The 10 worst things that have happened to LSU this season
A lot of stuff has gone wrong for LSU this season.
Important players have quit the team.
The schedule has been rearranged for a variety of reasons.
And the Tigers have just played some bad football much of the time.
They are 3-4 as they prepare to host No. 1 Alabama in a rescheduled game Saturday night.
Here are the 10 worst things to happen to LSU this season (subject to developments):
10. The rescheduling of the Alabama game
Since it’s Alabama week, let’s start there.
It doesn’t matter when LSU plays Alabama this season. Or where. Or anything else.
This is a mismatch.
The Tigers are coming off their best defensive performance of the season against Texas A&M, which might seem better than playing Nov. 14 as originally scheduled and coming off an open date after the 48-11 debacle at Auburn.
But while LSU might be getting marginally better, Alabama has been getting better and better by the week for more than a month.
The first weekend of December is not a good time for anybody to play the surging Crimson Tide – especially LSU.
9. The arrival of Sam Pittman and Lane Kiffin
Arkansas is much improved in Pittman’s first season as head coach. Ole Miss is much improved in Kiffin’s first season as head coach.
LSU got past Arkansas 2 weeks ago while Pittman was sidelined by COVID. They presumably will play Ole Miss in the season finale on Dec. 19.
The Tigers’ slippage this season is magnified by the ascension of both Arkansas (3-5) and Ole Miss (4-4) in the SEC West standings.
8. Dare Rosenthal’s suspension
LSU’s starting left tackle was suspended before the 4th game of the season. He was recently reinstated, but his absence disrupted the continuity of an offensive line that lost 4 starters from last year’s team.
The Tigers have mostly run the ball poorly this season and the pass protection has been inconsistent.
The sporadic play of the offensive line has prevented the offense from developing as quickly as it might have otherwise.
7. Hurricane Delta
COVID issues haven’t been the only cause of schedule changes for LSU.
The threat of Hurricane Delta to the Baton Rouge area caused the game against Missouri to be moved from Tiger Stadium to Faurot Field.
Home-field advantage isn’t the same this year with empty or mostly empty stadiums, but this young LSU team, playing its 3rd game of the season, came up short in 4 tries to score a go-ahead touchdown from the 1 on the final 4 plays of the game.
The comfort of being at home instead of the road as well as avoiding the disruption of the change being made 74 hours before kickoff might have made a difference in a game that close.
6. Kary Vincent and Tyler Shelvin opting out
The Tigers have been bad on defense almost the entire season.
They lost most of their defensive starters from last season. Losing 2 more starters as the Tigers were preparing to start the season made them even less talented, less experienced and more vulnerable.
5. Florida postponement
Things probably would have gone badly for LSU had this game been played as scheduled in Week 4.
But now the Tigers will visit the No. 6 Gators a week after facing Alabama.
The gauntlet of playing 3 Top 6 teams in consecutive weeks (starting with Texas A&M) isn’t likely to produce a positive stretch run.
4. Terrace Marshall Jr.’s about-face
LSU already endured multiple significant opt-outs before Marshall announced Sunday he was leaving the team.
But his departure came less than 2 weeks after he tried to motivate his teammates to finish strong by citing himself as an example of fighting through the tough times until the end.
Some teammates are bound to be disillusioned by the change of heart and now the Tigers will finish the season without their most productive offensive player.
3. Myles Brennan’s injury
LSU lost 2 of the 3 games that Brennan played before being sidelined by an abdominal injury, but he gave them a fighting chance.
The offense isn’t the same with TJ Finley or Max Johnson playing quarterback.
2. The disastrous defense
Head coach Ed Orgeron said this young defense under first-year coordinator Bo Pelini could develop into a better one than the defense that helped the Tigers win the national championship last season.
Boy was he wrong.
Losing Vincent and Shelvin hurt. Derek Stingley Jr. being hospitalized and unavailable for the season-opener left the secondary vulnerable and its confidence was shattered by Mississippi State of all people.
But those losses don’t come close to explaining the disparity between Orgeron’s projection and the performance of Pelini’s defense, which has been the worst by an LSU defense in recent memory and historically bad on occasion.
The defense is starting to show improvement, but the damage already has been done to this season.
1. Ja’Marr Chase
LSU didn’t just lose its best offensive player, it lost the best wide receiver in the country when Chase opted out shortly before the season.
Brennan, offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger and passing game coordinator Scott Linehan all lost their biggest asset.
The Tigers lost an important leader.
And Chase’s departure sent the message that in 2020, it’s every man for himself.
So you mention Pittman and Kiffin but so far, Leach is the only one of the new SEC west hires that has beaten you? Hmmm
2-6.
