LSU Football: 3 reasons hiring Ed Orgeron was a mistake

1. Orgeron’s defensive line prowess hasn’t really translated

As one could easily infer from the previous couple of points, one of Orgeron’s claims to fame was his defensive line expertise. While the Tigers have certainly pressured opposing quarterbacks and capitalized on sack opportunities, what was supposed to be one of their greatest strengths has taken a backseat on the team.

The Tigers ranked 20th in the nation in sacks heading into LSU’s matchup against Troy. This was just the kind of pressure Orgeron was looking for when taking the head coaching job, but the line has struggled in aspects outside the pass-rush. Before proceeding, keep in mind that the word ‘struggle’ is relative when referring to one of the nation’s best defenses over the last few years.

Before taking on the Trojans, LSU saw pretty average numbers compared to its SEC competition, allowing over 105 rushing yards per game to sub-par competition. The Tigers were able to keep this number reasonably low thanks to games against teams such as BYU, Chattanooga, and Syracuse, but allowed 285 rushing yards in their 37-7 loss to in-conference rival Mississippi State.

After being torched for over 200 yards by Troy, there’s significant reason to doubt the defensive line’s ability to stop the run. If Orgeron can’t get the position he knows best to play to their potential, how much more will he struggle to get other aspects of his team going? If Orgeron thought this loss was bad, scheduled SEC opponents will be even less forgiving in the run game.

Conclusion

Coming into the 2017 season, many things pointed to a potentially successful year under Ed Orgeron. However, it seems that his weaknesses have surfaced much quicker than his strengths, putting a damper on what was supposed to be a rebound year. There’s certainly time to turn it all around, but the path back to playoff relevancy seems especially bleak after last night’s loss.

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While Orgeron will take the brunt on this loss, it will likely be his boss in Alleva that feels the greatest sting of another disappointing season. Alleva has made plenty of mistakes during his time at LSU, and a poor season from his most recent hire may be the last nail in the coffin of a ten year LSU career.