There's quite a bit of discussion among fans that Ensminger will do just fine as an OC by himself, that he learned a lot, and that no one else is needed to run this offense.

He did an interview prior to the national title game that I believe shatters this narrative, and indicates a dire need for someone to come in and replace Brady's role in terms of adjusting on the fly, diagnosing defenses, and exploiting their weaknesses in real time during a game. Can Curtis Johnson serve in that role? If he can, great. If not, then I'm not sure what the hell we're going to do next year.

A few Q&A's from the article -

quote:

Q. Have you seen the offense really adjust quickly each time?

STEVE ENSMINGER: Yes, yes. The beauty of it, like I said, is we have No. 9 at quarterback. It was the Georgia game where they line up in a drop eight deal and evening else. I told Coach Brady, I said, Look, figure out what the hell they doing because I'm going to keep throwing it until we figure it out.

He told Brady to "figure out what they hell they are doing". This, to me, is a glaring insight into the how the offensive really operate this season. Brady's role was huge. If he wasn't calling the play directly, he was diagnosing what the defense was doing and informing Ensminger as to what we needed to do. We absolutely have to find someone that has the ability to do this.

quote:
Q. How good is he at understanding pressure?

STEVE ENSMINGER: I'll say this. Joe Burrow is a hell of a lot smarter than I am, okay? That's a fact. He does stuff that I'm like, Why in the heck did you do that? Well, I saw this guy doing this. He's better than I am, okay?

Does this inspire confidence in anyone? Our QB was able to read defenses better than our OC, and explained to him why he did certain things?

quote:
Q. What's happening on the headsets when you guys are in between series?

STEVE ENSMINGER: As I say, Coach Brady is on his set with Joe Burrow. They're discussing what they saw. Coach Craig is on the offensive line. We're asking, Hey, what did Lloyd see. Lloyd Cushenberry is my MVP, I'm going to tell you. He makes probably 99% of the calls, and Joe has his chance to check it. As far as being around those guys and everything else, they're very seldom wrong.

Q. How do you decide on what you want to do in the red zone each time?

STEVE ENSMINGER: Look, I have a game plan that's sitting right here. I'll be honest with you here. When we get in the red zone, 12 in, that's Joe Brady. Unless I want to run a play-action, go fast, we'll go. When we get inside the 12, I tell Joe, It's yours and he calls it.

Q. How talented is someone like Joe Brady at his age?

STEVE ENSMINGER: Sky's the limit. Sky's the limit, no doubt about it. I've told him. He's a hell of a lot smarter than I am, okay?

Q. Is it enjoyable working with a guy like Joe Brady who is able to be a right-hand man during the game?

STEVE ENSMINGER: It is. Like I said, Joe Brady talks to Joe Burrow as much as I do. Putting in this passing system and everything else, like I said, when Joe comes off the field, he's on the phone with Brady because I'm preparing for the next series. They're going through the last series.

Everyone loves Coach Ensminger and what he's done for LSU. He's a legend. No one is disputing that.

But I think it's abundantly obvious at this point that the loss of Brady is significant, and if LSU refuses to go out and find someone that can break down defenses in real time and adjust like this, then we'll be reverting right back to where we were prior to this season.

247 Q&A with Ensminger.

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