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After firing the most successful football coach in the history of the program, LSU needs a home run hire.There should be no shortage of interest for what has become one of the best gigs in big-time college football, but upgrading from Les Miles is far from a sure thing. LSU could be forced to wait on the coaches at the top of its wish list if schools such as Texas and Southern California enter the market.Lets say theres a coach at Houston who may have a choice at Texas, Southern Cal or LSU, former LSU coach and Big Ten Network analysis Gerry DiNardo said, making a-not-so subtle reference to Tom Herman. What does he do?Every job has pros and cons, and coaches will have preferences and family ties to influence decisions, but generally, they are all looking for a chance to win championships.Theres a few jobs in this country that regardless of what your competition does, you can win a championship, DiNardo said, citing Alabama, Ohio State, USC and Texas among those that qualify.Someone has to slot LSU in there, said DiNardo, who went 32-24-1 for the Tigers from 1995-99. Some coach has to say, `Regardless of what anyone else does, I can win a championship at LSU. It doesnt matter if Alabama is rocking and rolling, LSU is the best job.Or at least a better job than what the coach already has. It was a relatively easy choice for DiNardo to go from Vanderbilt to Baton Rouge back in the mid-1990s, even though the Tigers had just gone through six straight losing seasons.LSU and its fans are not likely to be satisfied with a similar hire this time around. Since 2000, LSU has been one of the elite programs in college football.Nick Saban followed DiNardo and LSU blossomed along with the SEC. Since 2000, Oklahoma and Ohio State are the only Power Five conference programs that have more victories than LSU. The Tigers four SEC titles since 2000 match Alabama for the most. Miles took over for Saban and won 114 games in 12-plus seasons, including the 2007 national championship. Only Charlie McClendon (137) won more games than Miles at LSU, but it took him seven more full seasons to do it.I felt, however, that this program needed a change, and the change was necessary to give the players the best opportunity to succeed, LSU athletic director Joe Alleva said Monday.Miles problems started with the 2011 national title game loss to Alabama. The Crimson Tide has won three of the last four SEC titles and two more national championships since then.The path to championships at LSU currently goes through arguably the greatest dynasty ever in college football.Charlie Mac used to say to me: `I could never beat Alabama. Nobody cared that nobody else could, DiNardo said.At 64 years old, Saban likely doesnt have decades left with the Tide, but whoever signs up for the LSU job has to figure he will be dealing with Saban for at least a few more years.Saban aside, there is no doubt that access to talent is a huge draw for coaching candidates.Louisiana is among the most fertile states in the country when it comes to producing FBS talent, and LSU has no in-state Power Five competition for those players.Most of the state kids want to be Tigers, regardless of who the head coach is, DiNardo said.LSU plugged in Ed Orgeron as interim coach while getting a head start on the competition in its coaching search, though that provides only marginal advantage if its target is an active head coach. And there is no reason to think the Tigers wont reach for the biggest prizes.Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher is a former LSU assistant whom Tigers boosters covet. His resume is sterling, including a national championship, and he is the anti-Miles in that he been one of the college footballs best at developing quarterbacks.Herman has been a head coach for only two seasons, but he is the brightest of rising stars. His spread offense is the antithesis of the antiquated attack Miles was running.Thats ultimately what got Les Miles fired, former LSU defensive lineman and SEC Network analyst Booger McFarland said on ESPN.Heres what LSU wants: They want a successful head coach who runs the spread, DiNardo said. Thats why Tom Hermans perfect. I think (North Carolina coach Larry) Fedora fits in there, too.No matter who lands at LSU, heres the number to beat: .778. Thats Miles winning percentage, the best of anybody who has ever coached more than 40 football games at LSU.---This story has been corrected to show that LSU lost to Alabama in the 2011 national title game, not the SEC title game.