After a 38-23 loss to Texas A&M, the LSU Tigers sit at 6-2 overall and 3-1 in SEC play. This weekend the Tigers will be a 3-point underdog at DraftKings Sportsbook as they take on Alabama in what many see as a de facto College Football Playoff elimination game. LSU head coach Brian Kelly joined Mike Golic Jr. and Mike Golic Sr. on Thursday’s edition of GoJo and Golic to talk about bouncing back as well as the Tigers’ outlook for the rest of the season.
Kelly started off by joking that it was about time he got an invite, especially considering he coached GoJo at Notre Dame. After all, he had been a guest on the Kelce brothers’ New Heights a year ago for crying out loud! GoJo asked Kelly if he ever thought one of his former interior offensive linemen would end up with such a massive platform, referencing Jason Kelce’s rise to arguably the most famous center in football history. Kelly jokes about how bad of a coach he must have been to drive Jason and GoJo into media careers rather than remaining on the field. However, despite his coaching, he admires how they’ve both become very successful in the space.
As Kelly prepares the Tigers for Alabama, Senior wonders how much time they spent during the bye reviewing the loss to Texas A&M before shifting their attention to the upcoming Alabama showdown. Kelly mentioned that his teams typically abide by a 24-hour rule, however, losses often can linger longer. The loss to A&M falls into this category as even though LSU was ahead 17–7 at halftime, turnovers and the inability to adapt to a running quarterback after sidelining the Aggies’ QB1 proved to be disappointing. Kelly acknowledged that the coaching and execution on the field weren’t up to par in the loss, allowing it to linger a bit during the bye. However, once the teams was able to get past that funk, Kelly says it was able to focus on getting better. Kelly stressed the importance of ball security, establishing a balanced offense for quarterback Garrett Nussmeier and getting ready defensively to face Alabama’s versatile quarterback Jalen Milroe.
GoJo wanted to know what the message and the focus was during the bye week in preparation for defending the running quarterback in Milroe. Kelly noted they’d faced similar challenges with mobile quarterbacks, like those from South Carolina and Arkansas. He stressed that while they have strategies to handle such situations, success ultimately boils down to how well they execute their game plan. Kelly said the team has been fine-tuning their approach step by step and putting extra effort into every aspect of preparation. Whether physical, mental, tactical, or technical, Kelly commended his team for their effort and enthusiasm as they prepared to face Alabama at Tiger Stadium, a place where they have historically performed well. He emphasized that the team has to execute well, but he knows they’re excited for the challenge.
Senior asked Coach Kelly about the high stakes of this game, noting that some are calling this matchup an elimination game with the thought being that two-loss teams can still make the top 12, but taking a third loss likely ends those hopes. He asked if that’s how Kelly was selling this game to his players or if they already understood the stakes for this one. Kelly said he rarely discusses wins or losses with his team. Instead, he focuses on the process, believing that consistent daily effort leads to the desired outcomes. He said that talking about elimination games only creates distractions that can hinder execution. He says remaining locked in on process sounds like coach speak, but he thinks that is the only way to run things. He says it’s the only thing that helps keeping players, who are 18- to 22-year-olds, focused on their technical, tactical, physical, and mental growth each week. Do they follow shows like GoJo and Golic? Sure. Do they hear about these “elimination games?” Definitely, so the last thing Kelly thinks they need is to hear it from him as well. So Kelly says he will keep them focused on what he believed will help them prepare them so they can go and perform and be their best when their best is needed.
GoJo says that when people ask him about having played for Kelly at Notre Dame, he always says Kelly was great at setting the expectation for what players needed to know each and every day in terms of the work that needed to be done. It was always very consistent and it helped the players a lot. But a lot has changed in the decade since GoJo played for Kelly at ND. In the new world of NIL and the transfer portal, GoJo asked Kelly about if there’s been a part of his process he’s had to change in order to adapt. Kelly stressed the need for transparency and communication on a day-to-day basis as there are so many more distractions out there. He mentioned that forming personal connections with players has become crucial and now there is a demand for greater accessibility as a head coach. In contrast to his tenure at Notre Dame, where he was deeply engaged in offensive tactics planning, Kelly emphasized the importance of engaging with players to resolve uncertainties and reduce distractions so the players can concentrate on maximizing their abilities.
Kelly has a long, storied history going up against the legendary Nick Saban, who retired from Alabama after last season. GoJo asked Kelly about what it’s like gearing up for an LSU-Alabama matchup without Saban on the opposing sidelines and the challenges that Kalen DeBoer could bring. Kelly recognized DeBoer as an outstanding coach who has made his mark on the team by introducing new coordinators and implementing a whole new flavor. However, Saban’s fingerprints are still seen all over the program, from recruiting key players to establishing and maintaining Alabama’s high standards and expectations. So Saban’s influence will continue on at Alabama for some time, and while DeBoer may feel the shadow of Saban lingering over him at times, Kelly thinks DeBoer will live up to expectations and took on this job knowing how things would be. Kelly mentioned that Saban will be at LSU’s practice on Friday, adding with humor that he subscribes to the notion of keeping your friends close and your enemies closer.
Watch or listen to the full show below and tune into GoJo and Golic weekday mornings from 8-10 a.m. ET on DraftKings Network! See more about how to watch DraftKings Network here.
SHOW BREAKDOWN
Hour 1: Dak Prescott’s Succulent Hamstring, The Browns QB Problem Continue, Midseason NFL Awards & Bengals at Ravens TNF Preview
VIDEO
Watch GoJo and Golic every weekday on Samsung TV Plus, Roku, Xumo Play, Google TV and DraftKingsNetwork.com from 8 to 10 a.m. ET. The show is also available via audio on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also follow Mike Golic Sr. on X at @golic and Mike Golic Jr. on X at @mikegolicjr.
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information
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