SEC Football: What We Saw, What We’ll See in Week 12-13
By James Bowers
WHAT WE’LL SEE: JOB JEOPARDY FOR COACH “O”, FLORIDA-LSU
Ed Orgeron began the year as LSU’s defensive line coach, before taking the interim head coach title after Les Miles was let go following a tearjerking loss to Auburn. Coach “O” began restoring some momentum for the LSU squad, leading them to three straight wins including a dominant performance against Ole Miss.
However, the aforementioned losses to UA and Florida apparently have LSU brass unsure if Orgeron is worth a head coach’s salary, with Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports calling Florida State’s Jimbo Fisher the favorite to replace Miles in 2017. If he is correct in his prediction, it will not be the first time Orgeron has been passed over for the full time job.
LSU Tigers
Orgeron, once the head coach at Ole Miss from 2005-2007, led the 2013 USC Trojans to a 6-2 mark in his eight games as interim coach after the early season firing of Lane Kiffin. However, he was not given the full time job; he himself believes that he was snubbed by Southern Cal due to not having the right image for the school.
Coach O is affectionately known as the people’s coach due to his cajun accent and down to earth demeanor. Even if he doesn’t get the LSU nod, he’ll at least receive consideration for some openings that emerge in the 2016-2017 college football offseason. He deserves that, at least. LSU will close its regular season vs Texas A&M on Thursday night.
A win over the up and down Aggies, plus a good showing in a bowl game may give Coach O the shot he deserves.
Florida will travel to Tallahassee to take on their in-state arch-rival Florida State, and then face Alabama in the SEC Championship Game. The Tide will be heavily favored, and barring a shocker in the Auburn game this week, undefeated.
It is fitting that Alabama and Florida face each other in Atlanta. Gator-Crimson Tide contests are the game’s most frequently occurring matchup, the December 3rd game will the ninth SEC title game to pit Florida against Alabama, the two schools have split the games at 4 a piece, with Alabama outlasting UF by a 29-15 count last year.
Their square offs include the first three SEC championship games ever played, the first at the Georgia Dome in 1994; the December 3rd game will be the final one for that stadium, as the conference moves to Atlanta’s new Mercedes Benz Stadium next year. It is a watershed moment to have Florida and Alabama play the 25th SEC title game, but Florida must bring its A game to have any shot against Nick Saban and his seemingly unbeatable group.