---Follow Ralph D. Russo at www.Twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP and the APs college football website at www.collegefootball.ap.orgGeorge Kittle Youth Jersey . Tuesdays surgery at Atlantas Piedmont Hospital was performed by Dr. Xavier Duralde and Hawks team physician Dr. Michael Bernot. Mike McGlinchey Youth Jersey . How great will be revealed in the next couple of days at the board of governors meeting in Pebble Beach, Calif. http://www.49ersrookiestore.com/49ers-Solomon-Thomas-Jersey/ . "It doesnt get any better than that," Giambi said. "Im speechless." The Indians are roaring toward October. Giambi belted a two-run, pinch-hit homer with two outs in the ninth inning to give Cleveland a shocking 5-4 win over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night, keeping the Indians up with the lead pack in the AL wild-card race. Terrell Owens Womens Jersey .ca. Hey Kerry, big fan of yours, just finished reading your book. I think that we all saw the Canucks/Flames line brawl just after puck drop. It was obvious that something was about to happen, even to the referees because the fourth lines were on to start. Steve Young Youth Jersey ., for the next three years with the signings on Monday of Daryl Townsend and Michael Carter.Fans headed to Wrigley Field on Saturday afternoon are in for a treat with Madison Bumgarner and Jake Arrieta set to take the mound in a meeting of two of baseballs premier aces.Both outstanding competitors, both have won the top awards, Cubs manager Joe Maddon said of Saturdays matchup. It will be an interesting day theres no question -- its going to be a very low-scoring good game.Go inside the numbers that make both pitchers stand out, and then vote for which ace you would rather have at the bottom of the page:?Why Bumgarner-Arrieta is a true ace showdownSaturdays matchup will be a spectacle because of their pedigrees, obviously. Arrieta, the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner, is enjoying an impressive followup season with a 16-5 record, a 2.84 ERA, and a scant 111 hits allowed in 168 innings. Bumgarner, the 2014 World Series MVP, has been in optimal MadBum form this year. He ranks second in the NL in ERA to Kyle Hendricks and third in strikeouts behind Max Scherzer and Jose Fernandez, and hes instinctively the man that manager Bruce Bochy and the Giants look to when things arent going well and the team is in dire straits.Beyond the numbers, few matchups in baseball exude more intensity than this one. Bumgarner and Arrieta both wanted to take part in the All-Star Game Home Run Derby, and were legitimately ticked when they didnt get the call. They also have two of the best death stares in baseball. Whomever comes out on top in this one is going to have to earn it. -- Jerry CrasnickWhat makes Bumgarner special?Bumgarner doesnt have the Cy Young on his mantel that Arrieta does, nor the no-hitter (let alone more than one) under his belt, but for the Giants power pitcher, it feels like only a matter of time before he reaches those accolades and accomplishments. A few more thoughts on the lefty whose 2.49 ERA is second in the majors:Get him to the postseason and watch him go: Bumgarner won World Series MVP honors in 2014 for a Fall Classic performance that just begs on the superlatives. His five-inning save in Game 7 was the longest in postseason history. He became just the second pitcher with 5 or more scoreless innings in relief in a winner-take-all World Series game, and the first since 1947 (Elias). And it wasnt just that game -- he threw 21 innings in that World Series, allowing just one earned run.And it wasnt just 2014 in the World Series, eithher.dddddddddddd Bumgarner has a 2.14 ERA in his career in the postseason, the best ERA among active pitchers with at least 9 postseason starts. Those pre-2014 starts include eight scoreless innings in Game 4 of the 2010 World Series at just 21 years old and seven scoreless in World Series Game 2 in 2012.Hes consistent: Bumgarner has made at least 30 starts in each full season of his career. Saturdays start will be his 29th this season. He has 106 starts of at least seven innings pitched since he was called up for good in 2010 -- only two NL pitchers have more such games in that span.Good luck hitting his curveball: Opponents are hitting just .118 against Bumgarners curveball this season, the third-lowest mark against any starter who has thrown at least 350 curves and the best among NL starters. Hes one of just two starters to throw at least 350 curveballs this season and not give up a home run on the pitch.?-- Sarah Langs, ESPN Stats & InfoWhat makes Arrieta specialWhile Arrieta hasnt been quite as dominant as he was during his Cy Young-winning year last season, hes still in the mix to repeat for the prestigious award. Heres what makes the Cubs ace stand out: ?He avoids hard contact: Since the start of 2014, Arrieta is one of three starting pitchers with a hard-hit rate under 10 percent (9.5 percent). The other two are Clayton Kershaw (8.6 percent) and Tyson Ross (9.2 percent).Its hard to get hits off of him: Opposing hitters are hitting .185 against him this season, lowest in MLB. The highest batting average against any of his pitches this season is .237 against his slider.His curveball has been great lately: In his last eight starts, Arrieta has thrown 102 curveballs. Opponents are 2-for-23 in plate appearances ending with the pitch with no walks and nine strikeouts.Its nearly impossible to get to him early: In the first three innings of his starts this season, Arrieta has allowed a 1.73 ERA, second in MLB to Kyle Hendricks (1.44). Opponents have a .454 OPS against him in the first three innings of games this season, which is nearly 100 points lower than the next-closest pitcher (Carlos Martínez, .550).The Cubs are 14-1 in Arrietas starts this season when they give him a lead after three innings. --?Ken Woolums, ESPN Stats & Info ' ' '