A majestic 2-6 though.
lol
All 10 combined don’t offset the winning of the national championship. This was going to be a weird year regardless with the virus. Most of this roster will return next season, so hopefully the playing time gained this season leads to serious improvement next season.
Usually when young, talented players get extra playing time, it pays dividends in future seasons. I personally think LSU is going to be stronger in 2021 and 2022 because of all the youth that’s played.
I sure hope so.
Just a rebuilding year. However they finish this season, I expect they will be back among the elite in 2021. Too much talent, and they will be hungry.
Who follows recruiting on this website other than the desperate UGA fans? Despite the terrible year the defending national champs are putting together probably the best class in program history… we comin, and we aint backin down!
Hear that every year and then y’all have this season. Maybe you should develop the players you got.
After the quantity of comments boldly predicting your QB would win the Heisman, that the losses to the roster from last season could be easily managed, and that LSU was definitely winning a consecutive NC and starting a dynasty… I don’t think you can call anyone “desperate”.
I have no doubt LSU will be strong again, and probably soon, but the whole “we comin and aint backin down” gibberish should probably stop until the winning actually starts.
Yeah, some of you LSU folks got a bit over-confident this off season with the “we gone go two in a row” posts. I actually gave congrats to you for the great season. Glad your all coming back down to earth with the rest of us.
I’m pretty sure it was only one guy. That guy.
“its confidence was shattered by Mississippi State of all people.”
Jeez Les, that’s not very nice. A period after State would have completed your point.
Read it with a different intention than that of the author. Think of it like a celebrity you love walking in the room. “…shattered by MISSISSISSIPPI STATE…of…all…people!!!” It’s quite flattering that way.
Hahaha I like it!
Truth, …. that’s all I’ve got! LOL
As an LSU fan, I’ll trade this freaky season just to witness 2019. Special years like that will never be seen by many programs. On to next year.
I’ll second that!
Yada yada yada to this article. All I know is Ed said f*ck Alabama! Complete lack of Class. Saban said absolutely nothing about it after the game but Bama will have a lot to say about it this Saturday night
Roll tide what!?
Blank you!
Gawd i love coach o
It’s ok we will see how you and Ed are feeling Sunday morning after playing Bama…
Everyone’s already pretty sure of the outcome, it’s just a few gumps like you making a big deal out of it. Apparently O has been under your skin all this time, I hope you find some relief…
He didn’t stutter. Sttdb
How can anyone talk about a lack of class when their coach is N. Satan?? Ever notice the disrespectful way he talks to people on a regular basis? Completely classless!
You talking class while calling someone Satan? LMAO
Ha! My phone’s spellcheck used to always change “Saban” to “Satan” so it’s not only me.
Oh that definitely helps your argument about class…
You don’t have to admit that it’s a pretty funny spellcheck antic but the rest of my Tiger fan friends appreciated the screenshot. Reminds me that I need to send it out this week…
To not understand and appreciate O’s “private” locker room comments to his team and staff is to not fully appreciate the spirit of the game and denies the reason we’re all here to begin with. We’re all here on this board spouting off in some way after all. Considering the full context of the situation, that PG-13 comment was rather mild. And it was kinda catchy too I’m still seeing it repeated and probably always will going forward!
Denying the full context and emotion of O’s comment also denies the shadow which Alabama casts on the rest of the SEC and CFB as a whole. Holding O accountable for an understandable private comment in the heat of a moment is nothing more than a straw man in the face of the beating you took last year.
Do I have to admit it?
Also posting your same comment multiple times doesn’t make anyone actually care…
If the role was reversed you and numerous other LSU fans would be complaining just like Bama fans have.
The fanbase that came up with a conspiracy theory as to why there player got a targeting penalty before the Bama game is supposedly now reasonable? LMAO
I said you DON’T have to admit it, but c’mon man that’s funny!
I haven’t heard that conspiracy sounds juicy.
Of course O’s postgame comment is a standout moment and will remain bulletin board material forever – for both teams. Can’t blame Bama fans for remembering that one. I’m sure it will be uttered again this Saturday night only in a very different context.
I posted multiple times to counter the multiple-posting bammers calling O classless for the comment. That’s a ridiculuous take and everyone knows it. Imagine what you would hear if all the mic’ed coaches were broadcast during the game – much worse than that I’m sure. O didn’t say anything any of the other coaches haven’t said, his comment was just made public.
What makes it especially rich is that all this is coming from Nick Satan disciples. There’s a reason he’s called that. The occasional outburst from a CFB coach is understandable, but to to berate people in spittle-laced screaming sessions on a regular basis is … truly classless. So save it. And enjoy the game.
Calling someone Satan is classless… So don’t think anyone is taking advice from you about class..