re: Pivot Point Games: The Matchups That Will Shape the 2018 College Football Season

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For starters, about half the BOS is new since the Orgeron hiring. So it was the previous board that rubber stamped the hire.

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I could be wrong, but I think only 5 of the 17 members have been appointed AFTER Ogeron got the job. Now, that certainly could be enough force big changes (if necessary). But now the majority of the board was appointed by Gov. Edwards and you would presume share his same sentiments towards LSU, i.e. that LSU is "broke" and in desperate need of more tax dollars. That kind of general perception of the school/system as a whole may not be all that conducive to green-lighting a full scale (and expensive) retooling of the athletic dept.

When Emmert was hired as Chancellor in 1999 LSU found itself looking for a new head football coach. It's well documented that Joe Dean tried to nickle and dime the negotiations with Saban until Emmert came in and told Dean to stop the bullshite and just pay Saban his asking price. That asking price was huge at the time Saban was hired, but Emmert believed having a strong football/athletic program could be an overall benefit to the school. What followed was the greatest era of LSU football in school history.

Fair or not, I just don't see F. King, Alleva or John Bell Edwards having that mindset. Alleva has already hired, and overpaid, two coaches that no other major schools wanted. F. King is on record lamenting the rise in football coaching salaries...even though he is the president of one of the few colleges in the nation with a fully self-funded athletic dept. Edwards even stupidly suggested that LSU football could be done away with completely if the school didn't keep getting the tax dollars it sought.

FWIW I hope Ogeron has a great season and makes all of this discussion moot. But right now I just don't see any of (or at least enough of) the decision makers at LSU really on board with doing whatever it takes to make the football program as successful as possible.