After LSU’s weekend loss to Vandy, word on the street is that Brian Kelly’s LSU era might come sooner than later. Brian Kelly came to LSU with natty dreams and promises. Fast forward to year 4, zero playoff appearances. With 2 losses in hand, the only thing that stands between Brian Kelly making the playoff or getting fired is Mike Elko’s Texas A&M.

Brian Kelly’s fate relies squarely on their win against Texas A&M because after losing to two back-to-back SEC opponents, this is their final chance to solidify their playoff run. Now, winning against Clemson did push their fate in the league, but let’s not forget they are 3-4 in the league, which no more makes it a remarkable win. On See Ball Get Ball with David Pollack, Wes Blankenship weighed in while discussing which teams he might disqualify from the playoff race. “My eliminator… let me get my notes. LSU. All right. Um, that Vandy game. I love Vandy right now. I do. And LSU’s only lost two games. Still mathematically possible to get to the CFP. I just don’t like what’s going on with BK right now.”

Now, if they really want to make it to the playoffs this year, winning against Texas A&M and Alabama should be their top priority, because if not, they are out of the run. And Wes Blankenship is pointing straight at it. “I put myself in the shoes of a player and the leadership it takes to navigate that whole season. and it’s a grind to get there and the remaining schedule that LSU has ahead. I just haven’t seen that LSU can bounce back from what they’ve already put out on the field and show that they’re going to be much better. So, yeah, they have two losses and are still mathematically alive, but based on this past weekend, that score is a lot closer than what happened on the field.” 

We’re past the midpoint of Brian Kelly’s fourth season at LSU, and the program’s direction feels uncertain. Winning nine or ten games in a season might fly elsewhere, but at LSU, that’s barely the baseline. This year has already revealed weaknesses, even before the Tigers face their toughest tests: Texas A&M, Alabama, and Oklahoma. Two losses are on the record, and another stumble could erase any realistic playoff chance. A fourth defeat? That could put Kelly in truly precarious territory, especially in an era where even a $50 million buyout isn’t enough to guarantee patience, as history has repeatedly proven.

The letdown makes sense, as Brian Kelly’s team is in major trouble with the coming matchups. As Bama is currently on a 6-game winning streak and ranks 4th in the AP poll after becoming the first SEC team to beat four ranked opponents in four weeks. And then there’s Arkansas in their schedule, which seems like an easy opponent, but even they boast a top 20 scoring offense under interim HC Bobby Petrino, and then they will also go up against Oklahoma, which means they need to go up against the No. 2 scoring defense on the road.

Despite tons of offensive struggles and red zone inefficiency and scoring just 56% touchdowns in the red zone, Kelly has confidence in his team. Now, LSU ranks 86th in scoring offense and 83rd in total offense, but let’s not forget key injuries to White Weeks and defensive tackle Bernard Gooden added more into it. And he addresses the entire situation: “Some are saying I’m not getting my job done now,” Kelly said. “I get that. But we are working hard every single day to get our football team better.” They are doing much better now, as the Tigers’ rushing attack is now 133 yards per game, whereas it was 102.9 in the first five weeks.

But with teams’ playoff hopes hanging on thin thread, even Garrett Nussmeier’s Heisman hopes are taking a major hit.

Brian Kelly’s QB1 takes a big hit

Coming into the season everyone thought that Arch Manning, LaNorris Sellers, and Garrett Nussmeier would fight for the ultimate Heisman Trophy, but that’s not the case right now. All of them are struggling pretty bad in the league, and talking of Nussmeier, he started with 900+ odds, then went to +1500 odds, and now he’s not even in Heisman conversations.

Well, after suffering an ankle sprain against South Carolina, Nussmeier had a bit of a hard time coming up against them. On top of that, their run game fell flat with just 100 yards against Vanderbilt’s 243 yards. Despite struggles, he completed 19 of 25 passes for 225 yards with two touchdowns. With that, his season total stands at 1,413 yards with 9 TDs so far in the season with 5 interceptions. That low number doesn’t really scream Heisman, and it’s because of LSU’s weak run game putting more pressure on Nussmeier.

Whereas players like Julian Sayin, with his 80% completion rate and four 300-yard games, are proving their dominance in the league. And if you look at Nussmeier, he threw 21 of 34 passes for 197 yards, which is a season’s low, with a TD and an interception against Ole Miss. All this adds up to one thing: offensive struggles are not just putting pressure on the QB but also Brian Kelly’s future with the team now. Let’s see if he can fix it coming into the league.