LSU Football 2012: 5 Questions That Still Won't Be Answered in Spring Ball

Too many unknowns swirled around Baton Rouge as LSU opened their 2012 spring sessions earlier this month.  And while some answers have emerged, the Tigers' faithful will be left with quite a few unanswered questions heading into summer camp.  Can Les find the answers to these key questions before the leaves turn and the Tigers turn their sights to a second consecutive SEC Title? 

Starting Running Back?

We all know LSU without question has the deepest backfield in the country. There's a reason they averaged over 200 yards on the ground a game, as five players on the roster finished with at least 200 rushing yards on the year.

All of those backs return, including Spencer Ware, Michael Ford, Alfred Blue and Kenny Hilliard. That doesn't include fullback J.C. Copeland and four-star recruit Jeremy Hill who's a big back at 6'1", 225 pounds.

Who will get majority of the carries this season in a crowed backfield? Last season it was Ware, who led the team with 177 touches, and he's doing everything in the spring to show that he wants to once again get the bulk of the carries.

"I tried to wrap him up, and he (spun) right out and left me with my head hurting. Linebacker Lamin Barrow said. He's a heck of a player, and he has always been that way. You can tell he's hungry right now."

The thing is, there are a group of other runners that will have a say so in this matter. This is a battle that will last throughout the year, because there may once again not be a legitimate answer.

Will Mo Isom Make the Team as a Female Kicker?

Former LSU soccer star and homecoming queen Mo Isom tried out to become the new LSU kicker. She didn't end up making the team after a two-day tryout for walk-ons, but that won't stop her from accomplishing her dream or from receiving another chance.

"She did not want to take that she couldn't make the team," LSU coach Les Miles said. "She said, 'Do I get another opportunity if I get a lot better?' I said, 'Sure.'"

Isom will get another chance during preseason practices in August. If she ends up making the team, she'll become the first female ever to play for the Tigers football team and the first female kicker in college since 2003.

"Wonderful meeting with coach Miles," Isom said on her Twitter account. "Received great constructive feedback. Will continue working my hardest with the team through spring and summer."

The odds are surely stacked against her, but it remains an interesting story to keep an eye on leading up to the regular season.

How Good Will Zach Mettenberger Be?

This is the question that everybody would like the answer to. Both senior quarterbacks in Jordan Jefferson and Jarrett Lee are no longer on the roster, which makes Zach Mettenberger the likely starter. He's more known for his incidents off the field than anything he's actually accomplished on it, but he does have a bright future ahead of him if he can keep his nose clean?

Mettenberger is a four-star recruit from the 2009 class and has a very strong arm and great size at 6'5", 200 plus pounds. He is your traditional quarterback and could possibly provide the Tigers with the passing game that they've lacked for several years.

Les Miles loves him and says he's doing well in spring practices.

"I like his attitude. He just needs to keep a cool head," Miles said. "But he's in it -- he's competing like hell. I like him a lot."

Despite his great potential and how well he's coming along, it remains to be seen how well he'll play against the tough defenses of the SEC.

Do the Tigers Have What It Takes to Return the the National Championship?

LSU only returns 11 combined starters from last year's team, but this year's team may be even more talented than last seasons. Majority of the offense returns, and you have a true quarterback in Mettenberger which should help balance everything out.

The defense returns five starters, but with the depth on this team and the recruiting class coming in, everything should be fine on that side of the ball.

"We return a team in my mind that will have as much talent and is just as capable as any that we've had," Miles said. "The opportunity for us to approach that style of team that went 13-0 and exceed is certainly before us."

So can they redeem themselves and bring home their fourth national title in LSU history?

We'll all be watching to see.

Will Les Miles Change His Style of Coaching?

Les Miles has been accused of a lot of things throughout his career. He's known for making wacky calls, not managing time correctly and most recently, not being prepared enough for the BCS National Championship Game. The Tigers might as well have not shown up for the big game and the head coach received as much of the blame as the players after the loss.

"We kept waiting for that play," Miles said. Coaches can't always wait. Sometimes they have to try things or switch quarterbacks to create such plays. And sometimes it's about the game plan and about working smart, not necessarily long."

Did he learn anything from the outcome? Will he change the way he prepares for games because of the embarrassing loss? Or will he continue to be the ''Mad Hatter" we all know him as? Only time will tell, and this is a question that can't be answered until the regular season kicks off.