LSU’s struggles have intensified, with head coach Brian Kelly facing mounting criticism following the Tigers’ third consecutive loss.
LSU fell to Florida 27-16 in The Swamp on Saturday, bringing their record to 6-4 in what has become a disappointing third season for Kelly in Baton Rouge.
ESPN’s Paul Finebaum didn’t mince words about the state of LSU’s program during a recent appearance on The Matt Barrie Show.
“Now, you just said you don’t want to play Kansas if you’re another team. You do want to play LSU,” Finebaum said. “I talk to you every Monday after I talk to Brian Kelly, there’s something that came about two years ago, and, you know, we really enjoyed the relationship. And in the last few weeks, it’s just downright, you know, like riding a roller coaster at Six Flags, because it’s almost indescribable what a hot mess LSU is at the moment.”
At LSU, “the standard is the standard” as they say, so labeling the current situation in Baton Rouge as a “hot mess” is quite fitting.
Since Kelly’s high-profile move from Notre Dame to LSU in 2022, his tenure has yet to yield the elite-level success Tigers fans expect.
Despite lofty ambitions, LSU remains absent from the College Football Playoff under his leadership and it’s safe to say their ticket to the dance won’t be punched this year neither.
The season began with a disturbing loss to USC, signaling trouble early. Although the Tigers managed a mid-season recovery, their momentum collapsed in recent weeks with losses to Alabama, Texas A&M, and Florida.
On Saturday, the frustration was evident on the sidelines during the Florida game. Cameras caught Kelly getting into verbal squabbles with players.
“This is a simple exercise of do you want to fight or not?” Kelly said after the loss. “Do you want to fight and take responsibility as coaches and players that we’re not playing well and we’re struggling right now? … There’s a rough spot here that we have to fight through, and we have to do it together.”
LSU fans, known for their high expectations, are beginning to lose patience as Kelly’s vision for the program remains unrealized.
The mounting criticism and recent on-field tensions suggest that Kelly’s seat may be growing warmer as the season winds down.
The Tigers face Vanderbilt next Saturday, a game that could offer a brief reprieve – or amplify the pressure further should they falter against the feisty Commodores.
While Notre Dame fans are loving every second of the Kelly drama, Tigers fans are desperately seeking answers to the concerning question: is Kelly truly the right coach to lead the program going forward???
