LSU Football: 5 Takeaways from breakthrough 2018 season
1. Ed Orgeron is proving to be a smart hire for LSU
Most laughed when the interim tag was removed from Ed Orgeron’s title and he was hired as LSU’s head coach to replace Les Miles. This was Coach O’s dream job, but he seemed to be in over his head at a program at such a high profile program.
Orgeron had already failed on a much smaller level in the SEC West, being fired by Ole Miss after going 10-25 over his three years in Oxford, including a 3-21 mark against conference opponents.
Failure often brings out the best in us, though, and Orgeron fought for his second chance. He bounced around at a couple of places before landing at USC, ultimately getting the shot at the interim head coaching job at USC after Lane Kiffin was let go on the tarmac. His 6-2 stint as the Trojans’ interim coach nearly landed him that head coaching gig. He was ultimately passed over, and landed on Les Miles’ staff at LSU.
When Miles was let go, Orgeron was an interim coach for the second time. A 6-2 mark as the interim in 2016, plus the entire team rallying behind him, led to the interim tag being removed.
He’s now gone 25-9 over two-plus seasons as LSU’s head coach. He led the Tigers to a 9-4 mark last season, narrowly missing out on a 10th win in a Citrus Bowl loss to Notre Dame. They got over that hump this year by beating UCF to finish No. 6 in the AP Poll, building plenty of momentum heading into 2019.
LSU is still probably a year or two away from seriously contending in the SEC West. The gap between them and Alabama is still big, and they have to travel to Tuscaloosa to take on the Crimson Tide next season. But Clemson showed that the dragon can be slain, lending hope that LSU might one day do the same.
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Through two-plus years, Orgeron has more than proved that he belonged in the big seat in Baton Rouge. If he can maintain recruiting at the level he’s brought them to in this cycle, then it won’t be long before LSU is a realistic threat to Alabama’s autonomy in the West once more.