The 2021 Season: Ranking LSU’s wins from worst to first

How would you rank each of the LSU Tigers wins in 2021?

The LSU Tigers had a somewhat forgettable season in 2021. They finished 6-7 as they secured their first losing season since 1999. Each win was under then-head coach Ed Orgeron as he concluded a two-year run as head coach at 11-11. He won 15 games as the head coach in 2019 as they secured the CFP national championship.

Despite the disappointing year for the Bayou Bengals, there were some memorable moments. The wheels came off the tracks at times but they were still able to find a way to finish out 2021 in the same manner as the 2020 campaign, needing two wins to reach the .500 mark on the season.

The defense got better as the year progressed but the offense seemed to lose momentum after losing star wide receiver Kayshon Boutte to an injury. Looking back at the year that was in 2021, we rank the wins from worst to first.

Central Michigan to face Washington State as Sun Bowl is salvaged

The Sun Bowl will pit Central Michigan and Washington State, now

The Sun and Arizona Bowls were impacted by COVID. That gave one of the games an opportunity to create a new matchup on short notice.

Central Michigan saw Boise State bow out of the Arizona Bowl due to the coronavirus. Washington State was in the same situation when Miami had to exit the Sun Bowl due to COVID-19.

So, officials for the game in El Paso put their heads together and were able to get the Chippewas to make the trek to the Sun Bowl, where they will face the Cougars on New Year’s Eve day.

Per Sunbowl.org:

The Barstool Arizona Bowl is, unfortunately, the fourth bowl game to be affected by COVID-19 in 2021.

CMU arrived in Tucson on Sunday and is ready to play. Being a four-hour drive from El Paso, the Chippewas are set up logistically to make the trip and compete on Friday.

The co-MAC West champion Chippewas will take on the Washington State Cougars after driving from the Arizona desert into the Borderland. This would still make it the second time in as many years that the Central Michigan Chippewas (8-4, 6-2 Mid-American Conference) would make a trip out west in postseason play. The last trip CMU made west of the Mississippi River was when it was in the 2019 New Mexico Bowl versus San Diego State.

Tony the Tiger is the sponsor of the Sun Bowl and he thinks the resolution is Grrrrrrreat!

Robert Saleh: Brian Kelly story about mistreating assistants ‘taken out of context’

Jets coach Robert Saleh said a story about Brian Kelly forcing his assistants to shovel snow at Central Michigan was supposed to be funny.

An anecdote resurfaced this week about Brian Kelly’s treatment of former Central Michigan graduate assistants Robert Saleh and Matt LaFleur.

The two were invited to a party at Kelly’s house when he was the head coach at CMU in 2004. Rather than attending the party, Saleh and LaFleur were instructed to shovel snow from his driveway and work as defacto valets for the guests.

Seventeen years later, Kelly is now the head coach at LSU, while Saleh and LaFleur are leading the Jets and the Packers, respectively. But Saleh remembered that night in a 2019 feature about LaFleur.

“We decided that when we’re in that position, we’re never going to treat people the way we got treated,” Saleh said in the story.

That story made the rounds in recent days as an example of Kelly mistreating people. But Saleh now wants everyone to know the story doesn’t paint a full picture of Kelly as a person and as a boss. Saleh thinks the story was “taken out of context” and that it was supposed to be a funny tale about his time as a graduate assistant.

“There’s a rite of passage when you’re a GA and a [quality control coach] and that was a funny story and not an indictment on how Brian treated us,” Saleh said Wednesday. “Brian is a phenomenal man, he really is. And that was just one of those deals that was supposed to be a funny story that people took in a negative light. And maybe shame on me, I should have worded it better. But there’s a reason why Matt went back and worked for him. There’s a reason I tried to go back and work for him.

“He’s a really good man and he treats people in the right way.”

Kelly has come under fire recently for how he left Notre Dame for LSU. He coached the Fighting Irish for 12 seasons before bolting to Baton Rouge and only explained his decision to players in a 4-minute meeting after the news had already broken.

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Who is Dallas Cowboys’ QB Cooper Rush?

Cooper Rush’s road to starting for Dallas in Week 8 was long and took a while

There was a fairytale ending to Sunday Night Football for Cooper Rush, his family, and the Dallas Cowboys.

Only it was real. Oh, so real.

