College Football

LSU Football: Tigers preparing for first full year under Ed Orgeron

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 9:35 p.m. ET

Fansided, Geoffrey Knox/FanSided via Saturday Blitz

Dec 31, 2016; Orlando , FL, USA; LSU Tigers head coach Ed Orgeron looks on against the Louisville Cardinals during the second half at Camping World Stadium. LSU Tigers defeated the Louisville Cardinals 29-9. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Just in case you've been living under a rock, the LSU Tigers are officially under the watchful eye of Ed Orgeron.

It seemed like former LSU Tigers head coach Les Miles sat on the hot seat for 20 seasons in Baton Rouge. Okay, maybe it wasn't quite that long, but it had to feel that way. The experience was an excruciating one for, not only Miles, but for the entire LSU fanbase.

Regardless of what side of the fence you were on (or whether or not you thought Miles should stay), a 114–34 record at the helm of one of the SEC's proudest programs wasn't enough. "The Mad Hatter" was removed from his position after a 2-2 start to the 2016 season. The Tiger program had finally decided to move on. Enter, Ed Orgeron.

Ending the season on a high note

Following that .500 record to start the season, Orgeron guided the Tigers to a 6-2 record in their final eight games. Their only two losses came at the hands of the two teams that would meet in the SEC Championship Game, the Florida Gators and the Alabama Crimson Tide. Still, eight wins gets you to a bowl game.

In theirs, the Tigers made it count. The 2016 season would end on a high note as LSU throttled the high-powered Louisville Cardinals in the Citrus Bowl by a final count of 29-9.

Even in that, Orgeron saw room to improve, once stating the defense "struggled a little" on defense in the victory.

A new sheriff

The LSU football program had, apparently, seen enough. The term "interim" was removed from head coach, and now, the Tigers' show is headlined by a new front man for the first time since 2005. There's some excitement as Matt Canada is the new offensive coordinator. He was hired to open up the playcalling and light up the scoreboard (something that was often lacking in the Miles era). Don't expect the Tigers to abandon the ground game though.

Apr 27, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Leonard Fournette (LSU) poses with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell (right) as he is selected as the number 4 overall pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first round the 2017 NFL Draft at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

It's time to reload

Leonard Fournette is gone. It's now Derrius Guice's show. What's uncertain is who the Tigers will plug in their usual rotation of ball carriers behind him. LSU has also continued their stellar recruiting. Orgeron, long considered one of the best recruiters college football, has surrounded himself with several more.

LSU's youngest assistant coach Dennis Johnson and Corey Raymond were, at one point, seen by 247Sports.com as two of the top five recruiters in the country. Raymond's slipped a little in the rankings recently, but both still sit in the top 25.

At the time of this writing, 247Sports.com sees the Tigers' 2018 class as the fourth best in the country. This follows a ranking of seventh for the 2017 class. The coaches return in June to get some work in before some brief time off. Then it's business as usual as the Tigers will begin their quest to dethrone the Crimson Tide in the SEC West.

Nov 5, 2016; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban greets LSU Tigers head coach Ed Orgeron following the Tides 10-0 win over the LSU Tigers at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

The Curse of the Tide

The success of the Tide has a lot to do with the fact that Miles is gone. Every team in the SEC takes winning seriously. Winning it all is the focus, and the tremendous amount of success that Nick Saban has had in Tuscaloosa has put more pressure on the conference's other coaches. More often than not, Miles failed against the Tide, including a loss in the 2011 BCS National Championship Game.

Business as usual

Regardless of how you felt about Miles, nothing can be done about his departure. The Orgeron era is officially underway. He's assisted by an offensive genius (Canada). He's got an extremely capable coordinator on the other side of the ball, Dave Aranda. "The Professor" is unique in his approach (he's been known to use sets with two defensive linemen), and he'll be expected to create issues for opposing offenses all season.

Quite a few starters from a season ago have moved on to the NFL including three that were taken in the first round, but that won't matter much. LSU will be in contention all season. Now, they just have to figure out how to beat the Tide.