NEW ORLEANS—The media in Southern California has been the last few weeks reminiscing about the glory days and missed opportunities when popular Ed Orgeron, who was named interim head coach at USC after Lane Kiffin was fired Sept. 13, 2013, led the Trojans to a 6-2 record, but was bypassed in 2013 for another one of Pete Carroll’s former assistants Steve Sarkisian after a 35-14 loss to UCLA the final game of the regular season in large part because some rich boosters didn’t think he didn’t fit the Hollywood image.
Orgeron resigned before the bowl game. He has since resurfaced at a highly decorated head coach at top-ranked 14-0 SEC champion LSU, which will face place 14-0 Clemson Monday night for the college football playoff championship here at the Super Dome.
Orgeron has been the right guy in the right place, a red faced 58-year old Cajun with a gravelly voice from Lafourche, La. who is a perfect cultural fit for this state and has won multiple national coach of the Year awards this year. USC has gotten lost in the Pac-12 wilderness. The Trojans had to move on from Sarkisian within two years because of the coach’s issues with alcohol. AD Pat Haden decided Clay Helton was the interim coach worth keeping. USC is now in Year 4 of Helton’s turbulent era They were 5-7 in 2018 and 8-5 this year, losing to Iowa, 49-29, in the Holiday Bowl, leading to speculation head coach Clay Helton would be fired and replaced by either Urban Meyer or James Franklin. Helton was retained but is currently searching for a new defensive coordinator and looking over his shoulder.
Orgeron is happy where he is after restoring faith in the program after defeating SEC nemesis Alabama, 46-41, in Tuscaloosa in a critical West Division showdown and rolling through a magic season.
He has successfully reinvented himself and now stands on the precipice of coaching the 14-0 SEC champion Tigers to a national championship if they defeat third seeded, 14-0 ACC champion Clemson here Monday night at the Mercedes Benz Superdome.
“I couldn’t have written a better script,’’ Oregon said. “There’s no way.’’
This will be a home game for LSU, whose campus is located just 80 miles north of here. The Tigers have won their last two national titles here in 2003 and 2007. Expect a tidal wave of purple and gold to descend on this city to watch Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Joe Burrow—who has already thrown 55 touchdown passes—and a machine- like offense that is averaging 564.2 yards and 48.9 points per game, both No. 1 in the country.
This is a homecoming for so many LSU players, who have their roots here. Safety Grant Delpit was a Katrina refugee who moved to Houston, then came home. “People staying the Superdome and it’s basically falling down,’’ he said. “then the Saints come and win the Super Bowl in 2009 and bring us back to life. Us winning the national championship in 2007. So, it’s been a long time since we could do something for the state of Louisiana. So hopefully, we can get that done.’’
Delpit left, but many of his teammates like safety Kristian Fulton, a huge star at Archbishop Rummel. stayed. “It’s crazy how things work out. I’m enjoying it There’s no better place to end your college career. We kept it in the back of our minds all season. Why not win it in our home state? Because that would be the best feeling.’’
Fulton played here in the state finals as a senior in high school. But this game will be much bigger, as evidenced by the fact tickets on the secondary market are going for an average of $2,600. President Donald Trump will also be making an appearance.
It’s going to be epic,’’ LSU linebacker Andre Anthony from Edna Karr High predicted.
Clemson has won 29 straight games and has a shot to win its third national championship in four years. LSU could have as many as 12 players drafted. But that has stopped Oregon from claiming this special team was built on the back of transfers like Burrow, tight end Thad Moss and defensive tackle Breiden Ferko or undervalued prospects like running back Clyde-Edwards Helaire and wide out Justin Jefferson. And it has not much to stop coach Dabo Swinney from lamenting his Tigers’ lack of respect. “They didn’t want us in the playoff,’’ Swinney said. “If we lose to South Carolina, we drop to 20. Georgia loses to the very same team and it’s ‘How do we keep Georgia in?’ We win and it’s, ‘How do we get Clemson out?’
“It’s the dadgummest thing.’’
“Everybody here is rooting for LSU,’’ Clemson Butkus Award winning linebacker Isaiah Simmons claimed. “It’s like another country.’’
For LSU, it’s called home field advantage.
