Brian Kelly must consider this one drastic move as he scrambles to save his job during disastrous LSU season
The LSU Tigers have a tough reality to face as they’ve dropped their third game of the season. With one month of action to go, LSU head coach Brian Kelly has quickly entered a difficult situation at 5-3 and likely out of the race to make the College Football Playoff and SEC title game. The […]
The LSU Tigers have a tough reality to face as they’ve dropped their third game of the season. With one month of action to go, LSU head coach Brian Kelly has quickly entered a difficult situation at 5-3 and likely out of the race to make the College Football Playoff and SEC title game. The Tigers’ 49-25 beatdown loss against Texas A&M was the nail in the coffin for this iteration of this team.
Things snowballed quickly for LSU as the second half continued. Texas A&M took the opening drive for a touchdown, starting the scoring avalanche that decided the game. By the 14-minute mark in the fourth quarter, A&M was up 42-18 and had scored 28 straight points.
Now, with LSU’s season essentially decided or as close to it as it can be, and Kelly getting heat to lose his job, the time is to pivot. LSU must consider moving on to its next generation of starters.
Brian Kelly should consider benching Garrett Nussmeier and other LSU veterans
Kelly can’t completely give up on the season, as a trip to Alabama awaits LSU after their upcoming bye week. Throwing a bunch of unproven underclassmen in for that matchup lacks both tactical and common sense. LSU could still claw its way back into the College Football Playoff if it beats Alabama and gets a lot of help, but it’s possible, even if the odds are tiny.
Alabama needed a furious comeback effort to beat South Carolina, and it’s possible LSU can rise to the challenge. Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier was beaten up and hit over and over against Texas A&M, but he’d surely appreciate one more chance to drag this Tigers team to the level of play it was expected to be at. That said, LSU should also be willing to pull Nussmeier in a quick fashion if the Tide pulls away as Texas A&M did.
As tough as it would be to bench Nussmeier in the coming weeks, the senior has little to gain over the team’s final few weeks. He’s off to the NFL after struggling through an injury-plagued season, and Kelly needs to save a sinking ship. Getting some momentum with backup Michael Van Buren Jr. for 2026 could save Kelly his job.
Along with Van Buren playing, we should see transitions at other key positions. Young receivers like Jelani Watkins and Kylan Billiot, running back Harlem Berry, and defenders Walter Mathis Jr., Damien Shanklin, Zach Weeks, and Charles Ross II have to see the field.
Failing to show some potential for 2026 and beyond would be a certain nail in the coffin for Kelly. We’ve seen this expensive and veteran-laden roster not work because of the trench talent not being up to snuff. Now, Kelly must consider shutting those failed experiments down in hopes of seeing some growth to close out the season.
