SEC Media Days: 2015 Is a Pivotal Year for Les Miles at LSU

HOOVER, Ala. — Maybe it was simply the end of a long week for reporters, or perhaps it’s that no one’s quite sure what to make of this year’s team, but Thursday ended up being a pretty low-key day for LSU coach Les Miles.

That’s not to say his appearance at SEC media days was predictable—they never are when it comes to Miles—yet it was anything but typical for the Tigers.

There was little or no buzz. The ballot for preseason All-SEC selections wasn’t overflowing with Tigers. The few LSU fans in the lobby of the Wynfrey Hotel were easily outnumbered by those from Georgia and Ole Miss.

“Eight wins. Certainly not enough,” Miles said.

He wasn’t talking about a 1970s dramedy series, rather last season. After four straight double-digit-win seasons, his team stumbled to an 8-5 finish that had it closer to the bottom of the SEC West than the top.

“Shy of our goals. We want more.”

Since then, the headlines in Baton Rouge have been dominated by suspensions and departures, including defensive coordinator John Chavis for Texas A&M. That not only had the faithful scratching their heads, but the players.

“It was strange,” junior linebacker Kendell Beckwith said. “Coach Chavis was like a father figure for me.”

Consequently, combined with the rest of the SEC West apparently on the rise, LSU’s status as a division power can no longer be taken for granted.

Specific to this year, the Tigers may be the only team that one could make as good of a case for them finishing first as last. On Thursday, the media sort of split the difference and voted LSU third behind home-state favorites Alabama and Auburn.

Only Miles and LSU have been here before. During his first three seasons leading the Tigers, they went 34-6 with two SEC titles and one national championship.

Brynn Anderson/Associated Press

In 2008, though, LSU finished 8-5 overall and 3-5 in league play to place third. It rebounded with a 9-4 record in 2009 before embarking on a four-year stretch of 10-win (or better) seasons, including the 2011 run to the national title game.

In terms of overall talent, there’s no doubt that Miles has another loaded lineup, one that will be extremely tough defensively and feature a strong running game led by outstanding running back Leonard Fournette.

Miles even went so far as to rattle off some facts regarding the National Football League:

• Eight LSU defensive players were selected in the 2013 draft, all in the first five rounds, a first for the modern era.
• LSU has had 24 defensive players drafted since 2010, tied for the most in the SEC during that span.
• At least one LSU defensive lineman has been selected in every draft for the last 12 years and five defensive players have gone in the first round since 2010.

The flip side to that, of course, is that so many players leaving, especially underclassmen following the 2013 season, caught up to the Tigers.

“We're in a spot there where maybe the youth at quarterback and some of the juniors that we lost may well have given us a little bit of—gave us a difficult season,” said Miles, who called it “very significant.”

“I don't know how you correct it. I've worked hard against it.”

Last year, Miles played 17 true freshmen, and he expects to match that again this fall. While no one still believes that every first-year player in the lineup translates to a loss during the season, there’s no way to deny the impact of inexperience.

It’s especially true at the quarterback position, which will probably go a long way toward determining LSU’s success this season. Brandon Harris showed some flashes of his potential as a freshman last year, while Anthony Jennings—who completed 111 of his 227 attempts for 1,611 yards and 11 touchdowns with seven interceptions in 2014—was suspended after being arrested with three teammates for unauthorized entry into a dwelling and simple burglary.

“Experience isn't something that you can just will on a guy,” said Miles, who announced that he expects Jennings to return to the team. “The good news is we have a guy who's started eight games or so and we have a guy that's been around it now and played through two springs and been through a fall. So our quarterback play will be better, legitimately better.”

But everyone’s wondering how much better, along with:

Can Fournette carry the load and not get worn down?

Will the defense be great again under coordinator Kevin Steele and new line coach Ed Orgeron?

Can it still dominate?

That’s the real question LSU will be answering during this pivotal season.

"I like my team,” Miles said. “If we stay healthy and improve, I don't care who we play. We look forward to playing them."

Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.

Christopher Walsh is a lead SEC college football writer.

Follow Christopher on Twitter @WritingWalsh.