LSU football: The off-the-field trait that helped the Tigers go 15-0
By Zach Ragan
The 2019 LSU football team will forever be remembered as one of the greatest college teams ever.
The 2019 LSU football team was a sight to behold.
A record breaking offense loaded with future NFL talent turned the Tigers into must-see television every Saturday this season.
By the time LSU reached the national championship game, the Tigers were already considered one of the greatest college teams of all time.
LSU’s win against Clemson, however, cemented the Tigers’ place in sports history.
With an offense as prolific as LSU’s, it’s no surprise they won the national championship. No one was outscoring the Tigers this season. And while the defense wasn’t elite, it was good enough to hold opponents to 21 points per game. That’s more than enough when the offense is putting up nearly 50 points a game.
But having a great offense isn’t always enough to win a national championship. There have been plenty of high octane offenses that have faltered in the College Football Playoff (just ask the Big 12).
That’s where Tigers head coach Ed Orgeron and a particular trait he instilled in his team comes into play.
The 2019 LSU Tigers were an incredibly disciplined team that took care of business. They were laser focused on one thing — winning football games.
Coach O made it a point to address his team’s character the night before the national championship game against Clemson.
From The Athletic:
"Early for curfews. Early for meetings. Relentless work ethic. You’ve kept this hotel clean. I’ve asked you to do it, and you did. No bulls—. Character. Character wins."
Orgeron added “We set the LSU standard of performance, and up to now, there’s nobody that came close to you when you’re playing up to the LSU standard of performance”.
LSU’s character was evident all season long. Teams don’t dominate in that fashion without being disciplined.
And it wasn’t just on-the-field that LSU was disciplined, they exhibited those same traits off-the-field, too.
When LSU visited the White House last week, they were reportedly the most well behaved team that’s been hosted (according to the secret service).
I've been told there were 92 #LSU Tigers that made the trip to Washington DC. No players skipped the trip for political reasons, some have already started their training for the NFL Draft. @LSUBonnette says Secret Service told them they were the best behaved team ever.
— Jacques Doucet (@JacquesDoucet) January 18, 2020
LSU is losing a lot of talent this off-season. Their offense likely won’t be as prolific in 2020.
But thanks to Coach O, they’ll still be a disciplined team with high character.
Next. Panthers want to trade up for Joe Burrow. dark
And that can be just as important when it comes to winning football games.