Former LSU HC Issues Blunt Reality Check to Brian Kelly Before Tigers' 2025 Season
Since his arrival ahead of the 2022 college football season, head coach Brian Kelly has compiled a 29-11 record, but that still may not be good enough for the decision-makers inside this program.
Advertisement
Former LSU head coach Ed Orgeron appeared on "XL Primetime" to discuss LSU football and the lofty expectations that are likely weighing upon Kelly.
"Expectations at LSU are No. 1 or nothing! I mean, that's it! LSU expects you to win the national championship. They don't expect you to win it every year, but Coach Saban won it in his third year, Les Miles won it in his third year, and I won it in my third year.
LSU Tigers head coach Brian Kelly. Denny Medley-Imagn Images
"I think (Kelly) has a really good team, a really good quarterback in Garrett Nussmeier. He's got a tough opener in Clemson. The expectations bring on a lot of pressure, especially when you haven't won a championship yet. The pressure there is to win a championship."
Advertisement
Orgeron began at LSU before the 2015 season as the team's defensive line coach. He was named the interim head coach after Miles was fired early in the 2016 season. In Orgeron's third full season as the team's head coach, he led the Tigers to a perfect 15-0 record and secured LSU's fourth national championship.
Over the next two seasons, the wheels came off for the Tigers as they compiled an 11-11 record with back-to-back .500 records.
Kelly was hired as Orgeron's successor after more than a decade leading Notre Dame. In 12 years with the Fighting Irish, Kelly led the college football powerhouse to a 92-39 record.
In a recent way-too-early college football rankings, ESPN's Mark Schlabach lists the Tigers at No. 6. He believes LSU should be in the mix for an SEC championship.
Advertisement
LSU will begin this upcoming season on the road against Clemson on Saturday, August 30 at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Related: College Football Powerhouse Lands No. 1 Transfer Portal Class After 9-4 Season
Related: LSU Makes Major Addition to Coaching Staff With Former All-Pro
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NBC Sports
26 minutes ago
- NBC Sports
Pick Six: Boise State primed to make another run at Group of Five's auto bid for CFP
Losing a Heisman Trophy finalist, the best defensive player on the team and other key personnel would tamp down expectations for a lot of programs even in this era of quick fixes through the transfer portal. Not Boise State, which brings back more than enough talent to be deemed the favorite to earn the Group of Five's guaranteed College Football Playoff bid a second straight year. Boise State has a second-year starter in quarterback Maddux Madsen, who threw for more than 3,000 yards with 23 touchdowns, and a deep offensive line returning 10 players who started a game. One of Madsen's favorite targets will be Matt Lauter, an All-Mountain West Conference pick whose 47 receptions set a school record for tight ends. The departure of Ashton Jeanty, the Heisman runner-up, creates opportunities for promising running backs Dylan Riley and Sire Gaines. There's a hole on the defensive line without Ahmed Hassanein, the MWC's top defensive draft pick as a sixth-rounder. Edge rusher Jayden Virgin-Morgan and linebacker Marco Notarainni, both All-MWC picks, are back. So are cornerbacks A'Marion McCoy and Jeremiah Earby. The Broncos' early schedule is intriguing: The opener at South Florida is followed by a mid-September trip to Air Force to start Mountain West play. There also is a road game against No. 6 Notre Dame. This is the second year the highest-ranked G5 conference champion will be assured a spot in the playoff. In addition to the Mountain West, the G5s are the American, Conference USA, Mid-American and Sun Belt. Tulane The Green Wave are looking for their fourth straight American Conference championship game appearance, and their 32 wins over the last three seasons are fourth-most nationally. Jon Sumrall brought in 34 transfers after getting dinged hard in the portal. Transfers Jake Retzlaff (BYU) and Brendan Sullivan (Iowa) are battling at QB, and the running back and receiver rooms are full of new faces. The offensive line is perhaps the best in the league, and the defense has quality players at all three levels. The schedule, with a home game against Duke and a trip to Mississippi, is second-toughest among G5 teams. Memphis The Tigers are extremely tough at home, and that's where they play key American games against South Florida, Tulane and Navy and a nonconference game against Arkansas. Nevada transfer Brendon Lewis takes over for four-year starter Seth Henigan at quarterback. As many as nine transfers could start on defense. Returning all-conference D-lineman William Whitlow Jr. is a menace. James Madison The Sun Belt Conference is a crapshoot, but James Madison gets the nod. Coach Bob Chesney