There was so much on the line Saturday night when 15th-ranked LSU hosted the 11th-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide, and the Tigers produced an absolute dud of a performance, losing to their biggest rival 42-13.
The loss drops LSU’s record to 6-3, and there will be no college football playoff appearance for the Tigers despite expectations before the season the Tigers could be in the first-ever 12-team postseason tournament.
Even though LSU went into the game with a shot at making the playoffs, the CFP was the furthest thing from Coach Brian Kelly’s mind after getting embarrassed.
“I’m disappointed that we didn’t live up to the standards of LSU football,” Kelly said. “That affects us more than the damn playoffs.”
LSU fans are very disappointed too. Kelly is in year three of a ten-year contract worth more than 100-million dollars, and this is the kind of performance you get!
At least Kelly is taking the blame.
“I take ownership in not getting our guys in the right position tonight,” Kelly said.
LSU’s biggest challenge was Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe. But it was apparent on the first drive, the Tigers couldn’t stop him as Milroe scored on a 39-yard rushing touchdown.
Milroe ended up rushing for a career-high 185 yards and four touchdowns. For the second straight game, he had four rushing touchdowns against LSU.
“Coming into the game, I thought our game plan was really good on Milroe, obviously his speed is really good, and you can’t really account for that at practice and on film until you are really in the game, he’s a just great player,” said LSU linebacker Greg Penn, III.
It’s year three of the Kelly Era, and the Tigers defense remains a mess. Give them credit for propping up this group to get victories over Ole Miss, South Carolina and Arkansas, but in the end, the talent is simply not there.
On offense, you have a quarterback that has regressed over the last six quarters. Garrett Nussmeier has turned it over six times in the last two games.
For the first time during Kelly’s tenure at LSU, the fan base is really questioning whether he is the guy who can lead the Tigers to another national championship.
Alabama was supposed to be vulnerable on Saturday night with a first-year head coach and two losses before November for the first time since 2007.
Instead, it was LSU who gave a performance of a mediocre SEC program.
That’s not what the fanbase was expecting when athletics director Scott Woodward made the bold move to hire Kelly away from Notre Dame.
Kelly can say better times are on the way as the Tigers have a 2025 recruiting class ranked as the fourth best in the country, according to the on3.com rankings.
It’s a class that features three 5-star prospects. But it will take a couple of years for those players to reach an elite level.
You can get better quick through the transfer portal, but that’s easier said than done.
There are some real questions about the direction of this LSU football program.
And Kelly’s game plan for getting to the top needs to be better than his game plan for stopping Milroe.
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