Alabama Football: LSU preseason buzz about recruiting, not winning games
By Ronald Evans
Breaking a seven-game losing streak against Alabama football is not the biggest hope for LSU fans. The 2018 talk is all about recruiting and AD, Joe Alleva.
The college football offseason is a time for optimism. Alabama football fans are not alone when expecting strong performance in an upcoming season. Check out almost any FBS team message board and most fans will be predicting the coming year to be better for their team.
The message boards for LSU fans are somewhat different. There is optimism about the new season. There are plenty of predictions about beating Miami, Ole Miss, Florida and other teams. There is not much chatter about LSU taking down Alabama football in Baton Rouge, the first weekend in November.
The game is a long way off and the Bengal Tigers have several tough challenges before the Crimson Tide. Still, jawing about breaking a seven-game losing streak has no better time than when a team is undefeated.
Checking out LSU message boards indicates their fans are most focused on recruiting and the futures of Coach O and AD, Joe Alleva. Many fans want the Bengal Tigers to win in 2018 but seem reconciled to a six or seven win season if the record costs Alleva his job.
The acrimony aimed at Alleva is understandable. In an era of financial bounty for top college programs, LSU is stretched tight under Alleva. One of the reasons many LSU fans believe Orgeron will survive another season is because LSU cannot afford to pay Les Miles, Coach O and a new coach at the same time. Beyond those sums is the payout to fire Orgeron negotiated by Alleva. If Coach O is fired after the 2018 season, he will be owed an $8.5 million dollar buyout.
LSU fans and apparently big-money donors are not prepared to ante up for Alleva’s foolishness. Alleva gave Coach O a buyout when no other major program in the nation was interested in hiring him as a head coach. The most sensible fans realize the football future of LSU cannot be entrusted to Alleva in hiring the next LSU head man.
Best bet is Alleva is gone at the end of the season and Orgeron returns for 2018. The most optimism present on the LSU boards is the combination of firing Alleva and a top five recruiting class by Coach O.
So instead of worrying about losing to Alabama football again, many LSU fans point to winning the 2019 recruiting cycle as the program’s salvation. In many cases, those fans are expecting LSU loading up in 2019 will not save Coach O but will boost his replacement.
LSU is doing well in recruiting. The Bengal Tigers are currently No. 6 in the 247Sports Composite. LSU already has two 5-Star commits. Most LSU fans appear to believe signing Louisiana high school, 5-Star Ishmael Sopsher is more important than beating Alabama football in November. Sopsher is rated as the No. 6 player in the nation. Most recruiting experts believe his final college choice will come down to LSU and Alabama.
Sopsher is a defensive tackle. Coach O’s specialty is coaching defensive linemen. Sopsher is from Amite, LA, a mere 60 miles from Baton Rouge. His signing should be a slam dunk for the Bengal Tigers. We’ll see. Alabama football insiders are VERY optimistic.
Next. Dead Period ends with few slots for top targets. dark
Ed Orgeron has earned his reputation as a top recruiter and very good d-line coach. In the battle for Sopsher, Alabama football counters with Nick Saban, fast-rising assistant coach, recruiter, Pete Golding and another d-linemen guru, assistant coach Craig Kuligowski. Golding has a track record pulling in Louisiana recruits. Coach Kool puts his guys in the NFL. It looks like Coach O could be out-matched at his own strength.