The career backup started in place of an injured Dak Prescott and threw for 325 yards and the game-winning TD in the final minute of a 20-16 victory over the Minnesota Vikings.

Coming into Week 8, the 27-year-old Rush had appeared in six games with 58 snaps and attempted three passes. He was 1-of-3 for 2 yards in 2017.

So, who is Cooper Rush?

Per his wiki page:

In 2010 and 2011, he led his team to back-to-back undefeated regular seasons. In 2011, he led his team to the state runner-up title. In the Division 5 regional championship game against Dowagiac Union High School, he set Michigan state records with 5 touchdown passes in one quarter and 8 for the game.

He played college ball at Central Michigan.

As a sophomore, he played in the 2014 Bahamas Bowl against Western Kentucky. By the middle of the third quarter, his team had fallen behind 49–14, but scored 4 unanswered touchdowns and were down by only 7 points near the end of the fourth quarter. With one second remaining on the contest, Central Michigan had the ball on their own 25 yard line. The would be final play started with a 45-yard Hail Mary pass from Rush to wide receiver Jesse Kroll. As Kroll was being tackled he lateraled the ball to teammate Deon Butler, who ran 20 yards before lateraling to Courtney Williams. With no space to run, Williams made a quick third lateral pass to leading receiver Titus Davis who ran the final 13 yards, scoring a touchdown that would have tied the game with a kicked extra point and sent the game into overtime, but instead Central Michigan attempted a two-point conversion for the win, which was unsuccessful,

He finished his college career with 49 straight starts, 12,894 passing yards, and 90 touchdowns.

Rush went undrafted in 2017.

He spent time with Dallas but eventually wound up with the New York Giants. On May 5, 2020, Rush was claimed off waivers by the New York Giants, reuniting with offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, who was his head coach with the Cowboys. On Sept. 5, he was waived and signed to the practice squad the next day. On Sept. 29, Rush was released from the Giants practice squad to make room for another former Cowboys quarterback (Clayton Thorson).

On Oct. 30, Rush was signed to the Dallas Cowboys’ practice squad, to provide depth after starter Dak Prescott suffered a season-ending ankle injury. He was elevated to the active roster on Nov. 7 for the team’s week 9 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and reverted to the practice squad after the game. He signed a reserve/future contract with the Cowboys on January 4, 2021.

And he remained the backup to Prescott until Sunday when he threw a game-winning touchdown pass to Amari Cooper with 51 seconds left.

The team that wears a star on its helmet has another star — for a night — to add to its lore as America’s Team.

Central Michigan vs Ohio Prediction, Game Preview

Central Michigan vs Ohio prediction, game preview, how to watch: Saturday, October 9

Central Michigan vs Ohio prediction, game preview, how to watch: Saturday, October 9


Central Michigan vs Ohio How To Watch

Date: Saturday, October 9
Game Time: 3:30 ET
Venue: Peden Stadium, Athens, OH
How To Watch: ESPN+
Record: Central Michigan (2-3), Ohio (1-4)
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All of the CFN Fearless Predictions

Central Michigan vs Ohio Game Preview


Why Central Michigan Will Win

So where has it gone so wrong for Ohio?

The running game finally got it going against Akron last week, but the passing attack has sputtered and the defense hasn’t done much of anything to come up with key stops.

Central Michigan’s defense has been terrific on third downs, and the offense is good enough running the ball to control the game.

The Chippewas are 2-0 when hitting the 200-yard mark – Ohio is the worst in the MAC against the run allowing 249 yards per game.

But …

Week 6 CFN College Football Expert Picks

Why Ohio Will Win

Was the Akron game when everything starts to turn?

The Ohio offense just wasn’t itself over the first month, and last week the offensive line finally took over.  It’s been a plus for a team that’s had a whole lot of problems, but now it’s starting to come together.

Central Michigan has a big problem with the better passing teams, and it has a bigger problem with the teams that can get into the backfield. Ohio’s pass rush should have one of its best games yet, but …

Week 6 College Football Schedule, Predictions, Game Previews

What’s Going To Happen

The issues with the Ohio run defense will be on display.

Central Michigan won’t get too crazy, but it’ll run well, spread it out a bit and keep the chains moving with the short passing game, and it’ll control the game by having the ball for close to 35 minutes.

