GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Ed Orgeron fought to hold his emotions in check as he looked into a purple-and-gold section of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium moments after LSU beat Florida, 17-16, on Saturday night. The man so proud to be their head coach -- proud to have been born and raised in Louisiana, and proud to have finally earned his dream job -- held his held high, but would not cry.
He felt it, though: the inexplicable loss a week earlier to Troy and the soul-searching that followed; the pair of players-only meetings to clear the air; how he and athletic director Joe Alleva felt compelled to call both coordinators into the office to sort things out; the former players wondering aloud, What's going on?