All offseason, I preached patience when it came to [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] and LSU.
Yes, this is a program that expects to win championships. Yes, this is a team filled with talent despite being in a rebuild. And yes, Kelly is a guy who has won everywhere he’s been.
As the offseason progressed, optimism seemed to be increasing among the LSU community. Kelly was picking up steam on the recruiting trail and the vibes were good.
We forgot we were in a rebuild. Why couldn’t LSU win now? The pieces are there — they just need to come together, right?
Well, it doesn’t appear to be that easy.
The loss to Florida State helped tame some of that optimism. It was a reminder that this is a program that has struggled for two-plus seasons now. LSU bounced back, winning four straight. That streak included a 15-point win over a decent Mississippi State team and an SEC road win at Auburn.
With Tennessee coming to town, optimism was once again in supply. Then Saturday happened. In the smokey gray uniforms, Tennessee smoked LSU.
It was a heat check for LSU and again we were reminded — this team is rebuilding.
LSU is 4-2. It dropped a game as a favorite to Florida State and won a game as an underdog against Mississippi State. The rest of the results were in line with the Vegas expectations: Winning as the favorite against New Mexico and Southern and losing as the underdog to Tennessee.
By that standard, 4-2 was the expectation. Tiger fans want more. I’m sure the players and coaches want it, too, but these things take time.
These coaches are in the first season with these players and many of these players are in their first season with each other. Building a culture takes time. Building relationships takes time. Chemistry isn’t found overnight.
The road isn’t getting easier. LSU now has to travel to Florida before hosting Ole Miss and Alabama.
LSU won’t be favored in any of these games. LSU could lose all three and I don’t think it will be indicative of where this program is headed. There will be some more games like the one LSU played against Tennessee. That’s just the nature of a rebuild.
I believe in this coaching staff, and I believe in the talent that LSU has acquired. But this sport is tough, and it’s going to take some time.
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