Prep Roundup: Week 7
October 19, 2016
Terrebonne council to examine rifle shooting
October 19, 2016
Man, can LSU coach Ed Orgeron pepper the gumbo during a halftime pep talk, or what?!
The Tigers walloped Southern Miss 45-10 last Saturday, thanks, in part, to the butt-chewing the Larose native gave to his team after 30 minutes of play were through.
I love Coach O, man. And you guys seem to love him, too.
He generated a ton of interest in this week’s mailbag. I won’t answer ‘em all, but I will do my darnest to make sure that everyone in the Bayou Region gets their fix.
—–
Q: Is Ed Orgeron a serious threat to win the LSU job? (Asked by Peter Rawlings, Houma)
A: Two weeks ago, I would have said no. One week ago, I would have said maybe. Today, I will say that he absolutely is a contender to get the position. I’ll give you two things to pay attention to. First, just look at how LSU is playing. That goes deeper than just wins and losses. Les Miles would have beaten both Missouri and Southern Miss – just like Orgeron did. But Miles wouldn’t have coached a team that’s playing with the passion and energy that LSU possesses right now. The Tigers look excited to compete – something this team hasn’t been able to say in many, many years. That fire is contagious and rubs off onto the fanbase and even the school’s athletic officials. Second, look at how LSU is treating Orgeron in the public. They’re promoting him heavily on social media. They’re never referring to him as the interim coach. They’re laying groundwork to have him there full-time, and I think barring a big-time collapse, he will be considered for the gig.
—-
Q: What are the benefits to hiring a coach with Orgeron’s record to LSU? The school could do better! (Asked by TigerPride2002)
A: The benefits are multi-faceted. He’s a great recruiter, so even if he fails, the Tigers will always have talent, which would benefit the future coach if things don’t work out. But, aside from that, Orgeron is a Louisiana guy, and the LSU job would be his final destination. He’d never leave Baton Rouge for the NFL or for another gig. He would be here until he retires or until he’s told to leave. That’s stability, and stability is important. And honestly, because his record is shaky, LSU can pay him far less than they ever paid Les Miles, which would allow them to use the excess money to employ an All-Everything staff. If LSU keeps Orgeron, retains Dave Aranda and gets an All-Star, high-dollar offensive coordinator, I can see a world where the LSU program would be on firm footing. You’re only as good as your assistant coaches.
—-
Q: What would you say are the chances the school retains Coach O long-term? (Asked by Derek S.)
A: Just north of 40 percent or so. That doesn’t sound all that good, but about 14 days ago, I would have said 5 percent, if not even lower. The only two scenarios that disqualify him are an abysmal finish and/or a proven, championship-winning coach coming open. I don’t think either happens – especially not with Notre Dame, Texas, USC, Oregon and maybe even Auburn all probably needing coaches, too.
—-
Q: What do you think about the Pelicans this year? (Asked by Kobe Collins)
A: If I’m playing the politically correct, unbiased role, I’d say that they’ll be OK. Not good, not bad, but just OK. I think they’ll win 40 games or so, and make a push at the eighth-seed in the Western Conference Playoffs. If I were being a fan, I’d say that they would be far worse than that, and will likely win close to 32-34 games and again play a meaningless second-half to the season. I just don’t like the roster all that much, man. They won 30 games last year, and lost Ryan Anderson (17 ppg), Eric Gordon (15 ppg) and Norris Cole (10 ppg). Sprinkle in Jrue Holiday (17 ppg) being out for first 20 or so games and the fact that Anthony Davis is made of glass, and I think we’ll again see a team that is better than the worst teams, but is far inferior to the best teams. They just won’t be able to score enough points to fit the fast-paced, high-octane system Alvin Gentry wants to employ.
—-
Q: What is your biggest pet peeve in sports? (Asked by Mark Tull)
A: Honestly? Right now, it’s the LSU student section and their obsession with leaving after the first 10 minutes of the game. Tiger Stadium used to be a feared venue, but now, it’s somewhat of a joke, because it’s almost never more than 60 percent full. After the first quarter, the students leave. In the fourth quarter, the season ticket holders leave. By the end of the game, all that’s left are 20,000 loyalists in a 100,000-seat stadium. That’s pathetic. LSU needs to shrink the number of student tickets it sells, and find ways to keep people in the stadium for the whole game. It looks bad on TV, and it hurts the team in close games.
—-
Q: The Saints are proving you wrong, Gisclair. They’ve won 2 in a row! Who Dat! (Asked by Jerry Fallon)
A: You are talking trash because your team just beat a one-win ball club on a last-second field goal in a game played at home. Call me when the Saints beat someone with a winning record. Call me when the Saints don’t allow 30-40 points in a game. Give me a break! (Editor’s note: Don’t send me angry mail, Saints fans. I know Jerry well, and we rib one another all the time)
—-
Q: You’re a WWE fan. What do you make of this Goldberg/Brock Lesnar stuff? (Asked by Adam)
A: I’m interested. It won’t be a good match – not at all, but I’m interested. Anytime Brock Lesnar wrestles, I’m interested. He is a 320-pound brick who may or may not realize that what he’s doing is scripted. He treats each match like an actual MMA bout, and he works stiffer than anyone I’ve ever seen. In his last match, he nearly broke Randy Orton’s brain with a legit-elbow, which busted him wide open and ended the match. Can a near-50-year-old Goldberg match that physicality? I doubt it. But it won’t stop Lesnar from being rough. I can promise that.
—-
Q: Who from the area will make the prep football playoffs? (Asked by TrojanFan12)
A: I think we’ll have a lot of teams, actually. In Class 5A, Thibodaux will be in, and Central Lafourche or Terrebonne could squeak in if they finish well. In Class 4A, I think Ellender and South Lafourche will get in, assuming that the Tarpons are healthy enough to get a few wins coming in. On the private school side, Vandebilt and E.D. White are locks, and CCA is a yes, as well.
Follow Casey on Twitter for more.
https://twitter.com/casey_gisclair
