By Brant Daughtry
Crossroads
For the second week in a row, Auburn will be hosting a fellow group of Tigers. Unlike Missouri though, LSU is on a brand new head coach. Brian Kelly has been the head coach of one football program or another for 31 years, and has amassed 284 wins, most by an active coach in college football. His previous 12 years have been spent with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, where he became the winningest coach in that program’s history. He left the Irish this off-season in favor of Red Stick, singing a 10-year, $95 million contract.
The LSU Tigers are always an interesting team. They haven’t been exceptional the last two seasons, but won the national championship in 2019. The recruiting talent is always rich in the state, and they’re the only big-time school around. The fact is that LSU will always have a talented enough roster to be in consideration for the SEC Championship, and more. But they are not above struggling seasons. Their last three head coaches, Nick Saban, Les Miles, and Ed Orgeron, have all won national championships. However, two of those three will never be mistaken for all-time great coaches, and were fired midway through what turned out to be disappointing seasons. All that to say, the expectations on Kelly are to win championships, and it will be interesting to see if he can rise to the occasion. If he can’t within a few years, LSU is willing to make moves. That being said, I think he can. Kelly is a very accomplished head coach, and has been a winner everywhere he’s been to this point. It will be interesting to see how his coaching translates to the SEC.
In this, his first year in Baton Rouge, the Tigers are 3-1 with a season-opening loss to Florida State in New Orleans being the only blemish so far. Quarterback Jayden Daniels was a three year starter at Arizona State before transferring to LSU, and I’ll admit that he never impressed me with the Sun Devils. This year, I’m changing my tune a little. He’s looked impressive so far, completing 73% of his passes for 835 yards and six touchdowns with no turnovers. However, if there’s a matchup to look for, LSU hasn’t faced a team with a defensive line quite up to the level of Auburn’s yet, and the Bengal Tigers are starting two freshman at the offensive tackle spots. If Auburn wants to make Daniels uncomfortable, Derrick Hall and Eku Leota are going to have to take advantage of those two.
Players to Watch For:
Wide receiver Kayshon Boutte, #7- Once the duo of now-NFL superstars Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson departed LSU, Boutte stepped in as a true freshman during the 2020 season and filled the shoes well. His numbers aren’t incredible this season, largely due to the fact that he’s missed one game to attend the birth of his son. In fact, for different reasons, he’s missed a lot of games during his time at LSU. He’s expected to play this week though, and Auburn should be ready. Boutte has a limited stat line, but he’s averaging 70 yards per game, and has a nose for the end zone.
Defensive end BJ Ojulari, #18- Ojulari is the grandson of a Nigerian Prince, something that a few Auburn players have been able to boast in the past. The junior leader is also an impressive pass rusher, as becoming a full-time starter last year netted him 7.5 sacks. He’s also missed some games over his career, but remains impressive. He’s a tackle machine and relentless pass rusher, and looks to cause a ton of problems of an Auburn offensive line that has been unimpressive to say the least.
I entitled this article “Crossroads” for a reason. Auburn Football is in a bad spot, and potentially on the verge of a few program altering decisions. One thing could stay those decisions from being made: win. Bryan Harsin, if he wants to keep his job, needs to win, and win now. There is no ill that winning will not cure, and there is no clean bill of health that losing will not destroy. Auburn has done far too much losing lately. With much more, Auburn will be looking for a new head coach far too soon.
