LSU 2010 Offensive Forecast: Where's the Beef?

Offense

Quarterback

Jordan Jefferson is a solid starter who doesn’t make many mistakes. He has a really impressive bullet that is perfect for slants and passes over the middle...provided they aren't line drives that can get batted down at the line of scrimmage. His mobility can help him get out of trouble.

Downside: His accuracy isn’t always on point and he tends to hold the ball too long or tries to keep a play alive, and usually it tends to lead to a disastrous play.

Final: I expect him to improve a lot this offseason with a full season under his belt and an entire offseason of work should benefit him greatly.

Backups: Jarrett Lee, who I hope will transfer (very unfortunate to say about a Tiger but true and we all know why), and Chris Garrett, who I believe could be special when his time comes.

Runningback

LSU heads into this season without a bona fide starter, which actually could be a good thing. If LSU settles on a running back by committee system, their running backs will remain fresh all season and not have to worry about being worn down as the season progresses.

Murphy, Ridley, Shepard, and Ford should be able to shoulder the upcoming seasons load by themselves given the three incoming freshman redshirt seasons.

Downside: A bona fide starter could come in handy in the clutch like Hester did, however, in '03 LSU eventually found Vincent after going through both Carey and Addai.

Final: LSU's backfield this year should be good but not great. Outside of Shepard, there is no one here that I think has the playmaking skills to bust a game open; however, consistently moving the chains is all that matters. I think LSU has that.

Fullback

Dominque Allen looks to be the front runner but could be replaced. Bottom line for this position: LSU needs a guy who can pave the way. Quinn Johnson has been sorely missed this season and it definitely showed. If not a guy who clears the hole, then a jack of all trades like Hester will have to be found so that an additional threat can be presented. 

Downside: The uncertainty of the FB position. We have recruited well there over the past couple years but it doesn’t always pan out...hopefully it will.

Final: LSU will plug someone in there, even if it's freshman Brandon Worle.

Receivers

Terrance Tolliver and Rueben Randle should be our starting wide receivers. I like Justin Hunter a lot and think he could contribute if afforded the opportunity. I know how Les loves ineffective seniors, however, so I'm thinking R.J Jackson and Chris Mitchell will get the nod and force him into a redshirt year. Chris Toliver should make a contribution, as well.

Downside: Justin Hunter because with his frame, he could present so many mismatches. Especially with a 6'5" Tolliver and 6'3" Randle, a slot that is 6'4"...that’s unheard of. I highly doubt he will see the field, and that’s a shame, because I think he would be a lot more effective than any of the three wide receivers listed ahead of him on the depth chart.

Final: Starting two will be nice but I'm not sold on our slot receivers.

Offensive Line

Lots of pounds on the offensive line but I'm not seeing the players who can be most effective playing. Hebert and Barksdale (as an RT, not an LT) are the only locks in my mind for the offensive line. Everyone else I'm not too crazy about. They have all had their own hands in failing to provide the type of holes and protection necessary to make LSU the offensive machine it should be.

Downside: For all the talent that has been recruited, the results have yet to be produced on the field. That reflects solely on coaching, and that’s a big problem for me.

I understand we lost a lot of players to transfers and never academically qualifying, but the roster we have alone should be good enough with the supporting cast we have to make us a top 35 offense, at worst...107 is almost squarely on the ineffectiveness in the OL to open holes.

While I expect the offense to pick that up, I don’t see us being much better than 50th in offense next year because of this single unit.

Final: Unless a fire is lit under the OL coach and the OL squad as a whole, LSU will probably disappoint many fans again next year. Their inability to open a running game meant that we were pretty one-dimensional all year, and I don't think that’s a good situation for a first-year, 19-year-old starter playing QB. 

This is where games are won and lost. We know, because LSU's best years have been when LSU dominated the LOS. Think UF '07 fourth quarter.

Coaching

There is no excuse for Randle and Shepard not being more involved in the offense this year...none. There is no excuse for a 107th-ranked offense when we have the highest paid offensive coordinator. There is no excuse for the 11th-ranked rushing attack in the SEC when you have Charles Scott, Keiland Williams, and Richard Murphy as the starting three backs.

The offense was somehow predictable and unorganized, and that’s again unacceptable, considering we had a better team this year than Alabama. No pressure on Gary Crowton, but if there isn’t an instant resurgence in this anemic offense, I can't see him being employed for the 2011 season, which could be the year that Les is officially on the hot seat if LSU disappoints three years in a row.

Downside: Les and Crowton have to come to an agreement that the best players have to play, and that’s the bottom line. In '08, our defense played favoritism to upperclassmen (as has been the case for a while) who weren’t as good as the players behind them.

Chad Jones, who saw the field mostly as a dime back as opposed to the starting FS position, exemplified this situation. Older, but inferior FS Danny McCray was played instead, and was burned...numerous times.

Think Jarrett Lee and Andrew Hatch over Jordan Jefferson midway through the '08 season.

Think this past year with Jackson and Mitchell over Randle.

Best players should play—bottom line—and that has been a continuous problem with LSU since Les took over.  

Final: OL and coaching must drastically improve. I'm sure the other positions will play beyond well enough for LSU to win the conference next year, however, those two positions will dictate whether LSU is again left wondering about last-second losses and an offense that disappears against top-level competition.