quote:
It's fairly easy to surmise what happened in 2023. But to do so, you have to look at it through the 2023 lens...not today's lens with the benefit of hindsight.

LSU had the No. 1 ranked offense with the Heisman trophy winner at QB. Denbrock, as the OC of that offense likely tried to use that performance as a means to leverage a raise. He would have been foolish not to. You can't have a season better than the best offense in the nation.

Sloan was the QB coach of Heisman winner. It's entirely likely Sloan tried to use that success as means to leverage a raise and/or promotion at another school as an OC. Additionally, Hankton probably tried to do the same thing given the success of Nabers and Thomas. NONE of that is unique to LSU. When coaches have a good year they try to leverage the success for a higher pay and/or a promotion. Additionally, Sloan was the purported point-man in the recruitment of Underwood...who was certainly looked at by the coaches to be the next Daniels

I'm sure BK wanted to keep all three in the exact same positions. But that's where market factors come in. In order to keep Sloan, BK probably wanted to name him co-OC...even if Denbrock was still the playcaller. Clearly, Denbrok didn't like that, and decided to leave for ND. BK didn't want to lose Sloan because of the ties to Underwood. He didn't want to lose Hankton because of LSU's WR success. So the compromise was to name them co-OCs when Denbrock left. I'm sure the plan was to continue running the same offensive approach as Denbrock.

The next year LSU had a good (not great) offense under Sloan. But it was one that had some very clear weaknesses that needed to be addressed. Most notably the running game and RZ offense. While it could have been better, based upon his 2024 performance, there was no reason to fire Sloan. Even the loss of Underwood wasn't a firerable offense. Michigan made him an offer he couldn't refuse.

Where LSU and Kelly went wrong was not having the forethought and self-reflection to acknowledge that while the 2024 offense wasn't "bad", there were areas that needed to be changed...not just "coached better". They didn't make those changes ahead of this season and opponents, now with an entire season of film on Sloan and Nussmier, now knew the weaknesses and how to beat it.

Great post, and probably pretty close to the truth.

I would add to the last part that Nuss being injured, a worse offensive line, and more inconsistency at TE/WR doesn't help matters.

At least last year, you had Mason Taylor, Lacy, and Anderson was healthy more.

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Posted by John Casey

New Orleans

Member since Nov 2016

4129 posts

Posted on 10/20/25 at 12:59 pm to Old Katy Tiger

quote:
We have never been able to run the ball since Kelly got here or use RBs consistently in the red zone to score

Our RBs coach is a rant favorite, Frank Wilson, who everyone on this board celebrated when Kelly brought back.

We will see a major shake up in the offensive staff in the offseason and Kelly will be in a do or die season, just like Les in 2016 and Orgeron in 2021.

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Posted by Sweep Da Leg

Member since Sep 2013

3619 posts

Posted on 10/20/25 at 1:00 pm to John Casey

No one is saying and that and AGAIN IT DOESNT frickING MATTER. He’s losing games and we’re discussing how horrible he is. frick off with this soft arse retarded bullshite. You’re like a woman in an argument. Talking and injecting things that don’t fricking matter

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Posted by John Casey

New Orleans

Member since Nov 2016

4129 posts

Posted on 10/20/25 at 1:13 pm to Sweep Da Leg

quote:
No one is saying and that

Josh Pate literally says it in the clip that is posted in this thread, lol.

quote:
If you think Joe Sloan is the worst offensive coordinator in history, he didn’t hire himself is my point, so I really stop short of throwing people under the bus when they’re underachieving if we’re not going to acknowledge who put them in the position they’re in, so that’s Brian Kelly.

And then to take that a step further, you could come back at me from 50,000 feet and say, “Yeah, Josh, but if you’re going to be critical of that move, don’t you have to give credit for Blake Baker at defensive coordinator or Austin Thomas where he is or any of a number of other really good moves that they’ve made lately.” Well, if you’ve also listened to this show I’ve been careful with how I’ve worded that because I haven’t really given Brian Kelly credit for those moves because they weren’t Brian Kelly’s moves. They were organizational moves.

This right here is a Brian Kelly move.

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Posted by reauxl tigers

Tiger Woods Fan

Member since Aug 2014

10157 posts

Posted on 10/20/25 at 1:15 pm to Tarpon08

quote:
Because he told you things you didn't want to hear?

He was right all along about this team and everyone crucified him for telling the truth and not selling sunshine and rainbows for clicks from LSU fans.

Precisely this

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Posted by Alt26

Member since Mar 2010

35609 posts

Posted on 10/20/25 at 1:23 pm to SidewalkTiger

quote:
I would add to the last part that Nuss being injured, a worse offensive line, and more inconsistency at TE/WR doesn't help matters.

I don't buy that Nuss is that injured.

As to the other two, you have to plan for that. Every roster will have different strengths and weaknesses. Nussmeier is not Daniels as a runner. The OL was going to be largely new. That means you, as a coach, have to figure out what those players do well and play to those strengths...even if it requires a different overall approach. A heavy RPO approach worked with Daniels because even if he didn't hand it off or pass, the DL could not get too far up-field because Daniels was ALWAYS a threat to take off and run for a huge gain. That allowed the OL to be a little more passive because the DL wasn't going to rush as hard, by design.

That's not the case with Nuss. The DL can rush without any fear he will burn them with his legs. That means the OL not "firing off" as quickly because of the uncertainty of the play being a run or pass it mitigated

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