Brian Kelly makes definitive statement on standard of LSU football, keeping perspective

Brian Kelly didn’t shy away about the expectations at LSU following an 8-4 regular season. Kelly came over from Notre Dame and in three years with the Tigers failed to get over the proverbial hump.

Sure, there was an SEC Championship Game appearance in his first season. BUt since then, Kelly is 18-7 with no SEC title or College Football Playoff appearances.

Even in the expanded playoff this year, LSU will be on the outside looking in.

“The standard is the standard here, right,” Kelly said. “I didn’t come down here to go 8-4. I’m not happy about 8-4. Nobody in that room is happy about being 8-4. What they’re happy about is they’ve played well after a three game losing streak, and they bounced back. And this game teaches you lessons about grit and toughness and perseverance and not not giving up and letting go of the rope, right? 

“They easily could have fractured, right? Instead, they stuck together, and they stayed committed, and they beat two teams that were really good football teams in this league, and have pelts to show that they are good teams, right? So at the end of the day, we want to win every game we play.”

LSU’s last three head coaches have won national titles: Nick Saban, Les Miles and Ed Orgeron. So naturally, Kelly would be wise to follow that trend.

He’s confident about getting to the title game next year and not waiting for the breakout season.

“And the standard at LSU, at Alabama, they’re not happy with three losses at Alabama,” Kelly said. “Georgia is not happy with two losses. Nobody’s happy when they lose a game. But what I’m happy about in the short term is the way our guys responded to adversity. That’s why I came in here and said, I’m proud of our football team and the way they responded to adversity. The big picture is I’m excited about our future, regardless of what people seem to think, and that’s okay. 

“Everybody’s entitled to their opinions, but nobody knows what it looks like from the inside. I’ve got the best perspective of that, and you can have your own opinions, and that’s fine. That’s why you guys have a pulpit to do that. I have a better perspective of it. I don’t listen to what you have to say, and we’re going to build it the way we know that we’re going to build it, and I’ll see you in the national championship game.”