Officially, it was fourth-and-goal for LSU. Unofficially, it was fourth-and-(Coach) O.

Everyone had to know that Saturday at breathless Tiger Stadium. When Danny Etling took the snap and tossed to LSU tailback Derrius Guice from the 1 in Death Valley, there weren't just three seconds left in the game.

There were three ticks left in a head-coaching career. At least the one that Ed Orgeron was pursuing at LSU.

That notion is over -- at least for now. Florida's goal-line stand finalized a 16-10 win that clinched the SEC East in a road game the Gators contend they never should have traveled to play.

Only bold postgame comments by Florida's Jim McElwain pointing that out deflected immediately from Orgeron's inevitable plight.

The likeable Coach O is 4-2 as LSU's interim coach. That's not terrible. That's just not what he needed. Not with Jimbo Fisher or Tom Herman perhaps waiting in the wings.

But try as he might to throw the season away by firing Les Miles four games in, athletic director Joe Alleva couldn't have foreseen this: His interim coach became a viable candidate. More than that, a charismatic native son campaigned his personality and ability. Whether Alleva acknowledged it or not, Oregeron had increasing leverage on an AD who just wanted a placeholder.

The temp, though, became the story. We'd read, heard and watched how Orgeron was a different man, a different coach. One who was capable of running an SEC program. Again.

It might happen, but it won't be at LSU. Orgeron must know that now. To some, that will be a shame. The former Ole Miss coach had remade himself, having shots as an interim coach at two top-10 programs (USC and LSU) in recent years.

In the end, Orgeron couldn't out-coach Fisher, who he has never faced as a head coach but is the leader in the clubhouse for the LSU job (if you believe the reports).

If not Jimbo, then Houston's Herman. If not those two, well, Alleva should be fired after botching this process twice for one of the best jobs in college sports.

For Orgeron to absolutely clinch the job, he probably had to go undefeated -- or at least beat Alabama or Florida. Against two stout defenses, his offense scored a total of 10 points. The shutout at the hands of the Tide was the first suffered by the Tigers at home in 14 years.

There were crippling turnovers Saturday against the Gators, including a botched snap on a field goal. The Tigers had four cracks at the winning touchdown from inside the Florida 7 on the game's last series.

The last play might as well have been a metaphorical end to Orgeron's run. When Guice was stuffed at the goal line it looked suspiciously like the play-calling Miles was crucified for.

The play was a "toss power" with the quarterback turning his back to the defense and Guice staring into a motivated defensive line from about 6 yards away.

A Gators D that was missing four starters, including its three leading tacklers, gobbled him up.

"Came on the road for a home game and won the SEC East," McElwain said. "Pretty cool, isn't it?"

Actually, really cool once you get past Oregeron's unfortunate plight. This game was played in Baton Rouge because Alleva drew a line in the turf, demanding his program not lose a home game following the postponement in Gainesville, Florida, due to Hurricane Matthew.

"The way I look at it, they got what they deserved," McElwain told reporters. "It should have been worse."

He did not hold back. The families of 52 Gators were in the warning zone of the hurricane when the game was postponed, despite Alleva's insistence it should be played at Florida.

"The incident that happened back then, there were lives involved," McElwain said. "... People get called out when there is tragedy happening."

Wait until LSU fans realize that because of their AD, the Tigers have to play the next two games in this series on the road in Gainesville. Alleva's Folly means LSU will play only three home SEC games in 2017.

"This was actually supposed to be a home game," McElwain continued, "so the way we looked at it is stay undefeated at home. We're 6-0 in The Swamp."

Whatever the outcome, just-retired Florida AD Jeremy Foley came out the more honorable man. His Gators played like they were the most deserving team.

"They insulted us," Florida tailback tailback Jordan Scarlett said of LSU. "Are we going to lay down or smack them in the mouth?"

Is there any division anywhere celebrated as much as one in the SEC? The Gators are headed to Atlanta for the second straight year, already prohibitive underdogs to Alabama. But that was the case Saturday, too, as Florida won as an underdog of two touchdowns or more for the first time in 40 years.

"I'm happy for our Gator fans who don't think we're very good," McElwain said, "but all we do is end up back in Atlanta."

Sure, the SEC East has been bad. Florida's win was only the third this season by an East foe against the West and the only one to come on the road. That won't help Orgeron's case either.

The overarching reason he's probably done is the one that gets all coaches -- interim and full time. Orgeron didn't win enough. Specifically, combined in the two biggest conference games -- both at home -- his team barely cracked double digits.

Maybe that's too harsh. Oregeron is a good man with a good career and a good future. His boss, not so much. Alleva's plan -- whatever it is -- only works if you fire the school's winningest coach to get someone better.

If Fisher or Herman don't come, the best coach available just might be the one they just fired.