In a move that feels like every conversation ever between a mother and her college aged son, LSU broke the first big news of the final regular season Saturday of college football, announcing that Ed Orgeron will stay on as head coach at the program.
Mom: I know you think that girl in your general studies class is a 10, and yes, she’s a beautiful girl, but she’s not good for you. You have a good girl now who everyone likes.
Son: Yeah, but I don’t feel the same way about her and I don’t see this going anywhere better.
Mom: SON … LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER.
Son: Okay, we’ll be over for dinner at 6. Sigh.
Okay, so maybe we’re not giving Eddie O enough credit, but it’s hard to really come to the realization that this closes the gap in any way with Alabama, which is the goal at LSU.
Orgeron did go 5-2 in his stint this year with LSU after replacing Les Miles, and yes, the family absolutely loves her when she comes around for Thanksgiving, but is that genuine spark really there for this program?
Orgeron also has some SEC experience, but it wasn’t what you’d categorize as “good” experience. He was 10-25 during a very chaotic time at Ole Miss.
Yes, it seems like his players love him, and that’s all fine and dandy and it is important, but for the guys writing the checks, wins and losses tend to float to the top of the “importance” glass. And even though they played Alabama as tough as anyone, LSU’s two losses came at the hands of both of the teams playing for the SEC title game in what’s become basically the Crimson Tide and a steady stream of mediocre.
LSU’s wins with Coach O as the top shelf guy were over Southern Miss, Ole Miss, Arkansas, Missouri, and Texas A&M, probably the most noteworthy outing of that bunch as they hung 54 on the Aggies. Granted, you can only beat who’s on your schedule, but it’s hard to know what LSU’s expectations were for him to keep his job relative to what happened.
What is true is that Oregeron seemed to help spark the team to playing with a little more emotion and consistency on offense, and even though it’s not the number one thing the AD is probably looking for, there is something to be said for a coach the players love. The key will be recruiting more of those guys (and O is a fantastic recruiter).
So mark this hire “TBD” on the ledger, but one with more questions probably than answers. Who knows (or cares) who else expressed interest in LSU. Orgeron is the guy they wanted, and he’s the guy they got.
If it turns out like another Ole Miss, LSU will be set back in the feisty SEC West for years. If this is the right guy, it’ll be back to the prime of Les Miles.
Sometimes mom is right about the safe girl the family likes. But sometimes, she’s way off.
