LSU Tigers Season Preview

Les Miles better have his troops firing on all cylinders right out of the gates or else their BCS National Championship dreams may be over before the season even starts. They open against those Oregon Ducks in Dallas.

Facing Alabama and Oregon in the same season is nothing short of murderers' row. If they manage to get by Oregon and can find out who their quarterback is for the entire season, they have the talent to beat any team in the nation regardless of where the game is played at.

Quarterback Carousel

It is likely that they can finish better than 110th in passing yards and touchdowns because they have a sick group of receivers in Reuben Randle, Russell Shepard and Kadron Boone.

They also have a three-headed monster in the backfield running behind one of the elite lines in America. Ford, Ware, and Blue are hogs who should lift this offense if the passing game cannot get going.

It is clear that the drama and the saga of finding a full-time starting quarterback was holding this team back. Jordan Jefferson and Zach Mettenberger have both gone through quite a bit in the past few years of their careers.

Mettenberger was dismissed from Georgia last summer in a season where he may have beaten out Aaron Murray for the starting job.

Jefferson has had more than his share of nightmares; terrible 2010 Capital One Bowl performance against Penn State and a brutal Spring Scrimmage just a few months later.

Now the recent accusations in which he stomped and fractured the face of a marine is sickening.

We thought that he grew up and matured, giving his Tigers a legitimate chance of winning a BCS National Championship.  We though he just started to come around performing well in the Cotton Bowl totaling for 225 yards and four touchdowns (three passing). Now we are clueless if he will play another down in the Bayou.  

Season Outlook

Enter Jarrett Lee, who saw extensive play as a sophomore where he threw 13 TDs and 16 INTs along with 1,873 yards in nine starts. He may be remembered as an interception machine, but he did lead his Tigers to a 7-5 regular season until Jordan Jefferson took over in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl.

Having Jefferson suspended and out of action for the time being is a bit of a flashback considering he was the one who took over for Lee. Amazing how things have been in reversed, but this LSU team is much more talented than the team Lee had back in ’08.

It won’t take much time to tell if he can handle the speedy defense of Oregon and whether or not he will be the signal-caller against what is arguably the best defense in the nation in the Alabama Crimson Tide. He will still have a defense of his own that will keep him in every ball game.

The Mad Hatter

Les “The grass eater” Miles is back for more in Baton Rouge. He is one hell of a gambler, going for huge fourth downs when his team is well within field goal range.

He pulls out all the stops because he has the stones to do so. He is not afraid of winning, and he never thinks twice about his decisions. If he did, he would not be half as crazy as he is currently is.

Miles may have many different nicknames, such as the “Mad Hatter”,  but he is one of the more iconic coaches in America. Winning the SEC and a BCS National Championship in the 2007 season alone has put Miles up with the elites in the country.

Coming off of a 11-2 season has made this season even more important, with the Tigers ranked in the top five in both polls. Can Les get back to the BCS and bring a title home to the Bayou? 

Crowded Backfield

This offense may have their best offensive line returning since their last BCS Title, and a lot of that has to do with four of the five starters returning. They are a downhill running team, which eventually sets up the play-action pass. 

Stevan Ridley declared for the NFL Draft, so it is up to a loaded stable of backs to carry the load. Michael Ford may have been the leading contender going into the offseason, but Spencer Ware is a beast and Alfred Blue is not too shabby either. 

Ware is a two sport athlete (baseball) and is a full-time big bruiser who can move the chains with authority. He combined for over 200 yards in his last two games against Texas A&M and in the LSU Spring Game. Ford and Ware both saw extensive time in the Cotton Bowl victory over the Texas A&M Aggies. 

Note: Steve Kragthorpe was just hired as the new coordinator, but has stepped down to  the quarterbacks' coach after being diagnosed with Parkinson ‘s disease. Former offensive line coach Greg Studrawa has been moved up as the new offensive coordinator.

Depth Will Do

The running game sets it up for a few game-breaking targets stretching the field. DeAngelo Peterson and Chase Clement are two solid tight ends, but it will be Reuben Randle and Russell Shephard that make up the difference in the red zone and make clutch catches on third down.

Kadron Boone, James Wright and many youngsters could see some playing time in the opener against Oregon. 

LSU recruits four and five star receivers that have continuously come through in national primetime TV games. They have owned the non-conference competition going 28-1 in the Miles era.

Note: Shephard has been suspended for the opener and possibly beyond: http://www.examiner.com/lsu-tigers-in-baton-rouge/lsu-wr-russell-shepard-suspended-for-season-opener-against-oregon 

Speed Kills

John Chavis is one of the few gurus we still have in the country and he is a flat out genius when it comes to defensive schemes. They are losing their three best players at each level of the defense in Drake Nevis, Kelvin Sheppard and Patrick Peterson. Peterson was one of the better corners we have had in the history of the SEC.

So, how many so-called experts will have an LSU All-American defensive player on any of their squads? Answer: Likely nobody. Yet, Chavis has his defense playing as fast and productive as any team in the nation every single season. 

Despite the loss of Patrick Peterson, everyone else returns and is on track to breakout on the national scene. Morris Claiborne is ready to become the next All-American corner for LSU and he certainly has the talent to challenge for that coveted award.

Last season Claiborne actually appeared on the All-SEC team and certainly has plans of returning. He is a quick athletic corner that can cover a ton of room in the secondary.

Tyrann Mathieu, Craig Loston and Eric Reid were all stars among stars in high school and are only improving. Mathieu is a midget compared to the two, but has elite speed and has a nose for the ball better than anybody on the team.

Tharold Simon is another top notch player that is expected to start since Les likes Mathieu in the middle of the field.

The safeties on this squad arguably hit harder than the safeties on any team in America other than the Tide. Ron Brooks is the third/fourth corner back, but he could start for arguably any team in the nation. They always say speed kills, and there is no doubting how fast LSU is this season in the secondary. 

Bayou Biggies

Ryan Baker is the one linebacker, besides Stefoin Francois, that is an SEC veteran and has been there and done that. Baker has nice speed and instincts whereas Francois is known more for his physical tools. Karnell Hatcher will be a factor if he adjusts well with moving from safety to middle linebacker. 

The defensive line will be the one unit that either makes or breaks this defense. Kendrick Adams, Sam Montgomery and Lavar Edwards are three future Sunday players that can ferociously come off the edge with freakish size and speed.

Downs and Brockers are two tackles that can get just enough push up front to bottle up the running game. If there is one weak link on this defense, it is the youth and inexperience of these two tackles, considering they had Drake Nevis and Lazarius Washington starting a season ago. Still, the talent is plentiful in the Bayou, like always.

Drama's Forecast

Overall, they might have the toughest schedule in America and it could be Mission Impossible. Despite all the off-the-field distractions, I still feel they are as talented as any team in the SEC. However, I question where this offense is going after losing Shepard for possibly more than one game, and it is much more difficult to get production from your quarterback when he is losing reliable options downfield.

I believe they will get by Oregon in the opener, but I still feel they will get upset two or three times in conference play. Most have the Tigers pegged as the team to knock off Alabama, but the SEC is the best conference in America for a reason. The media’s preseason predictions are always way off-base, and Les Miles is going to prove to me that he can withstand all the scrutiny and uncertainty he has under center.

PROJECTED RECORD: 11-2, 6-2

PROJECTED BOWL: Capital One Bowl

Projected Finish in SEC: Second in West, Third in SEC