Paul Finebaum assesses LSU's academic concerns, how Brian Kelly has handled them

LSU’s football program took a significant hit yesterday with suspensions due to academic issues. The Athletic’s Brody Miller reported the news with details on the suspensions. John Emery was the biggest name with his suspension connected to the academic issue that held him out in 2021. The other loss was of junior cornerback Raydarious Jones who will miss all of the 2022 season. Paul Finebaum says it’s a bad look for LSU, but not necessarily Brian Kelly.

Finebaum talked about the suspensions during an appearance Monday on ‘McElroy & Cubelic In The Morning’. He says it makes you think about what the Tigers are really focusing on. Even so, the blame for this falls on the shortcomings of the previous regime down in Baton Rouge.

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“When you see a couple of players in massive trouble, one gone for the season and one gone for a couple of games, and you have Florida State as your opener, you start to wonder what in the world has been going on down there?” said Finebaum. “I respect Brian Kelly at least on the surface for doing the right thing. I mean the fact that academics matter somewhere in college athletics is breaking news. But you also have to wonder just how absolutely tragic the situation was that he inherited.”

Emery is appealing the punishment as of now and should know his fate ahead of LSU’s opener against the Seminoles. However, the issue still remains of how it ever came to this? Kelly taking over at LSU was supposed to be a page turn at LSU.

Former head coach Ed Orgeron did things for the Tiger program that LSU faithful will never be able to thank him enough for. However, Paul Finebaum was emphatic in arguing that his lack of control is what has them in this mess.

“LSU fans can carry a torch for Ed Orgeron from now until the end of time but the guy was clueless when it came to running a football program. Everyone knows what he did and what he accomplished. That’s not necessary to emphasize here on this program but the stewardship of the program would have to rank among the worst in modern college football history,” said Finebaum. “I’m beginning to wonder why he wasn’t in trouble earlier than he was quite frankly. I know it’s hard to get fired the year after a national championship but, in some ways, he probably should have been.”

Kelly taking the initiative with this issue is a good first step in wiping this slate. His program shouldn’t be having to pay for former edition’s mistakes, but this is how one sets the tone and changes the narrative. Even so, it’s problems like this that can’t continue to rear their head’s according to Paul Finebaum. It’s now on Kelly and his staff to get it all straightened out with kickoff fast approaching.