Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev is for real

Be great in act, as you have been thought. - from King John

Tampa Bay Lightning fans didn't know what to expect from defenseman Mikhail Sergachev.

The 19-year-old was traded to Tampa for Jonathan Drouin, who was supposed to be the next Steven Stamkos. Fans knew Drouin had tremendous upside and saw flashes of his speed and brilliance during the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Drouin was also an alleged problem in the locker room - already bumping heads with GM Steve Yzerman about wanting out of Tampa due to the organization sending Drouin down to the Lightning's AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch, at the beginning of the 2016 season.

Yzerman saw it as a way for Drouin to get playing time and refine his skills instead of being lost in a shuffle of scorers.

Drouin saw it as disrespect.

Sports really is the ultimate soap opera.

Enter Sergachev.

Sergachev was Montreal's 9th overall pick in the 2016 Entry Level Draft. The scout's praised his fluid skating for a kid that's 6'3", 215 pounds. He's competitive, confident, a true two-way player, but he couldn't break into the Canadiens lineup - spending the majority of his 2016-2017 season with Montreal's OHL affiliate, the Windsor Spitfires.

Enter Drouin.

It seemed like Montreal was getting the better end of this deal. They were inheriting a proven scorer, a playoff veteran, and a presence to increase Montreal's power play.

Tampa didn't know what they were getting. Or did they?

Although Drouin has played one less game, trading for Sergachev is paying huge dividends.

Through nine games, Sergachev has three goals, five assists, and is a plus-three on the early season.

Drouin has two goals, three assists, and is a minus-five through eight.

Sergachev is shoring up a blue-line defense that was porous and a problem a season ago utilizing his speed and athleticism to slow the opposition down.

Yzerman is known as a mad scientist when it comes to situations and trades like these, but even he couldn't have scripted a better start, especially since Montreal is off to a horrendous 1-6-1 record, while the Lightning just dismantled the two-time defending Stanley Cup Champs 7-1 last night where Sergachev blasted in a power play goal.

The Bolts also have the best record and lead the NHL in points.

The season's early and anything can happen between now and May, but there's no denying Sergachev is having a positive impact on the Lightning's success.

For Sergachev and the Bolts, expectations are high.

What's going on with Tampa Bay Buccaneers' cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III?

Our remedies oft in ourselves do lie which we ascribe to heaven. - from All's Well That Ends Well

Tampa Bay Buccaneers' cornerback Vernon Hargreaves is having a bad year statistically.

According to Pro Football Focus, Hargreaves, a first round pick out of the University of Florida, has been targeted 37 times, giving up 404 yards receiving, and is ranked the 108th cornerback in the National Football League.

Dirk Koetter admitted to being concerned over Hargreaves play. "He should be," Hargreaves told PewterReport columnist Scott Reynolds. "I'm not making plays; I'm not producing."

Against the Patriots, Hargreaves allowed 94 yards and a touchdown on all six targets. He had a slight improvement against the Cardinals, allowing 50 yards, but was targeted five times while Carson Palmer connected on all five. He also missed three tackles in the loss to Arizona.

Hargreaves has one pass breakup this season.

So what exactly is the issue?

A former Buccaneer player, who requested not to be named, says, "He's still young with a lot to learn, but he's on the right track."

A former University of Florida defensive player, who also requested not to be named, agrees with the sentiment. "It's his second year and he's getting targeted a lot because he's young and still developing."

How can the Buccaneers defense support a young, struggling cornerback and help him develop?

For one, a pass rush would be nice.

The Bucs are last in the NFL in sacks with six and are second-to-last in sacks per pass attempt at 3.6%, according to Football Outsiders. Just to put things in perspective, the Jaguars have 23 sacks and get to the quarterback nearly 11% per pass attempt.

"Yep, that effects every cornerback," says the Bucs' source.

Not coincidentally enough, the Jags also lead the NFL in interceptions (10).

The Bucs? Four. Good for a tie at 18th.

The correlation between a violent pass rush and consistent secondary play is undeniable.

Without a pass rush, corners are left out to dry. It's an impossible task to ask a corner to continually shadow a receiver for long periods of time, but it feels like Hargreaves has had the coverage. Just not the success.

"He's covering the wide receivers pretty tight," explains the Gators' source, "but there have been those plays where he has gotten burnt."

Improvements across the defense need to form quickly, and hopefully Hargreaves gets to stick around long enough to enjoy potential success.

Until then, the bust card is looming.

Florida State's Jimbo Fisher is no different than former LSU coach Les Miles

Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon 'em. - from Twelfth Night

Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher is garnering tons of negative attention and justifiably so.

His team was ranked third in the nation before losing to Alabama in a contest where FSU's starting quarterback was knocked out for the year.

The Seminoles never got off of the bus a couple of weeks later against North Carolina State.

FSU squeaked by Wake Forest on a last-minute touchdown, followed by a heart-crunching, last-second defeat at the hands of the hated Miami Hurricanes.

And the 'Noles are now 1-3.

FSU could easily be 3-1, but it's not. Great teams find ways to win. Losers accept ways to lose.

One of Florida State's prestigious websites didn't appreciate a blogger challenging Fisher's coaching choices nor the claim that FSU won't win against anyone except Delaware State the rest of the season because facts weren't utilized.

They were right. The Seminoles beat big, bad Wake.

Barely.

Apparently, facts and stats outweigh old fashioned opinions, so here goes:

Jimbo Fisher is Les Miles.

(In no way shape or form is this a championing for Miles to be FSU's next head coach. It's only for comparison purposes.)

Miles' LSU team lost to Alabama in the 2011 National Title game. In the three years after LSU's defeat, Miles regular-season record gradually declined, from 10-2 the following season to 8-4 by 2014 - a 75% winning percentage during the span.

He posted a 62% SEC winning percentage in the same time period, losing to unranked teams three times.

Miles never sniffed another SEC Championship Game before being fired in 2016

Since losing to Oregon in the inaugural College Football Playoff, Fisher is 20-9 - a 70% winning percentage.

This season hasn't concluded so there is time for Florida State's percentages to go up. Or down.

He has posted a 67% ACC winning percentage since 2015, while losing to three unranked teams.

Fisher hasn't come close to playing in the ACC Championship Game since the Jameis Winston-led, 2014 squad.

The difference is Fisher has been doing all of this with superior talent.

After winning the 2013 National Title, Fisher has never finished below fourth in any of the major recruiting services (ESPN, Rivals, and 247Sports).

On the other hand, Miles has never finished better than sixth since losing to 'Bama in 2011 - and even had a class finish 18th (2012, according to Rivals).

So Miles was doing a better job with lesser talent in a tougher conference. Or was it?

Fisher has had to deal with a slightly harder strength of schedule. From 2015 to present, FSU has averaged the 11th hardest strength of schedule, according to Sagarin.

LSU from 2012 to 2014 has had the 13th.

Chalk one up for Jimbo. Sort of...

Facts and data are boring, but are a necessary evil when evaluating coaches. Fisher has clearly been underachieving since 2015. Issues with the offensive line and defense have got to be addressed this off-season or else Fisher shouldn't be Florida State's head coach much longer.

Les is more, and Jimbo has done a lot less with more.