LSU Vs. Alabama: Ed Orgeron Could Earn Full-Time Head Coaching Gig With Victory Over Crimson Tide


According to ESPN’s Chris Low, LSU could be prepared to remove the interim tag from Ed Orgeron if he’s able to lead the Tigers to a victory over the Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday. Orgeron took over for Les Miles, who was fired following an 18-13 loss at Auburn on September 24. The loss dropped the Tigers, who were a preseason top-10 team, to a 2-2 record through four games.

“Decisions like this are never easy ones to make,” athletic director Joe Alleva said at the time of Miles’ firing. “Coach Miles has done a tremendous job here and he’s been a great ambassador for our University, which makes this even more difficult.”

He continued, “However, it’s apparent in evaluating the program through the first month of the season that a change has to be made. Our commitment to excellence and competing at the highest level is unwavering, and our goals for the remainder of this season haven’t changed. We have an obligation to our student-athletes to put them in the best position to have success on the football field each week and we have great confidence that coach Orgeron will do just that.”

Since taking over the head coaching duties, Orgeron has led the Tigers to three consecutive victories. LSU beat Missouri 42-7 in the first game following Miles’ dismissal as the offense racked up a whopping 634 total yards, including 418 on the ground, without star running back Leonard Fournette.

Hurricane Matthew forced the postponement of the Tigers’ next game against Florida, but the team returned to the field on October 15 and destroyed Southern Mississippi, 45-10. LSU scored 45 points on only 42 plays from scrimmage as the offense averaged nearly 11 yards per play. Sophomore running back Derrius Grice rushed for 162 yards and two touchdowns, while junior Malachi Dupre hauled in three passes for 100 yards and two touchdowns.

[Image by Sean Gardner/Getty Images]

After two impressive victories under Orgeron, the Tigers made it a third straight on October 22 as they took down Orgeron’s old team, the Ole Miss Rebels, 38-21. The offense was impressive once again as they posted 515 total yards including 311 on the ground. Fournette returned from an ankle injury to rush for 284 yards on 16 carries and three touchdowns.

[Image by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images]

The biggest reason for Miles’ firing was his inability to field a competent offense in the SEC. The Tigers would routinely be the worst offense in the conference, and it held them back in the final few years of his tenure. The fact that Ed Orgeron and new offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger have had so much success with the same players bodes well for their chances of keeping their jobs long-term.

According to Low’s report, Orgeron could seal his fate this weekend with a victory over Alabama. The Crimson Tide are currently the No. 1 team in the country and they will pay a visit to Death Valley on Saturday night. Aside from a 48-43 victory over Ole Miss, Alabama’s closest margin of victory has been 19 points. If Orgeron finds a way to come out victorious, Low says that there’s a good chance he will become the Tigers’ permanent head coach.

“It’s a given Alleva is going to look around, and Florida State’s Jimbo Fisher and Houston’s Tom Herman will be high on his list,” Low wrote. “But a person close to the situation told ESPN.com that Alleva is also serious about giving Orgeron legitimate consideration if the Tigers finish strong this season and continue to look as sharp and as re-energized as they did against Missouri, particularly on offense.”

“If they beat Alabama [on Nov. 5], they might sign him to a new contract before midnight,” a source told ESPN.

[Featured Image by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images]

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