If Brian Kelly was hoping he'd get a big LSU win over Texas A&M for his birthday, he was mistaken, as he got the complete opposite. A week after losing to Vanderbilt to send this team to 5-2, which put them on the brink of missing the College Football Playoff, LSU made sure that their fanbase didn't have any hope left, getting dominated by Texas A&M in this game.
Texas A&M made every mistake possible in the first half, with a blocked punt for a safety, Marcel Reed threw a pick in the endzone, and a penalty after Texas A&M looked to be off the field with a stop led to an LSU touchdown. The mistakes Texas A&M made gave LSU false hope with a first-half lead, but Texas A&M meant business in the 3rd quarter.
Texas A&M's dominant 2nd Half will lead to changes in Baton Rouge
The Aggies came out of the half with a big kick return followed by a 9-play drive to take a 21-18 lead. After forcing an LSU 3-and-out, Texas A&M took a 10-point lead on an explosive punt return touchdown by KC Concepcion, which felt like a dagger. Once again, the Aggies forced an LSU punt and cashed in on another touchdown by Marcel Reed.
By the time the 3rd quarter ended, there were boos in Baton Rouge as the crowd was booing the LSU Tigers, but Mike Elko's team wasn't done pouring it on the Tigers. The Aggies punched in another score to make it 42-18 as Tiger Stadium started to empty. As Brian Kelly left his starters in, so did Mike Elko, and the Aggies picked up a 49-25 statement win over LSU.
The Tigers came into the season with the hopes of competing for a National Championship, returning a loaded roster and adding a ton via the Transfer Portal. Before November, the Tigers are already out of contention for the College Football Playoff, and the fanbase is going to demand changes.
Offensive Coordinator Joe Sloan has been the target of the most criticism as this talented offense has been a mess the entire season. Many will call for Brad Davis' job as the offensive line has been a mess this season as well. The defense deserves just as much of the blame as they've been outclassed the last two weeks in losses.
At the end of the day, the only change that may make a difference is moving on from Brian Kelly, but his buyout prevents that. The Tigers are on their second offensive and defensive coordinator under Kelly, and this team hasn't come close to being a Championship contender. It'll be interesting to see what LSU does moving forward, as the fanbase is out on Brian Kelly.