LSU Coaching Scandal and College Football Update

College football is exciting and just as important and entertaining as the NFL.  People who watch college sports share the same common denominator. College football fans, like the players, are enthusiastic supporters of their team. One of the reasons for this is that the majority of NFL franchises are established in cities. If you grew up in a NFL city, you are most likely a die-hard supporter of that city's team. When watching college sports to follow a team and be an avid supporter you need to be involved with knowing players and coaches. As we approached week 10, there's a lot of talk about Heisman trophy contenders, LSU coaching scandal, and how has Covid affected the 2020 and 2021 seasons. 

Some fans are more interested in the coaches and players rather than football itself. The sixth year LSU Tigers’s head coach Ed Orgeron has reached a separation agreement with the team. After beginning the season 4-3, there was talk about him only keeping his job for another week. After Orgeron spoke out about the topic on Twitter, he established that this separation was mutual and that he understands that he didn't meet the expectations. After he came to Twitter the team has let him coach through the 2021 season.

Although the Organization has seen success with Orgeron in command, there has been talk about him looking the other way to sexaul-assualt alligation and him making racist racial remarks. After divorcing his wife Kelly, with whom he had been married for 23 years, he reportedly became a distraction to the team and the media. Photos of Orgeron in bed with a woman went viral in 2020; according to The Athletic department there at LSU, there were no moral concerns to his single lifestyle. Though it did end up interfering with his game preparations. Orgeron also began to find himself in a bit of trouble with players when he would impose his moral and political beliefs among all his players. Some of his athletes felt uncomfortable and felt as if they were being racially profiled. Another incident was when Orgeron was allegedly informed of former running back Derrius Guice sexually assaulting a 74-year-old woman and did nothing, also contributed to the decision. Despite Orgeron's on- and off-field shortcomings recently, he has assembled one of the nation's most talented teams on paper. 

College football is heavily affected by Covid 19. The sport, like the country as a whole, is still feeling the impacts of the pandemic. The next hurdle is vaccinations. Numbers and statistics prove that vaccinated numbers in the South are lacking, but yet the numbers of hospitalizations are rising. Coaches and players have had to adapt to this new style of life. There are many new tactics and ways to stay in contact with players around the world that don't involve face to face interactions.

There are many challenges that come with Covid like the recruitment process of players. The use of virtual communication, particularly through Zoom and google classroom is predicted to revolutionize the recruiting process. Administrators say teams will travel by bus more and schedule more strategically. Coaches are preparing to implement pandemic-inspired practice changes from last fall, such as cross-training positions and having split sessions to decrease risk of players getting covid from one another. At first there were no fans allowed but as vaccination began to come out and people were allowed to come and spectate to truly enjoy the college football experience.