For many seasons the annual Alabama Football clash with LSU was one of college football’s hottest tickets. That is no longer. The demand in Baton Rouge was so low, LSU returned unsold tickets to the University of Alabama.
Two weeks ago Bama Hammer predicted Ed Orgeron will not visit Bryant-Denny again. That prediction was wrong, but the assumption Coach O would be fired before November was spot on. It was an easy call to make, as many in the state of Louisiana had already alerted the college football world.
On Nov. 6, Ed Orgeron is expected to be on the visiting team sideline inside Bryant-Denny. What kind of team and how large a roster he brings with him is in question. A few days ago, Orgeron complained,
"We don’t have enough players to do the Tiger Bowl scrimmage tomorrow, and we don’t have enough players healthy enough to have a full practice today."
The situation Coach O described is not believed to have anything to do with a COVID outbreak among the Bengal Tigers. What it might indicate is some LSU players have caught the lost-enthusiasm bug infecting their fans.
The college football and NFL worlds well know what happened last season with LSU star, Ja’Marre Chase. In August Chase opted out of the 2020 season, to prepare for the NFL. His success in the NFL indicates Chase made a sound decision.
Alabama Football: No new LSU opt-outs expected
Sudden opt-outs from LSU’s top players before the Alabama game are not expected. There will be a large contingent of NFL scouts in Tuscaloosa. LSU players with high, draft pick dreams will want to impress them.
But the path for exiting the LSU roster has been a crowded one over the last year. Writing for LSU Nation, Glen West, recently published a list of 19 LSU players who are not currently available. They are mostly a mixture of injured and transfer portal players, some of whom are playing for other teams this season. Other LSU insiders have indicated the attrition since this season began has been in the double-digits.
LSU will have no problem fielding a healthy two-deep against the Crimson Tide. How many of them will give everything they have in a bad loss remains to be seen.
Earlier this week Paul Finebaum said of the LSU head coaching vacancy.
"This needs to be the time LSU grabs them a coach who can be there for a decade and compete for a National Championship on an annual basis. If you put yourself in position with the right coach now you can dominate the SEC West for years to come." - @MattBarrie
— Paul Finebaum (@finebaum) October 28, 2021
Finebaum is a smart guy. It is hard to imagine him actually believing those words. LSU will certainly bring in a better coach than that the one who is slowly exiting. Dozens of new hires would be better than Coach O.
There may come a time when LSU can dominate the SEC West, but what comes next, beginning with Alabama Football in Tuscaloosa will be painful, and that pain will not subside quickly.
The game time for Alabama Football to host LSU is yet to be finalized. As recently as last season, who would have ever thought it might be in the old Jefferson Pilot slot.