The 2018 version of SEC Media Days has begun and while the event is typically reserved for optimism and eternal hope for the coaches and players in attendance when it comes to the upcoming season, not everyone at the event is so forgiving when it comes to the mistakes of the past from the attendees.

Paul Finebaum hasn’t been shy expressing his thoughts on the gloomy future Ed Orgeron has in Baton Rouge and he continued to communicate his belief that the Tigers may be venturing down a downtrodden path by handing the former defensive line coach the head coaching position following the firing of Les Miles during a recent appearance on Birmingham-based WJOX 94.5 radio show The Roundtable.

According to the SEC Network host, Orgeron’s ultimate success or failure in Baton Rouge could be decided in the near future following the offseason hire of offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger.

“If this doesn’t work out for Ed Orgeron, and I made some throwaway comment the other day that he could be on the hot seat — give me a break guys, everybody knows that; If (Orgeron) ends up leaving after this year, it’s going to be because of the decision to hire Steve Ensminger,” Finebaum said on the show. “I’ve had people on my show, and you have as well, who have defended this (hire).”

Immediately after landing the full-time job in Baton Rouge, Orgeron was the program’s interim coach following the dismissal of Les Miles and former offensive coordinator Cam Cameron, the LSU coach vowed to hire the nation’s best offensive coordinator. After flirting with the possibility of hiring Lane Kiffin, Orgeron was forced to move on to Matt Canada when Kiffin took the head coaching job at FAU.

Canada was coming off a season at Pitt where he was named a finalist for the Broyles Award, given annually to the nation’s best assistant coach, when LSU hired him but Orgeron wasn’t happy with the offense he installed in Baton Rouge and moved on from him one year into a three-year contract. That’s something Finebaum touched on during his radio segment.

“This is who Ed Orgeron is but remember a year ago today we were all praising Orgeron for going outside the box. ‘Bring in Matt Canada — one of the best hires of the offseason!’ Well, I don’t know if it was a disaster or not because he wouldn’t let Matt Canada do what Matt Canada wanted to do,” Finebaum commented. “So if he’s comfortable with this guy and it works then great. Ed Orgeron will be a success story, but if not, it will be one of these stories we have seen before like Mike DeBose or someone else from Alabama history.”

Finebaum was then asked an interesting question, what is more probable: Ed Orgeron wins 10 this year or Lane Kiffin is LSU’s next coach?

“Would it be the under if I said Lane Kiffin?” Finebaum quipped. “I hate to use the word under and Lane Kiffin in the same sentence.”

Given the fact Kiffin is coming off the greatest season in FAU history in his first season with the program while Orgeron appears to have the Tigers trending down the SEC standings, if the two programs continue to trend in their current directions, that humorous topic could quickly turn into a serious debate for the LSU brass heading into next offseason.