Season Overview
In Brian Kelly’s third season as the head coach at Central Michigan, the Chippewas played 10-4. In his third season at Cincinnati, the Bearcats finished 12-0. And in his third season at Notre Dame, the Irish played 12-1, with the only loss coming in the national championship game.
Louisiana State is hoping its third season under Coach Kelly will see similar success. The Tigers are already 20-7 in two seasons with Kelly, with one SEC championship game appearance and one Heisman Trophy winner. Can LSU take the next step and qualify for the College Football Playoff?
Betting Odds
- Odds to win national championship (Bet365): +1400
- Odds to make CFP: +120
- Odds to win SEC (FanDuel): +900
- Wins over/under: 9.5
LSU returns only 12 starters this season from a team that finished 10-3 last year. The Tigers played a number of high-scoring games last season, as the offense, powered by Heisman-winning QB Jayden Daniels, moved the ball effectively while the defense disappointed. Ultimately, losses to Ole Miss and Alabama cost LSU a shot at a return trip to the SEC championship game.
Six starters are back on an offense that averaged 543 yards per game last season, including four along the offensive line. However, they lost Daniels, who threw for 3,800 yards and ran for 1,100 last year, along with a pair of 1,000-yard receivers. Meanwhile, six starters return on a defense that gave up 417 YPG last season.
Louisiana State opens this season with a game against USC in Las Vegas, where early lines tag the Tigers as 6-point favorites over the Trojans. From there, LSU plays only four true road games, the toughest of which will probably be at Texas A&M. The Tigers get Ole Miss, Alabama, and Oklahoma at Death Valley and miss Georgia and Texas, which is a favorable setup.
The Tigers should be 5-0 heading into the Ole Miss game, but the Rebels are going to be a handful this year. With several tough matchups following that, and the change at QB along with a still-questionable defense, we see four solid chances for LSU losses this season.
Pick
LSU under 9.5 wins
