2015 is LSU’s 11th season under Les Miles, and
accordingly, another season with ominous questions about the QB position.
Anthony Jennings and Brandon Harris will again compete for the starting spot on
another talented LSU squad. Neither has inspired much
confidence in their careers at LSU. Jennings
has career numbers of 124 of 256 for 1,792 yards, 8 INT’s and 12 TD’s. While his completion percentage is a wretched
48.4%, his 7 yards per attempt is…average.
There are just not a lot of good things to say about Jennings play or
his numbers. Harris has so few snaps
under his belt the numbers are almost meaningless. It’s undisputed that Harris has the most
talent and upside. But Jennings has the
experience.
2015 is LSU’s 11th season under Les Miles, and accordingly, another
season with ominous questions about the QB position. Anthony Jennings and
Brandon Harris will again compete for the starting spot on another talented LSU
squad.
The general consensus coming out of fall practice is that
Harris has pulled away from Jennings and will eventually be the starter. TAKE IT TO THE BANK, unless Harris gets hurt,
he will be the starter for LSU’s opening game.
The rest of the team is in very good shape. A quick preview of the offense and defense:
OFFENSE
The offensive line has a mix of experience and youth. Last season LSU was able to run effectively
at times against 8 man fronts. With a
(hopefully) improved passing game, this group is talented enough to lead LSU to
a big season. All the skill players are
back which should help the passing game move forward. Leonard Fournette is a beast and will only be
better this season. He is getting a lot
of talk for the Heisman which is great for him and LSU, but he won’t win
it. Not because he’s not talented
enough, but because of two factors out of his control. Number one, he won’t get enough touches. He really needs to get between 25-30 a game
to get the kind of numbers needed to push for that top spot. Number two, LSU just is not good enough as a
team to push for a spot in the playoffs.
But an invite to New York is a definite possibility.
DEFENSE
The departure of John Chavis will make this an interesting
transition year for the defense. The
secondary is the star unit on that side of the ball. Jalen Mills has started since his freshmen
year and can be counted on to play well every week. Jamal Adams is an elite player who will
eventually be a first round draft pick.
The defensive line has question marks but Davon Godchaux and Christian
Lacouture should be solid in the middle. Kendall Beckwith is an All-SEC player at
middle linebacker and will anchor LSU’s defense. This unit has future NFL players all over the
field. If new coordinator Kevin Steele
can get everyone on the same page, look out.
Odds and Ends
* Over the last 10 years, LSU has the 6th best
home winning percentage in college football at 87.5%. That also ranks 1st in the
SEC. Think about that for a moment. While the SEC won an unprecedented SEVEN
national titles in a row and clearly staked its claim as the toughest
conference in America, Tiger Stadium was the toughest SEC venue for opponents
to “secure victory.” Well done
Tigers. Those on the field and those in
the stands can take a bow.
*
Since 2009, the Tigers are 34-4 in Tiger Stadium. The only losses coming to a Tebow led Gators
team that finished 13-1 (2009), eventual National Champion Alabama (2012), a Mississippi
State team that reached the #1 spot in the polls that season (2014) and an Alabama
squad that reached the College Football Playoff (2014).
*
LSU ranks 13th in the country and 2nd in the SEC in conference winning
percentage over that last 10 years. Miles has won 69% of his SEC games
since arriving. As expected, Bama is 1st in the SEC winning 76.5% of its
conference games over that same period.
*
LSU has won 49 consecutive non-conference games, the longest in FBS
history. With LSU's non-conference schedule this season, the Tigers are a
good bet to get to 53 in a row.
Given the news coming out of camp and what I have heard through a few people I trust, I am confident Harris will be the starter this season. I’ve updated my preview for the SEC West based on Harris’ potential at the QB position. I think the Tigers can go 10-2 this season, if not better. If LSU can get past Miss. State and Auburn early, the Tigers could go into the Alabama game 8-0. Now wouldn’t that be something?
Final Thoughts
It’s undisputed that LSU is one of the more talented teams
in the country. But the question has
always been, “who is going to play quarterback for the Tigers?” With Brandon Harris under center, LSU becomes
a real wild card in the SEC West. As
noted earlier, LSU has been dominant at home. The only team I see that has the potential to
be good enough to come into Tiger Stadium this season and get a win is Auburn. Texas A&M and Arkansas will be real tests
while I expect Florida to struggle. The
big road games are obviously Alabama and Ole Miss.
Given the news coming out of camp and what I have heard through a few people I trust, I am confident Harris will be the starter this season. I’ve updated my preview for the SEC West based on Harris’ potential at the QB position. I think the Tigers can go 10-2 this season, if not better. If LSU can get past Miss. State and Auburn early, the Tigers could go into the Alabama game 8-0. Now wouldn’t that be something?
