Young LSU Football Players Must Learn How To Win, Should be Goal for Rest of 2020 Season

The time for competing for a spot in the College Football Playoff or New Year's Six Bowl has come and gone. At this point it's hard to imagine much of an avenue of LSU competing for a bowl game period. No, the goal over the five remaining games of the season should be about building momentum for the future of the program.

After all, LSU brings an exciting mixture of talented freshmen to Baton Rouge in 2021 and with a young roster getting the growing pains out of the way this season, it should be much more equipped to making a competitive run as early as next season. But in order to do that, the younger players need to start building better habits and learning from their mistakes on the field.

Managing a team full of youth is something that Orgeron didn't have to work with in 2019. LSU returned a plethora of veteran leadership that ran the team. In fact, Orgeron talked many times last season how last year was one of the only seasons he could remember where the team leadership was so solid, he didn't feel he needed to be that voice.

"It's player driven now, this team is led by players," senior defensive tackle Breiden Fehoko said after the Florida win last season. "I think when you have a team led by players, your coaches can actually do their job and just coach. When you have guys leading with example, leaders at each position, it makes it easier for the coaches to give us the gameplan."

This is a much different roster with many players getting their first taste of life in the SEC. So Orgeron knows he must be that voice and said Wednesday that the consistent message he's preached with the players is that they need to earn the right to play.

"It's something I'm constantly talking to our players about. I tell them you earn the right to play on the practice field," Orgeron said. "We got some some guys that are playing very well. Now, we got some guys who have to learn how to play, but you have to earn your right to play.

"We have to go through some adversity, some hard knocks to build that character and grit that you're going to need down the road several seasons from now when these young players are going to learn how to win."

Getting the young freshmen and sophomores on the roster to earn their stripes is one thing but what about some of the players who were on last year's team? The ones that were there for the magical championship run and who have undoubtedly been discouraged by this season's start.

For leaders like Terrace Marshall and JaCoby Stevens, giving it their all every game is not an issue that Orgeron must approach. Those guys are playing to help improve their NFL draft stock each and every week. Orgeron has had meetings with players individually about maintaining focus and sticking together.

"My job is to get this team better, keep them together and having them competing at a high level to win," Orgeron said. "We haven't done that yet this year. I have to do a better job. Our coaches have to do a better job. And our players have to stay believing in each other and I believe they will."