The LSU Tigers went a solid 10-2 last year and capped their season off with a 21-14 Outback Bowl win over Iowa. Some rebuilding has to be done this year as they lost allot from last year and are ranked 119th in the nation in terms of experience this year. Helping them is the fact that they did land the 2nd best recruiting class in the nation. Les just reloads. Preview & schedule are below.
The Tigers had a very good offense last year as they averaged a healthy 35.8 ppg. This year it will be very difficult as they return just 18% of their yards from last year. This offense lost 2 receivers that combined for 2300 yards receiving and 18 TDs, a RB that that ran for 1401 yards and 16 TDs and a QB that threw for 3088 yards and 22 TDs. That is a ton of offense that is gone from this team. The New QB looks to be Brandon Harris, who is a sophomore and was rated 7th best QB when he came out of HS. The WR corps is talented but young, with 2 starters being freshmen and one being a sophomore. The running game will also call on a freshman in Leonard Fournette, who was the #1 back coming out of HS last year. The strength of this offense is an OL that returns 4 starters, but still it is rated just 6th best in the SEC. The defense looks to be very solid this year and it will have to until the offense comes around. The secondary is the clear strength of this defense, with 3 starters back, including Jalen Mills, who had 3 sacks and 3 INTs last year. The DL and LB corps are solid but not spectacular, although they could be as everyone in the front 7 starting lineup was a player that was rated 73rd or better when they came out of HS. The defense also has reloaded a bit with 5 recruits that were rated 25 th or better at their respective positions coming out of HS. This will again be a very strong defense, especially down the stretch.
The LSU Tigers will be good again, but im not so sure they will be 10-win good this year. The offense lost way too much to think that they can really come close to last year’s numbers, especially with so much youth at the skill positions and QB spot. The defense will be fine and will get better as they year goes on. They should allow less than the 22.4 ppg they gave up last year. Defense wins titles, but you have to score as well and LSU just doesn’t have enough on offense to keep up with the better offenses in the league. Road games vs Auburn and Florida and Texas A&M, plus a neutral site game vs Wisconsin will be tough, while getting Ole miss and Alabama at hope will be no cake walk either. I think LSU takes a couple of steps back here with no more than 8 wins on the season and a 4th place finish in the very tough SEC West. KEY TREND: 2-12 ATS off BB SU wins vs an opponent that is seeking revenge
LSU Tigers Football Schedule
Aug. 30 Wisconsin (at Houston)
Sep. 6 Sam Houston State
Sep. 13 ULM
Sep. 20 Mississippi State
Sep. 27 New Mexico State
Oct. 4 at Auburn
Oct. 11 at Florida
Oct. 18 Kentucky
Oct. 25 Ole Miss
Nov. 1 OPEN DATE
Nov. 8 Alabama
Nov. 15 at Arkansas
Nov. 22 OPEN DATE
Nov. 27 at Texas A&M
Info gathered From Phil Steele's CFB Preview and Athlon Sports
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