Brian Kelly is entering his fourth season as the head coach of the LSU Tigers football team. Kelly arrived in Baton Rogue as a savior following the embarrassing end of the Ed Orgeron era. Things got off to a rough start, but the team won 10 games and the Citrus Bowl. The next year brought another 10 victories and another bowl game.

Now the honeymoon is over. LSU went 9-4 last season and has yet to contend for the SEC championship, let alone the College Football Playoff under Kelly. With four national championships this century, fans are starting to wonder when Kelly will get around to that part.

On Get Up Tuesday morning former LSU star Marcus Spears explained how another middling season could be bad news for Kelly.

"If you don't win big if you're Brian Kelly, this fanbase is done," said Spears. "I'm just telling you. The wins and the success and all of the things. Going to the SEC championship your first year was great, but people still didn't feel like that was a big-time accomplishment based on how it happened. This year you see all of the transfers. You see the recruiting class. You see Garrett Nussmeier in the preseason Heisman conversation. All of those things in the past at LSU has aligned with them having big seasons. It doesn't guarantee them a championship, but it should guarantee you being a playoff contender and if they are not. If they are on the outside looking in in the playoffs, this fanbase is going to turn quickly on Brian Kelly. And it's almost like its been situation where they've been waiting to do it. This will be that inflection point if LSU doesn't win big this year. I'm telling ya'll what I know, not what I think."

LSU begins their season on August 30th on the road against Clemson, the No. 6 team in the preseason coach's poll. No pressure.

More College Football on Sports Illustrated


This article was originally published on www.si.com as Former LSU Star Predicts Big Trouble For Brian Kelly if Tigers Don’t 'Win Big'.

Test hyperlink for boilerplate