Ed Orgeron doubts any team has come close to the level of 2019 LSU

Ed Orgeron may be out of coaching for now, but he’s still a prominent voice in college football circles. The former LSU head coach joined Andy & Ari, where he reflected on his legendary 2019 Tigers squad. He firmly believes it stands alone in the sport’s modern history.

Over the years, Orgeron has coached and competed against plenty of great teams, but he doesn’t think anyone has matched what his LSU roster accomplished during that undefeated run: “There’s some great teams out there,” Orgeron said. “But that team that we had — I haven’t seen the talent.

“Especially when you look at Joe Burrow, you look at Ja’Marr Chase, you look at Justin Jefferson and see what they are doing in the NFL. Now, obviously, there was one or two players that could have played with us or been stars on our team, but overall, that collection of talent — now, the 2001 Miami team, it was a great team, a great collection of talent. I think you got to mention them.

“They always talk about who’s the best team? I say, ‘Hey, you got to win it on the field.’ It’s never been done, but I think those guys were tremendous.”

Alas, it’s tough to argue with Orgeron’s sentiment. That 2019 LSU team remains one of the most dominant forces college football has ever seen.

Led by Burrow, who won the Heisman Trophy and later became the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft, the Tigers topped the nation in both total offense and scoring offense, averaging 568 yards and 48.4 points per game.

The offense also featured future NFL standouts Chase, Jefferson, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, and Terrace Marshall Jr., while the defense was stacked with pros like Patrick Queen, Grant Delpit, and Derek Stingley Jr.

Moreover, Orgeron has often reflected on how all the talent and personalities clicked during that magical season. Speaking on Pardon My Take earlier this summer, he credited his mentors for helping him find the right formula.

“You know, first of all, all the pieces came together,” Orgeron said. “There’s a lot of stories of stuff that came together here and there. I had a blueprint from Jimmy Johnson. I had a blueprint from Pete Carroll. Now, it’s my time to do it. I went to Ole Miss and made a bunch of mistakes. I told everybody, ‘Don’t worry about my mistakes — I did them all at Ole Miss.’”

Years later, Orgeron’s 2019 Tigers are still the gold standard. They featured a perfect blend of talent, leadership, and chemistry that may never be replicated, and their head coach will always be proud of that.