RBI in 24 games.

Landry hit .300 last season for LSU with 12 homers, the third-highest total on the squad. He was 51-for-170 at the plate with 10 doubles, 41 RBI, 38 runs and nine steals.

Landry tied the LSU single-game record for home runs when he launched three dingers against Mississippi State on May 16.

Baseball America annually polls major league scouting directors to vote on the team and make their selections based on performance, talent and professional potential. In the past, the preseason All-America team has been a predictor both of the first round of the draft and of team success.

For example, 11 of the 15 college players drafted in the first round last June appeared on Baseball America's preseason All-America list—eight of them on the first team. And for the second year in a row, 11 of last year's preseason All-Americans played for teams that reached the College World Series.

In closing, I would like to wish the New Orleans Saints the best of luck in the Super Bowl against the Indianapolis Colts. A win by the Saints would be great for the city of New Orleans and the state of Louisiana. In my opinion, the Colts are the best team in the NFL and it is going to be hard for the Who Dats to win the game, but I believe they will find a way. New Orleans 44 - Indianapolis 41.