You’d think a team that came within an eye lash of getting its head coach fired last November would enter the new season with a certain amount of trepidation.
Not so for LSU.
Les Miles survived the coup attempt — he’s now the dean of Southeastern Conference coaches ?— and, if anything, the Tigers enter the season with even higher expectations than usual.
Much of the anticipation — LSU enters season ranked No. 5 in The Associated Press Top 25 poll — centers around the return of 18 starters, a number virtually unheard of at a place that normally loses a half-dozen or more players to early entry to the NFL draft.
Not so this year.
Heisman Trophy candidate Leonard Fournette gives the Tigers one of the nation’s best players. There is renewed optimism that Brandon Harris will improve enough to give them a viable passing game, and Miles added one of the brightest defensive minds in the country with defensive coordinator Dave Aranda.
Miles, ever the optimist, has never been known to downplay expectations, and this year is no different.
“Our goals have not changed,” he said. “We want to win the (SEC) West and play in the conference championship and then go on to the playoffs and win the national championship.”
It’s a long season before any of that could happen.
But here’s a look at the lineup heading into Saturday’s opener against Wisconsin at Green Bay’s Lambeau Field:
Offense
Quarterback
It’s the big question mark, but virtually everyone associated with the program has talked about the new and improved Harris. Unlike last year, he may have enough competition with Purdue transfer Danny Etling to make him look over his shoulder.
Best case: Harris performs in the spotlight the way coaches and teammates say he has behind closed doors, and LSU has a legitimate, NCAA-quality passing game. It doesn’t even have to be particularly fancy.
Worst case: Harris continues his struggles — and it turns out Etling could not beat him out at the spot for a reason.
Backfield
No problems here. Fournette may be the nation’s best player and backup Derrius Guice would start at most any other SEC school. The Tigers found out how important fullback J.D. Moore was when he was injured during last year’s November swoon. LSU may well “open up the offense” and is hopeful a real passing attack will emerge. But the focus of the offense will again, rightly, be Fournette.
Best case: Fournette wins the Heisman ??— with fewer carries than the 300 he had a year ago as the Tigers mix Guice into the backfield with him, maybe with both in the backfield at the same time. That would be scary.
Worst case: Fournette’s mid-August ankle injury was worse than anyone let on. Of course, Fournette has already rejoined practice, reportedly at full speed. But if LSU has problems here, the Tigers might as well call off the season.
Offensive Line
This unit was hit harder by graduation than any other, although the star, center Ethan Pocic, spurned the NFL to return for his senior year. Still, both starting tackles have to be replaced and LSU spent much of August seemingly mixing and matching. It hurt that one candidate, Maea Teuhema, a starter at guard as a true freshman, was missing much of the time with an injury. Heading into the season opener, K.J. Malone and Toby Weathersby are at the spots, but that could change when they figure out where Teuhema fits in. The strength is the middle with Pocic flanked by Will Clapp at left guard.
Best case: They find a spot for Teuhema that leaves the rest of the group comfortable in their spots. They mesh and bulldoze all the way to Fournette’s Heisman ceremony.
Worst case: The two new starters at tackle — whoever they up being — aren’t up to the task, particularly in protecting Harris.
Tight End
It’s still largely a blocking position at LSU, although once again the Tigers are threatening to let them catch passes.
LSU likes to use two of them in formations, and Colin Jeter and Foster Moreau are fine in those blocking roles. But the wild card could be Barbe High product DeSean Smith, by far the best receiver of the bunch.
Best case: Smith’s nagging ankle injury goes away and he slips in occasionally to give the Tigers’ a legitimate target for Harris to check to.
Worst case: The position remains a glorified tackle and not part of the solution to opening things up.
Wide Receivers
The top two are set in stone, with veterans Travin Dural and Malachi Dupre set to be the next from the Tigers’ pipeline to the NFL. After that, however, due to a rash of transfers, no wideout has a college reception. D.J. Chark, a practice-field legend for two years and maybe the fastest player on the team, is the heir apparent for the third receiver. Several freshman, most notably 6-foot-3 Drake Davis, have turned heads in August.
Best case: Dupre and Dural do what they do and a couple of newcomers are up the task. They get open enough for Harris to get comfortable throwing to them.
Worst case: Face it, a lot of this group’s fate rests with the improvement of Harris.
Defense
Defensive Line
LSU took a hit when defensive end Christian LaCouture was lost for the season early in August. But it’s a spot of depth, particularly with the arrival of some newcomer nose guards in transfer Travonte Valentine and freshmen Edwin Alexander. The Tigers did a lot of mixing and matching in the spring adjusting personnel to the new 3-4 alignment, but in the end it appears to be a base defense they’ll be well suited for.
Best case: One of the newcomers is a space-eating beast in the middle, allowing Davon Godchaux to stay at defensive end, where he belongs.
Worst case: They struggle at the nose guard, one of the real keys to the new defense.
Linebackers
Depth is a bit of problem, but LSU is experienced across the board, led by middle linebacker Kendell Beckwith, the glue of the last two defenses. The 3-4 alignment could make stars of two outside linebackers, particularly Arden Key, a defensive end last season. Senior Duke Riley, a career special teams demon, gets his chance at the other middle spot.
Best case: Riley is ready for his chance and everybody stays healthy — there isn’t a lot of depth. Of course, LSU uses five and six defensive backs as much as its base alignment, usually reducing the linebackers to three.
Worst case: The Tigers struggle with the new alignment and the middle spot next to Beckwith proves to be a problem.
Secondary
LSU has stockpiled an almost embarrassing load of talent and experience here, and yet the group underachieved last year, prone to giving up big plays mostly due to communication breakdowns. But Aranda’s new defense is reportedly far simpler for its users. Safety Jamal Adams is the star and cornerback Tre’Davious White is the glue. White should have a bigger role as he’ll play the nickel when five defensive backs are in, allowing him to freelance more in the wide array of blitz packages Aranda uses.
Best case: Aranda’s defense really is simpler and the unit plays up to its talent. That’s all it needs to do.
Worst case: The confusion continues, along with opponents’ big plays.
Specialists
Both the placekicker (Colby Delahoussaye) and punter (Josh Growden) are new. But Delahoussaye was reliable for two years before losing the job last year with some errant kicks. Growden is the latest punter from the Australian pipeline, which is always interesting. But the Tigers’ biggest problem a year ago was coverage.
Best case: Delahoussaye regains his early career form and Growden has the Aussie quirks of former punter Brad Wing without the inconsistency of fellow countryman Jamie Keehn. Also, Guice evolves into the weapon on kickoff returns he hinted at late last season.
Worst case: Coverage struggles continue.
Follow Scooter Hobbs on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ScooterAmPress
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