LSU Football: Tigers preparing for first full year under Ed Orgeron

Just in case you’ve been living under a rock, the LSU Tigers are officially under the watchful eye of Ed Orgeron.

It seemed like former LSU Tigers head coach Les Miles sat on the hot seat for 20 seasons in Baton Rouge. Okay, maybe it wasn’t quite that long, but it had to feel that way. The experience was an excruciating one for, not only Miles, but for the entire LSU fanbase.

Regardless of what side of the fence you were on (or whether or not you thought Miles should stay), a 114–34 record at the helm of one of the SEC’s proudest programs wasn’t enough. “The Mad Hatter” was removed from his position after a 2-2 start to the 2016 season. The Tiger program had finally decided to move on. Enter, Ed Orgeron.

Ending the season on a high note

Following that .500 record to start the season, Orgeron guided the Tigers to a 6-2 record in their final eight games. Their only two losses came at the hands of the two teams that would meet in the SEC Championship Game, the Florida Gators and the Alabama Crimson Tide. Still, eight wins gets you to a bowl game.

In theirs, the Tigers made it count. The 2016 season would end on a high note as LSU throttled the high-powered Louisville Cardinals in the Citrus Bowl by a final count of 29-9.

Even in that, Orgeron saw room to improve, once stating the defense “struggled a little” on defense in the victory.

A new sheriff

The LSU football program had, apparently, seen enough. The term “interim” was removed from head coach, and now, the Tigers’ show is headlined by a new front man for the first time since 2005. There’s some excitement as Matt Canada is the new offensive coordinator. He was hired to open up the playcalling and light up the scoreboard (something that was often lacking in the Miles era). Don’t expect the Tigers to abandon the ground game though.