Week 5 CFN NFL Expert Picks

Central Michigan vs Ohio Prediction, Line

Central Michigan 30, Ohio 27
Line: Central Michigan -5, o/u: 58.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 2

Must See Rating: 2

5: When Facebook and Instagram are down
1: The Bradshaw Bunch

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Quarterback Tale of the Tape: Max Johnson vs Jacob Sirmon

Who has the edge at quarterback on Saturday? We preview the QBs in our ‘Tale of the Tape’.

The LSU Tigers welcome in Central Michigan Chippewas for their first taste of playing at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge. It will be an atmosphere that CMU is very much not used to. Chippewas head coach Jim McElwain is familiar with the electricity in Death Valley, but not something that his team is.

“You don’t see these places in the Mid-American Conference like this,” McElwain said on Wednesday. “Believe me when I tell you this, the difference between playing at Missouri and playing at LSU in Death Valley at night is quite a bit different. It starts with the fans, the fans are great. They are rabid about their home team. They make it something special and they don’t cut you any slack when you go in there, I’ll tell you that.”

How McElwain’s young quarterback handles the atmosphere and the crowd noise will be a key for the Chippewas to do the unthinkable. Can he outgun a fellow sophomore quarterback in Max Johnson when the lights come on?

Central Michigan vs LSU QB Tale of the Tape

Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

How do the two quarterbacks measure up?

Jacob Sirmon vs Max Johnson
6-5 Ht 6-5
230 Wt 219
RS-Sophomore Class Sophomore
35 Comp 44
61 Att 73
57.4 Comp % 60.3
405 Yards 491
6.6 Yards/Att 6.7
4 TDs 6
2 INTs 1

The two quarterbacks are somewhat similar in size and stature. Looking at their stats, the slight edge goes to Max Johnson. He has a better completion percentage, more yards, more touchdowns, and one less interception. Johnson has the opportunity to build some real confidence heading into the SEC opener next week against Mississippi State.

Sirmon is in his third season of college football. However, this will be the seventh game that he has played in. In 2019, Sirmon appeared in three games for the Washington Huskies. Last season it was just one game. He transferred to Central Michigan ahead of the 2021 campaign. Prior to this year, he had thrown a total of four passes.

It is still relatively unknown what kind of quarterback he can be. Sirmon is still learning, as is Johnson. Johnson has the upper hand with game experience. The CMU quarterback got his first taste of SEC play in the season opener against Missouri. He completed 23 of 45 attempts for 295 yards, completing 51.1% of his passes. Sirmon had one touchdown but threw two interceptions. Derek Stingley Jr and Eli Ricks will prove to be another test for the young quarterback. How will he handle the raucous crowd in Death Valley?

LSU vs Central Michigan: How to watch, listen, or stream the game

How you can tune into the LSU Tigers-Central Michigan Chippewas game on Saturday night.

Game three of the 2021 season gets underway on Saturday night in Death Valley. LSU looks to improve its record to 2-1 before jumping into SEC play against Mississippi State. The Tigers need a good performance to build some confidence before getting into the thick of conference play.

Head coach Ed Orgeron stated that most of the offensive line would be available for this game minus left tackle Cam Wire. Chasen Hines and Austin Deculus both return after missing the McNeese game. The offensive line as a whole needs to show a level of physicality in this game.

On defense, the group needs to build off of the McNeese game, they harrassed the Cowboys quarterback Cody Orgeron for most of the game. They racked up eight sacks and gave up just the one score on a 44-yard screen play. Limiting the big plays and getting to the quarterback is what they need to show this Saturday.

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How to Watch, Listen, and Stream

Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Game Details:

  • Location: Tiger Stadium (Baton Rouge, Louisiana)
  • Time: 6:30 p.m. CDT (Tom Hart, Jordan Rodgers, Cole Cubelic)
  • TV: SEC Network
  • Radio: LSU Radio Network
  • App: Watch ESPN
  • Live Stream: fuboTV (try it free)
  • Line: LSU (-19.5) per Tipico Sportsbook

Stream college football games from the SEC, Big 12, The American, and more on ESPN+


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Pat’s POV: The Central Michigan game is a ‘must-win’ scenario

It is hard to say a game is a must-win in week three of the season, but here we are. 

It is hard to say a game is a must-win in week three of the season, but here we are.

