The SEC Forum at College Football Fan Site, CFB51!!!

Assuming LSU fires Orgeron, who will they attempt to hire? Kiffin, Franklin, Fickell, Freeze, who else?

From Sat down south:

LSU vs. Kentucky — Can we process that Kentucky is favored to improve to 6-0?
I ask that question because there’s the macro perspective and the micro perspective. The macro perspective is that the Cats, who are 3.5-point home favorites against 2-loss LSU, are in the midst of what should be their second winning season in SEC play in the last 4 decades. Saturday isn’t just a chance to clinch bowl eligibility; there’s at least a path to a New Year’s 6 Bowl. Fresh off the first win against Florida in Lexington since 1986, Kentucky has to feel like a major weight is off its shoulders.
On a micro level, let’s process the fact that a team who was -9 in turnover margin entering Saturday just improved to 5-0, and it did so by nearly getting doubled up in total yards (ask Dan Mullen about the significance of that). The Cats played down to the wire against FCS Chattanooga, they put the ball on the ground 4 times against South Carolina and yet, here they are with a favorable matchup to hit 6-0. Can Josh Paschal and that Kentucky defense frustrate the horrendous LSU offensive line? Better yet, can the Kroger Field advantage force false start after false start again?
There’s a decent chance that Kentucky makes some baffling mistakes and it finds another way to win a game that goes down to the wire. Hey, Mark Stoops isn’t after style points, though. He’s after the program’s best start since 1950.

Fickell might stay there if he's waiting for one, and only one, job to open up.  He may be waiting for mama to call.

I doubt he waits 20 years for the Ohio State job. 

He could take the LSU job. Be a failure  and get fired. True. Or he become the next Nick Saban.

Good luck to LSU next week.  
Florida held UK to 220 total yards.  

The hits keep coming.  

Kinda figured, but it's official now, Stingley is out for the year (injury) and has almost certainly played his last game as a Tiger.  Ricks was also hurt near the end of the UK game, now it's official he is done for the year as well.  His injury hasn't been released, but he's elected to have surgery which will end his season.  Both were top of their recruiting class at their position, and it means LSU moves forward without both its starting corners.  The secondary takes another hit as safety Major Burns' injury also removes him from at least Florida, and not sure how much more.

He's joined by DE Gaye and DT Evans, who will miss the UF game due to injury vs. UK.  Florida will bring its league-leading rushing attack against the already struggling, now short-handed LSU run D.  

If that's not enough, WR Boutte was hurt near the end of the UK game and is out for the season as well.  Boutte leads the Tigers with 508 yards, is 1st in the SEC in TD receptions and 4th in the SEC in receiving yards.

Also O said in his recent presser that QB Brennan's injury continues to linger, and while they were hopeful of getting him back for the bye-week heading into the Alabama game later, it now seems more likely Brennan will not be ready to go by then.  

If there's such a thing as a turd-sundae, I think ours just got topped with a cyanide cherry.  

I guess the young guys will get more experience, which I guess means more depth for next year's coach 

Oops....add safety Jay Ward to list who's out injured.  That's 4 out of the 5 starting secondary gone. 

And I forgot to mention DL Anthony was already lost for the season against Miss. St.  LSU came into the season with 3 legit pass rush threats, all having nice seasons, Anthony, Gaye, and Ojulari.  Only Ojulari is left.  They've been "okay" in run-stopping, but great in pass rushing.  Not anymore. 

Re: a previous comment I made about the recruiting rankings looking better on paper than reality, this is maybe interesting.  LSU signed six 5-stars per 247 composite in 2019 and 2020.  They are as follows.

2020 5-Star Signees:
TE Arik Gilbert (transferred)
CB Eli Ricks (out for the season)
WR Kayshon Boutté (out for the season)
2019 5-Star Signees:
CB Derek Stingley (out for the season)
RB John Emery (ineligible)
LB Marcel Brooks (transferred)

Doesn't even get into the 4 stars, but the retention rate is not where it needs to be.


Dare Rosenthal, a guy who looks good in the class ratings and we were counting on to bolster the OL for a few years, looked great at LT beating our ass all day for Kentucky.  O can recruit, but a higher than normal percentage have been lost for various reasons, possibly including the aging S&C coach who was the best in the biz for many years...but when you have so many injuries, it's hard not to wonder if the S&C program has lost a step.