The reactionary nature of LSU fans often leaves them basing the entire tenure of a head coach on a single game. This week it may be justified.
Brian Kelly is in his third season as head coach and enters a game against Alabama, which will make or break LSU’s playoff chances. With a bye week to prepare and home-field advantage, Kelly has the opportunity to establish a precedent for the program in this new era of college football.
Kelly captured the adoration of Baton Rouge with an overtime upset over Alabama his first year at LSU.
When Kelly spoke to the team after the win, former defensive end Ali Gaye exclaimed, “This is why you came here!” to which Kelly replied, “Hell yes!”
Kelly opened the 2024 season with a habitually heartbreaking Week 1 loss, then another to Texas A&M in October, a team that has given Kelly issues. The expansion of the College Football Playoff had afforded Kelly some margin of error, but it’s gone this weekend.
Kelly was not hired to get LSU to nine or 10 wins every year and end with a middling seed. Fundamental to reaching that next gear of a repeat playoff entrant is establishing a dominant expectation.
A win would make Kelly 2-0 at home against Alabama and 1-0 against Kalen DeBoer. If Kelly is to be deemed a successful hire, both should be expected with little exception.
Under DeBoer, the Tide remain a dangerous team despite their 3-2 SEC record, but former head coach Nick Saban only had three two-loss regular seasons in his 17 years at Alabama.
College football has reached newfound parity thanks to a number of factors, namely NIL. Currently, five teams sit at the top of the SEC with one conference loss.
One product of this was Alabama losing to Vanderbilt. Such an event showcases a revolution against monopolized talent and opportunity for change.
With upcoming recruiting classes full of talent, LSU can insert itself into the top of this unsettled SEC hierarchy. That starts this season.
Year three of Kelly features a new defensive coordinator, veterans who were once freshman under his leadership and a starting quarterback who has been developed for multiple years.
Tiger fans don’t care about banging tables or preparation; they want results. Kelly has been afforded grace with a playoff expansion, now he has to deliver when it counts most.
By no means is it an easy expectation but the necessity, the window of opportunity and the standard LSU has for its coaches makes it so that Kelly’s tenure will heavily defined by Saturday’s outcome.
A loss will invoke feelings of an underwhelming status quo, continued envy of programs like Alabama and dreams of competitive play in January dissipating.
Saturday’s outcome will not just define the season; it will very much define the Brian Kelly era at LSU.