Paul Finebaum questions stability of LSU under Ed Orgeron

LSU’s season-opening loss to UCLA could prove to be a big one for head coach Ed Orgeron. Coming into the game, some experts were speculating about Orgeron’s job security. The Tigers were undefeated in 2019 and won a national championship, but Orgeron and LSU had their first season at or below .500 since 1999 last season. Now, ESPN’s Paul Finebaum is questioning the stability of LSU’s program under Orgeron.

Finebaum: LSU’s loss to UCLA is a bad loss to start the year

LSU fell to UCLA 38-27 on Saturday to fall to 0-1 in the new season. After such a disappointing 2020 season, hopes were high for a rebound for LSU under Orgeron this season. Orgeron took the blame for the loss, and now people are talking about his job security as LSU’s head coach.

“I had so many people … that were just trying to make me believe LSU was going to take down Alabama (in 2021), and to me – again I’m flipping around games so I’m not studying game film like you guys – but I saw a lot of the same problems (with LSU last season),” Finebaum said on WJOX radio in Birmingham when co-host Greg McElroy asked if Orgeron is now on the hot seat. “I saw the defense look clueless at times. I saw two coordinators that underwhelmed me. And I saw a head coach who sometimes has trouble with his mouth getting in the way of reality.

“And I think that’s exactly what happened. LSU has some really challenging games (ahead). They go to Mississippi State in a couple weeks, and we can argue whether State’s real after its performance, and then they have everyone else. That’s a really bad loss to start the season.”

Finebaum doesn’t think Orgeron is on the hot seat, … yet.

There is still a lot of football to be played for LSU. Orgeron still has time to turn things around at LSU. If he wins the games he is supposed to win over the next two weeks, his team could be confident heading into the matchup with Mississippi State. But the fact that questions about Orgeron’s job security are already being asked shows how little confidence many have in the program right now.

“We’ve seen this before at LSU just a couple of years ago. But I don’t think we’re there yet,” Finebaum said. “And I think we also have to be mindful and considerate of the circumstances. … If you’ve got players in Game 1 on national television who are already thinking about getting out of there and making sure they’re available for the pros, and we’re talking about their best player, that trickles down. That permeates the atmosphere, and that was a problem before last season. I think Orgeron finally salvaged the season the final two weeks. And by no means am I writing this season off. But the fact that Greg McElroy asked the question on Labor Day morning is I think indicative in how little faith we have in stability at LSU.”

Right now, Orgeron is getting a lot of attention over his pregame comments to a UCLA heckler while entering the stadium. UCLA has continued to troll Orgeron in recent days.