re: Orgeron v Herman: biggest game of their careers?

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He fully acknowledges he was the "2nd (or maybe 3rd, 4th, or 5th choice) when he got the full time job

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What other candidates did LSU look at?

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Not a big O fan despite I find him amusing and a good recruiter but, IF WE LOSE THIS FIRST GAME TO HERMAN, it will confirm every doubt I've retained about the efficacy of us settling for O without a true coaching search since late 2016, we HAVE TO WIN THIS at all costs.

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Thank you. This was the point of my post.

Like it or not, a lot of LSU and Texas fans are going to see this game as a referendum on who got the best coach.

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While he won't say anything publicly, you're completely naive if you don't think the Texas game is VERY personal for O. He fully acknowledges he was the "2nd (or maybe 3rd, 4th, or 5th choice) when he got the full time job. Beating the guy that "should" be the HC at LSU would be one of the most fulfilling moments of his career. He will get the rare opportunity to DIRECTLY prove all the critics (i.e. those who were furious when Herman didn't take the LSU job) wrong.

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This is nonsense. I would hope he's not thinking about this.

But I'll entertain it; what if he loses, does he leave since a loss proves he didn't deserve the job?

Of course not, nothing happens right? Life goes on.

It's a silly narrative. How does he use that to motivate his team? The narrative is all about him, and LSU football is bigger than him.

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but whichever coach loses this game has a seat that got got warmer

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say what?

Herman took over a program that had 3 straight losing seasons. He's had two top 3 recruiting classes, and last year beat Oklahoma and Georgia.

Herman has Texas on the rise. His seat's cool as a cucumber.

Really depends more on how the game is won or lost. Bigger for O than for Herman. Herman isn’t going anywhere, O should not have been hired.

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say what?

Herman took over a program that had 3 straight losing seasons. He's had two top 3 recruiting classes, and last year beat Oklahoma and Georgia.

Herman has Texas on the rise. His seat's cool as a cucumber.

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I have businesses in Austin and am there all the time. Texas fans are easily as fickle as LSU fan are.

Trust me when i tell you the anti-Herman fans will be out in full force if Texas loses to LSU.

Will either coach be fired for losing this game? Of course not.

But I know a ton of Texas fans and all they have been talking about with me is how bad they want to beat LSU.


Herman is under more pressure than Orgeron. Texas paid him a ton to lure him away from LSU. If he gets beat by LSU's third choice coach, he wil hear about it all year.

No, the Bama game matters more for Orgeron just like the OU game matters more for Herman.

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Bigger for O than for Herman. Herman isn’t going anywhere, O should not have been hired.

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I'm as big an Orgeron critic as exists here and agree he should never have even been CONSIDERED for this job...but I'd never, in a million years, say that a loss to Texas this year proves that Herman is automatically the better coach.

I'm not saying I don't think that...I absolutely do think that already. But a loss would not add to that. One game is just that...one game. Likewise, if LSU wins it, to suggest that Orgeron is therefore the better of the two is an asinine assumption to draw from one game played.

I'd like to think no one would do it...but we all know we're in store for it. The hook is just way too shiny to avoid.

Sadly, because I want LSU to win, I'm actually hoping to read the usual suspects here talking out of their asses about how this automatically makes Orgeron better!

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This is nonsense. I would hope he's not thinking about this.

But I'll entertain it; what if he loses, does he leave since a loss proves he didn't deserve the job?

Of course not, nothing happens right? Life goes on.

It's a silly narrative. How does he use that to motivate his team? The narrative is all about him, and LSU football is bigger than him.

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O has repeatedly acknowledged he was not the "first choice." It's human nature to want to best the person whom you were effectively told was better than you. To think otherwise means you don't have a competitive bone in your body. And that applies not only to sports, but in life, business, etc.

He's not going to overtly use it to motivate his team. He's going to answer every single question that comes up professionally and with deflection that this is about the team, not him. He will say nothing to make the game about HIM. But make no mistake. His players aren't stupid. They know their coach was the "fall back option" and they'll have extra motivation for him win the game for him. No different than I'm sure Miles' guys felt when they played Alabama with Saban.

He's not leaving if he loses the game or shutting down the season. But inside he absolutely wants to prove the critics were wrong when they say Herman should have been the HC or that O was simply just a (weak) consolation prize that is ONLY the HC because Herman turned LSU down.

I disagree that this game is bigger for O than Herman.

Looking at the year-long big picture, I think a loss would be much more detrimental for Herman than O. Herman is under intense pressure at UT. If he loses to LSU and wins out, the Big XII could potentially lose a playoff spot. If LSU loses to Texas but wins out, LSU is in no questions asked.