Paul Finebaum reacts to Ja’Marr Chase’s opt-out: Has any team ever lost more in one offseason than LSU?
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Ed Orgeron’s LSU program was already facing the difficult challenge of having to replace several superstar players and some elite coaches but Paul Finebaum thinks the latest loss suffered by the Tigers should be considered nothing short of a “body blow” following Ja’Marr Chase’s decision to opt-out for the upcoming fall season.
Chase’s decision to not play this season was the biggest storyline of the weekend in the SEC so it was no surprise the ESPN and SEC Network host was asked to share his thoughts on the news during his most recent weekly appearance on Birmingham-based WJOX 94.5 FM radio show “The Roundtable.”
Here is what Finebaum had to say in response to Chase’s decision to opt-out.
“It seems rather late but it’s understandable because the season is still a few weeks away and maybe he just took a good look and said, ‘What’s the point?’ The thing that I’m most took away from Ja’Marr Chase is thinking about that team that we all saw on the second Monday night in January — and what’s gone,” Finebaum said. “I mean, of all the great Nick Saban teams – and he has lost coaches and coordinators and quarterbacks and Heisman winners – I don’t remember any program of significance that has ever lost more than LSU.”
Finebaum has a point.
Orgeron has experienced confidence in new starting QB Myles Brennan’s ability to get the job done this season but even that got more difficult with Chase moving on from the team.
Chase’s decision is compounded by the fact the Tigers hired a new passing game coordinator and defensive coordinator this offseason after Dave Aranda was hired to run the Baylor program and Joe Brady is now the offensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers.
“You start with the two coordinators and they were both world-class coordinators,” Finebaum continued. “I mean, Dave Aranda was as good as anyone and certainly on the offensive side was hard to find a coach who had a better season. And then, you know, maybe the best quarterback we’ve ever seen and what five, I could be wrong, at least five first-round draft choices and now their best wide receiver.
“I mean that’s almost a total wipeout. Yet, you look at the poll last Monday guys and where’s LSU? Six in the country — and that’s including Ohio State in the poll.”
Considering all the LSU program has lost, Finebaum can’t understand the hype the Tigers are getting heading into the season.
“So yeah, I mean I don’t understand it and I respect what Coach O has done down there and, you know, he’s got a lot of great recruiting, but I mean this is to me, if you go into the SEC season looking for one thing – what is LSU going to look like?” Finebaum asked. “Because of what I just got through saying, (Chase’s decision) was a body blow yesterday. You’ve now lost your quarterback, your best running back and your two best wide receivers from last year team, that was a really good offense in case anybody missed it.”
A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Michael Wayne Bratton oversees the news coverage for Saturday Down South. Michael previously worked for FOX Sports and NFL.com
