by LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN
@LonnPhillips
After a horrorshow performance vs Ole Miss, the bye week comes at an introspective, soul searching time for the program....while many fans clamor for any scrap of news about the future head coach at LSU, the current team are in major need of attention.
The trip to Oxford was a nightmarish version of Flip The Script, this time co-written by Stephen King:
Under the devastation of potential head coaching candidate Lane Kiffin, LSU endured a 3 1/2 hour torture chamber full of missed opportunities, an anonymous offensive display so pathetic in its confusion, and ineptitude that the offensive staff lay stupified by the luck of their current job titles, all underlined by a lame duck head coach who's very presence on the sidelines, practice field or locker room sabotages the very brand he helped bolster and swore to protect.
While our defense played their asses off against yet another few injuries to the secondary, the offense remains our biggest problem, even after scoring 49 points on Florida, rushing for 287 yards, Max Johnson tossing 20+ touchdown passes already, none of it has mattered....LSU's offense was at an all time low @ Ole Miss.
TDP was the leading rusher, his OL going from helping him to 287 all the way down to a 53 yard, 1 TD performance vs the Rebels where Ty had to earn every yard.
Jaray Jenkins 50-something yards and 0 TDs was the leading receiving mark...
It's nowhere near enough.
For the first time as a starter, Max Johnson didn't throw a touchdown...
In fact, he was sat down for the final quarter, with freshman Garrett Nussmeier throwing for over 100 and a TD in quick fashion....what's usually a stunning development of QB controversy became a nothing situation: few Tiger fans even cared, looking away from the slow motion car wreck before them.
Now, as the days go by, the news grows worse:
From last week's news of sophomore WR Koy Moore transferring to today's talk of LB Bugg Strong entering the transfer portal, the Tigers are leaking so much talent we don't even have enough players to hold a full practice.
Since August 1st, the number of players LSU have lost to either injury, ineligibility, the transfer portal or "on the DL" opt outs, is a staggering list:
QB Myles Brennan, CBs Derek Stingley Jr and Eli Ricks, RBs John Emery Jr & Tre Bradford, WRs Kayshon Boutte & Koy Moore, DL Andre Anthony, Joe Evans & Ali Gaye, while DT Glen Logan missed the first 6 games and is out yet again, OL Anthony Bradford, WR Chris Hilton, safety Major Burns is set to miss the entire back half of the year, alongside a multitude of big name players who missed 3+ games, from Jay Ward, Cam Wire, Sage Ryan, Deion Smith, Dwight McGlothern.....
LSU have had every position group attacked by major absences, both in veteran presence / leadership & depth, cutting the Tigers off at the legs from their beat up OL, freshman-run WR corps, depleted edge tacklers from the DL to the secondary....
These aren't just strange times for LSU....these are dark hours that must be ridden through, hard miles for True Tigers to ride...the cold wind cutting at our faces, the blood-soaked teeth of the SEC West's hellhounds nipping at our heels....
As long as Ed Orgeron remains in power as a lame duck "Head Coach", with this awkward, toxic environment where all the man in charge cares about is how many cheeseburgers and blondes his $17 million can account for, LSU will continue to leak talent at the same pace we lose games.
This head coach doesn't seem to really care about the players anymore...his actions speak louder than any jibberjabber coachspeak he could throw at us..
All LSUODYSSEY.COM has tried to do is give these young men a platform to show their greatness, some may be overlooked, others taken for granted, a few completely forgotten, we try to rep 'em all.
But in watching the manner in which our Tigers play under Coach O since the announcement, where they heard his money-first proclamations from the podium, I know one thing for sure:
Some players I spoke to don't like the interim uncertainty with Orgeron stalking around every corner...living out his final days as LSU Head Coach however the hell he sees fit. This is a nightmare for these players who signed up for the hungry Orgeron of 2017-19...this experience is shaking the foundations of what they believed in most about LSU:
Family.
Coach O used the word almost as much as he mentioned Joe Evans this off-season, but is he fighting for his players when they need him most? Or is he already satisfied with his "efforts"?
Most are too afraid to speak out, understanding one wrong public quote could start a bonfire of calamities during the long bye week....a lot of what has been recently relayed to me is kept off the record to protect those involved during this wild time, whether they wanted the quotes out there or not.
It is time to sit back and look at everything....while some players are through with the drama, causing homesickness and "is the grass greener?" type feelings, many are even hungrier to fight for LSU's future, wanting a place at the table with the new man in charge, wanting a spot on the field to represent the purple and gold.
LSU fans, this isn't the last transfer we'll see depart the team, but know this:
LSU, as far as contending for titles, finding the new future championship Head Coach, securing our must-sign 2022 talents, it's ALL in flux until late November early December, right now.....everyone wondering who's going to make the first move....and when.
By LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN
@LonnPhillips
Copyright 2021 Uninterrupted Writings Inc
SHOUTOUTS: THANK YOU TO CLAYETH, ADIESEL, DON, KEVIN, LOUIS, AG & JOSH GUILLORY!!!!! A FEW OF MY GUYS!