It looks like Brian Kelly’s fate shifted from better to worse after their loss against Vanderbilt. Kelly holds a 34-13 record in his four seasons with LSU, a record that doesn’t paint a pretty picture. Sure, his $53 million payout works as a safety net, but the more he delays working on offensive struggles, the nearer net becomes loose and unfortunately tear apart.

Notably, Brian Kelly holds a 5-10 record against ranked opponents. After their loss against Vanderbilt, they are pretty close to being cut short of the playoffs. But their offense is the reason behind the fall. So, if Freeze really wants to save his job, he needs to fix his offense, and Josh Pate is pointing straight at it: “I think Joe Sloan is the worst offensive coordinator in history. He didn’t hire himself. Is my point, so I really stopped sort of throwing people under the bus when they’re underachieving if we’re not going to acknowledge who put them in the position they’re in.”

Since the start of the game, LSU’s offense couldn’t capitalize on opportunities. Despite scoring their second-highest total of 24 against them, LSU had to settle for field goals instead of TDs. The worst part? Even when their defense forced a punt late in the game, their offense lost 10 yards over six plays on their final two drives. This left no room for them to score and ended up giving Vandy 31 points.

Now, despite putting the blame on OC Josh Pate is urging Kelly to make notable changes, especially before their game against Texas A&M, who has yet to lose a single game. “I imagine that Brian Kelly is presented with the fact that his offensive coordinator is not good enough, his offensive product is not good enough, and while his job is not immediately in jeopardy, he needs to make changes, especially if they lose this Saturday,” Pate added.

Look, the urge makes sense because LSU’s offense is not just hampering their championship run but also creating problems for Garrett Nussmeier as he throws around 30-40 passes per game, which makes his TD total 11. And turnovers are their main concern as LSU’s opponents scored 30 points off of LSU’s turnovers over the course of 13 games.

This season LSU has allowed the most points and rushing yards, and Brian Kelly is nothing but disappointed. “When you play an offense like this, it’s the details and being in the right place and having eye discipline,” Kelly said. “Making the plays when they come your way is paramount to slowing them down, and we just didn’t do a good enough job on the details when it came to trying to defend this offense.”

But with that, the fire concern still hangs on Kelly’s shoulders, and there are also possible replacement options that might take the Tigers to another height.

Exploring leading candidates to replace Brian Kelly

After a terrible loss against Vanderbilt, fans are already ranting “fire Kelly” constantly. And now even names are popping up of who could replace him. Now, to bounce back from such adversity, the Tigers might look for a better option. Nonetheless, the first name on the list is James Franklin, who recently got fired after losing to two unranked teams. Despite that, he still holds a 104-45 overall record and even brings championship experience with him. With him, Penn State went to five New Year’s Six Bowl games, and his recruiting ability just adds up to it.

Now, with him, even Jimbo Fisher can be a suitable candidate for LSU. He won a championship with Florida State in 2013 and has a 72% winning record in his career. But after a dreadful 2023 season and getting released with a $76 million buyout, Fisher is nothing but eager to make his much-awaited return to the football field.

After Paul Finebaum’s warning, finding better replacements looks like an excellent option. “LSU on day one was a team that could have afforded three losses. They can’t anymore,” he said.

Lastly, there’s Jon Gruden. He recently expressed his desire to return to coaching after he coached the Raiders back in 2021. He even has college experience with teams like Tennessee, Southeast Missouri State, and a short stint at Pittsburgh. Now, with names popping up, it’s time for Brian Kelly to make a massive comeback. Because if not, he might join the party with Billy Napier and many other coaches.