re: Does this year matter to LSU?

You're trolling, but heck, I'll answer-

Yes, it matters. Not "we're gonna whip you again" and all that.

We fired Miles, we let frustration and lack of patience get the better of us as a program. Miles was stagnant and Saban has Alabama not just above us, but pulling away. So we did an extended, painful lynching over the end of 15 and into 16.

We finished 16 by missing out on big name coaches, and naming Orgeron as the man. That left a lot of us stunned going into 2017, and by the time Miss St and Troy beat us, it was a dazed "what have we done?" moment.

Team turned it around against Auburn and seemed to get some momentum; but that went sideways again with the loss to Notre Dame and Canada dismissal.

So now, this team is at a crossroads. O has promoted Ensminger in a move to replicate the staff that he had to finish '16, the staff that basically earned him the job. He's retained Aranda in a bidding war to try to keep the defense together, and managed to get a gift QB via transfer.
We enter this season hopeful, but scared. Hopeful like any new season (and maybe finally with the elusive QB we've lacked), scared because we should find out if we're about to become irrelevant.

O needs this team to challenge, or I think he loses the base.