Loss to Alabama Proves LSU Has Work to Do to Become Consistent Powerhouse in Football Hierarchy

Alabama is the blueprint and LSU's 55-17 loss to the Crimson Tide on Saturday proves that the Tigers have plenty of work to do if it hopes to be considered among the top of the college football powerhouse programs.

It's one thing to have an out of this world, once in a generation type season but as Ed Orgeron and company are finding out the hard way, it's extremely difficult to stay at the top of the mountain. Alabama, Clemson and Ohio State have proved to be the juggernaut programs who are always in the thick of the College Football Playoff hunt.

That comes with a combination of exemplary recruiting and development that is extremely difficult to achieve, especially when a program loses 19 players and two significant pieces to the coaching puzzle in one offseason. Add on the preseason and midseason opt outs and you're left with a program in LSU that has had to build from the ground up.

Saturday's game was a tell tale sign of two programs in very different places despite being not too far removed from being at the top. Alabama replaced Tua Tagovailoa with Mac Jones. When Jerry Jeudy left for the NFL, DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle stuck around for another opportunity at a championship. Najee Harris returned and has rushed for 20 touchdowns during his fourth season with the program.

On the other side, you had a true freshman quarterback tossing to mostly true freshman receivers with a team that has played 18 true freshmen throughout the course of the season. It was a battle of experienced vets vs young talent that still is learning how to win.

"We've got a lot of young guys playing against Alabama for the first time and we got a taste of that action," Orgeron said. "I think that experience today will help this young team later on down the road."

Orgeron has said multiple times throughout the course of this season that he believes he's building a championship level team in Baton Rouge. But soon he'll be fighting that question of whether last year was a one hit wonder or if this can truly be the start of a great dynasty under his leadership.

"I think that we have talent as opposed to some places. I still gotta do a better job recruiting," Orgeron said. "We beat them last year because we had an excellent offensive scheme and the Heisman winner at quarterback, that's the reason we beat them. We've still gotta get better."

LSU had a number of high profile recruits in town this weekend for the big game, including defensive lineman Korey Foreman, who visited Baton Rouge for the third time this fall. While the down season in 2020 is certainly something that the program doesn't hope is the normal, it can show recruits just how valuable their addition to the program would be.

"These guys just watched us have one of the best teams in college football last year," Orgeron said. "I think that's why we have the majority of our recruits already committed. The results of the season have not been a factor with the recruits at all because we have great relationships. They understand we have a young team, they wanna come to LSU and see there's a chance for them to play."

Finding some level of consistency and closing out the season with competitive performances should be the goal against Florida and Ole Miss. If LSU limps to the finish line, it'll leave a lasting impression on the fanbase as all of the pressure will fall onto the 2021 team to show dramatic improvement.