The LSU Tigers come into week three sporting a 1-1 record. They opened with a loss to the UCLA Bruins on the road and evened their record with a win over McNeese at home. Now a familiar foe in Jim McElwain brings his Central Michigan Chippewas into Death Valley on Saturday night. Safe to say this is a very important game for the Bayou Bengals but is it a must-win?

Looking ahead on the schedule, it truly feels like this is a must-win scenario for the LSU Tigers. Over the next five games beyond CMU, they get into the thick of SEC play.

LSU’s Next Five SEC Games:

Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

LSU has to tackle a run of three ranked teams, two of which take place in Death Valley. Then on the road following the Florida game in Oxford against Ole Miss. This doesn’t even take into account going on the road to take on No. 1 Alabama in Tuscaloosa after the bye week.

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Based on the Football Power Indexes win probability, LSU isn’t favored in any of their SEC games this season. The Tigers have to find a way to steal a couple of games if they expect to go bowling in the offseason. Given the amount of talent on this team, this comes as a surprise to see Ed Orgeron’s team being counted out against teams they should beat.

Even if they go 2-2 in the first four games, that battle with Auburn is going to be an interesting one. We aren’t quite sure how good they are, the Tigers demolished two teams they are talent deficient when it comes to playing against SEC teams. They will get tested this week when they travel to Penn State on Saturday. Last year LSU fell 48-11 in the most lopsided loss in the series history for LSU.

Fair or not, Saturday’s game against Central Michigan is a must-win. Should the Tigers not defend their home turf, Ed Orgeron’s seat will be hot as lava going into SEC play.

LSU head coach Ed Orgeron takes blame for loss to UCLA

When speaking to reporters following the loss to UCLA, LSU head coach Ed Orgeron took full blame for the outcome.

LSU sure didn’t start the season the way they wanted after falling 38-27 in the opener.

When it came to speaking with the media following the game, Orgeron was quick to point all the blame to himself. After all, he is the head coach and it is his job to put his players in a position to be successful. Much the reason that he made the changes at both coordinator positions in the offseason.

We didn’t perform like we’re supposed to at LSU”, said Orgeron following the loss. “It’s my responsibility and I told that to the team. Obviously, we’re going to look at it schematically, where we got to get better, there was a lot of areas.”

He mentioned the lack of physicality at the point of attack as one area they need to address. They couldn’t run the ball or stop the run for that matter. Orgeron said they needed to eliminate the explosive plays.

The defense gave up a total of 475 yards against the Bruins offense, five plays equated to 234 yards. That is an average of 46.8 yards per touch. As Oregon stated, “those are things we have to address and get better real quick.”

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LSU has McNeese State and Central Michigan as the next two games on the schedule. Both of those will come in Death Valley. The Cowboys lost their opening game of the year on Saturday 42-36 to West Florida. Central Michigan lost to Missouri 34-24 in their opening game of the season. Next they will match up with Robert Morris before a night game in Tigers Stadium on Sept. 18.

“One game does not define a season, but we do understand that was a letdown for our fans. I take responsibility for it. Got to get better.”

Those two games should be used for the staff to figure it out. Following the two nonconference games, LSU has Mississippi State, Auburn, Kentucky, and Florida over the next four weeks. Not to mention a trip to Oxford, Mississippi to battle the Rebels.

Things could get dicy on the Bayou.

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Watch: Notre Dame fans welcome Link Jarrett, team back home

The Irish were warmly received as they returned home.

Notre Dame fell just short in its bid to reach the College World Series. However, that doesn’t mean Irish fans didn’t appreciate everything that made this season so special. Returning to campus after their super-regional loss to Mississippi State, the Irish received a hero’s welcome from many fans who wanted to show their appreciation. Coach Link Jarrett was among those who gladly accepted the love being thrown in his team’s direction:

Notre Dame finished the season with a 34-13 record. It included a perfect 3-0 in the South Bend Regional of the NCAA Tournament in which they outscored Central Michigan and UConn, 50-5. The Irish won the ACC Atlantic Division championship, and Jarrett was named the conference’s coach of the year in his first full season at the helm.

Now begins an offseason in which Notre Dame will continue to work toward its goal of making its first College World Series since 2002 and third in program history. While it will tough to be top a season like this, it’s all part of the challenge.