Reading the Tea Leaves...

[Fishhead]

I've never really understood that saying, but I digress. 

Here's what is happening in the background..some of which has obviously already occurred.

 

Verge is screwed, most likely to be fired. He is a mandatory reporter for this Title IX stuff and he broke regulation.  It's pretty cut and dry. He's toast.

Woodward wants to be University Prez, so here's his chance to salvage this dumpster fire and use that as a notch in his proverbial belt. 
BTW, the opportunity to become president is part of how we got Woody from TAMU.

Will Wade is safe for now, others not so much.

O CAN survive this, UNLESS any of the Title IX stuff is attached to him.  As of right now, I believe he DOES have some culpability.  The report comes out in February, but info is shared.

We will hold on to MOST of our 2021 class...it won't be as bad in that area as one might have suspected.  Including me.

Some...NOT ALL...of this is self inflicted for O.  But he's evidently had a REALLY bad year off the field.  Obviously we know about his divorce, but there have been other issues, and again, some, but not all, self inflicted.  

The self imposed bowl ban has nothing to do with Orgeron or the Title IX stuff.  It has to do with the OLOL stuff, which happened when Les was coach, not that Les had anything to do with it, just referencing him as a timeline.

We have discussed O's bad hires, but not everything is as it appears.  

ie: Did O hire Canada?  Or did Alleva?

ie: Did O hire Pelini?  Or did Woodward?  

Obviously the AD signs off on this stuff and handles the contract, but I've heard it was literally the ADs that wanted those two.  O wanted a 4-3 and likes Pelini (at least he DID lol), but Woody pushed for Pelini.  

Regarding the coordinators:

I believe Pelini is shown the door, and one of two things happens with Ensminger.  He'll either retire or be moved to TE coach.  He will NOT (and should not) be fired.  He didn't want the damn OC job anyway. 

Regarding other coaches:  

I believe there will be a LOT of movement here.  Line coaches will likely change, although neither may be fired.  Retirement, moving to NFL, etc.......but leaving LSU.  Raymond will stay, (or at least won't be fired or moved), and Busch may leave/retire/whatever.  Linehan I have no pulse on, but SURELY he's gone...will probably retire.  A new OC will probably dictate that anyway.

The leaders on this team are the younger players.  That's an issue for now, but should become a good thing in the future.

On Myles Brennan:

There's been talk his injury is way worse than initially suspected, and in fact, possibly career ending.  I don't know how bad it is but I have heard there is a lot of concern.  With that said, we may need to snag a QB transfer.  
At this point of the season though, we have TJ and Max both gaining experience and Garrett Nussmeier coming in.  This could be the thing that keeps either TJ or Max from hitting the portal.  I dunno.  Just hate it for Brennan considering in the age of quitting or transfering, he stuck it out and paid his dues.   Would love to see him come back and dominate.  

 

I know this.  LSU will be fine because we are NOT the program we were in the 90s.  Look at tOSU for instance.  They were hit with sanctions and on probation and Urban friggin Meyer went there, within a couple years, they're champs.  LSU recruits well and is situated in a fertile recruiting base.  LSU has shown it will spend money to win, something it would NOT do in the 80s-90s.  I'm not exactly thrilled with Woody so far, but I know he ain't Joe Dean.  

LSU will be fine.  It just might be a minute.  

 

 

 

 

 

[Nutriaitch]

 

1 hour ago, Fishhead said:

We have discussed O's bad hires, but not everything is as it appears.  

ie: Did O hire Canada?  Or did Alleva?

ie: Did O hire Pelini?  Or did Woodward?  

Obviously the AD signs off on this stuff and handles the contract, but I've heard it was literally the ADs that wanted those two.  O wanted a 4-3 and likes Pelini (at least he DID lol), but Woody pushed for Pelini.  

I've pretty much always believed Canada was forced on him. Had no proof, just a gut feeling.
O's book he confirms he wanted E from the beginning. Which is actually more concerning than getting Canada.

I had not heard that about Pelini. Interesting if true though.

 

1 hour ago, Fishhead said:

Regarding the coordinators:

I believe Pelini is shown the door, and one of two things happens with Ensminger.  He'll either retire or be moved to TE coach.  He will NOT (and should not) be fired.  He didn't want the damn OC job anyway. 

Good, I love E as a Tiger.

He just has no business being an OC in a world post Bill Clinton presidency (this is a timeline joke, not a political statement).

 

1 hour ago, Fishhead said:

LSU will be fine.  It just might be a minute.  

how we navigate through this will determine how long it will take.

[Fishhead]

35 minutes ago, Nutriaitch said:

 

 

 

how we navigate through this will determine how long it will take.

Bottom line, LSU has won a National Championship with it's last 3 coaches.  It'll probably win one with it's next coach.  It hasn't won two with any HC, although with Miles it did play for two. 

LSU the brand is different than it was in the 90s.  The focus is different.  Under Joe Dean, they literally didn't WANT to finish first because it was too expensive to be first.  Now with SEC N and all the other TV money, it's well worth the money you spend to be first.  WELL worth it.  
That's why I couldn't care less how much they pay coaches and think it's kinda funny people complain about it.  Who cares?  1.  It's HIGHLY likely it ain't your money, and 2.  It's a safe investment with a large return typically.  

Hell, even with O, the return on his CURRENT pay happened prior to him achieving his current pay, and LSU is way in the black there.  

We all made fun of TAMU when they paid Jimbo $7.5 million a year for 10 years.  My thing was always the 10 years, not the $7.5 million.  Lo and behold, TAMU is on the cusp of the playoffs this year after a total rebuild.  Worth the investment?  Methinks yes...and he probably would have won a 'ship here as well, especially not having to completely rebuild like he did at TAMU.

Although one simple move makes other things happen, and we probably don't meet Joe Burrow if Jimbo was here.  He would've groomed Myles.

[Nutriaitch]

oh i agree with what you are saying. 

but also saying that if we make wrong moves here and drag ourselves further down, then the rebuild will take longer. 

 

[Hatchertiger]

2 hours ago, Fishhead said:

I've never really understood that saying, but I digress.

Tasseography: Divination with tea leaves.

https://www.auntyflo.com/tea-leaf-dictionary/what-tasseography

 

I hate tea.

Yeah I firmly believe LSU will survive but it sure isn't pleasant to experience what is happening. LSU's travails along with an acrimonious presidential election and COVID have made 2020 particularly unpleasant.  

[Herb]

21 hours ago, Fishhead said:

Just hate it for Brennan considering in the age of quitting or transfering, he stuck it out and paid his dues.   Would love to see him come back and dominate.  

This times 1,000!

[houtiger]

FH, very interesting original post of this topic, very meaty.  I understand some of it is speculative, but the season has gone poorly and now is the time to speculate a bit on where we go from here.  There is a lot going on, with the title IX stuff, and I almost forgot about the OLOL stuff.  It's going to be a very interesting next 3 months.  It will be a very interesting next Wednesday, first day for signing early recruits.

[Fishhead]

Pelini, Linehan, Busch, Johnson, TYFYS.

Ensminger, if he retires, he deserves a statue. If he doesn't retire, he'll make a helluva TE coach or analyst.

Cregg,  I dunno,  but the new OC may have input there.