was deciding between returning QB Alonza Barnett III, who is coming back from an ACL tear, and UNLV transfer Matt Sluka. Barnett set a school record with seven touchdowns in a 70-50 win over North Carolina and threw just four interceptions over 12 games. The Dukes also have the Sun Belt's top defense. JMU's biggest games are on the road — Louisville and Liberty in nonconference and Texas State, Marshall and Coastal Carolina in the Sun Belt. Toledo Jason Candle, who has never had a losing record in nine-plus seasons as Rockets coach, could have his best team. He retained his best players, added key transfers and the schedule is one of his most manageable in years. The Rockets play four of last year's five bottom teams in the Mid-American Conference and avoid defending champion Ohio in the regular season. Key newcomers are RBs Chip Trayanum (Arizona State, Ohio State and Kentucky) and Trayvon Rudolph (Northern Illinois). They should help bring life to a lethargic rushing game and take pressure off returning QB Tucker Gleason. Liberty Coastal Carolina transfer Ethan Vasko takes over at quarterback following Kaidon Salter's departure for Colorado. Question marks remain at several spots, but the Flames' schedule is one of the easiest among Group of Five teams and they should be back in the Conference USA championship game after faltering late last season. The Flames, who joined the FBS seven years ago, have won at least eight games six straight seasons.
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
High expectations and famous name, Texas QB Arch Manning has a lot to live up to
We all owe Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning an apology. It is not fair to have this much hype and attention surrounding you before officially beginning your football career as the starting QB. But from expectations, to his immense talent to his famous family, Manning will have to deal with more scrutiny at the beginning than any other college football player. The media attention has been almost crushing since Manning got on campus, but it has really ramped up now that he's the starter. How Manning will do. Will he be as good as Eli? Will he be as good as Peyton? Where he will go in next year's NFL Draft? Even though he hasn't declared any intentions past this season. Even his own family adds to that attention. Recently, Manning's grandfather Archie told Texas Monthly Arch would stay in school two more years. "I don't know where he got that from," Arch Manning said after practice on Tuesday. "He texted me and apologized about that, but I'm really just taking it day by day right now." The hype has gotten so intense, even columnists are apologizing to Manning. "Let me be the first to apologize to Arch for all of this nonsense. For the hype and the hyperbole, for Las Vegas and the Heisman odds, for failure is not an option, for putting the horse before winning a road game as an SEC starting quarterback." - Matt Hayes of USA TODAY Sports Can Manning handle it all? He seems built for it, but the attention is unprecedented.
CBS News
an hour ago
- CBS News
Dillon Dingler triples and doubles as Tigers sweep Astros with 7-2 win
Dillon Dingler tripled in a six-run first inning, and the Detroit Tigers finished a sweep of the Houston Astros with a 7-2 win on Wednesday. Dingler added a double and scored twice as the Tigers won for the seventh time in eight games. The Astros have lost four straight. Charlie Morton (9-10) allowed two runs on three hits and three walks in six innings. Framber Valdez (11-7) gave up seven runs, matching a season high, in five innings. He is 0-3 in his last five starts. The Tigers scored five runs before Valdez recorded an out. Jahmai Jones and Gleyber Torres started the first with walks, Andy Ibáñez hit an RBI single and Spencer Torkelson made it 2-0 with a double. Valdez's first wild pitch allowed Ibáñez to score, and after Riley Greene walked, Valdez threw another wild pitch to let Torkelson score the fourth run. Dingler then tripled off the wall in center. Taylor Trammell hit the fence while trying to make the play and ended up leaving the game on a cart. Valdez finally got an out when Wenceel Pérez grounded out, but Javier Báez hit an RBI single to make it 6-0. Báez made it a seven-run game in the third with another RBI single. The Astros ended their 31-inning scoreless streak on Mauricio Dubón's two-run homer in the fourth. Houston nearly ended their scoreless streak in the third inning. Jeremy Peña led off with a double and took third on Carlos Correa's fly ball to right. Morton, though, got Jose Altuve and Christian Walker to pop out to short. The game was Detroit's 13th in 13 days. Houston visits Baltimore for a four-game series. RHP Jason Alexander (3-1, 4.74) is scheduled to start Thursday's opener against RHP Brandon Young (1-6, 5.68). Detroit begins a series Friday at Kansas City. RHP Casey Mize (12-4, 3.63) is scheduled to start for the Tigers.
