LSU Football: 5 Reasons Its Only a Matter of Time Til Jordan Jefferson Starts

Jordan Jefferson received some playing time in his first game of the season after his latest offseason altercation.

However, Jarrett Lee is still the starting quarterback and he has not lost a game this season yet. It is simple, who gives the LSU Tigers the best chance to win a National Championship: Jordan Jefferson or Jarrett Lee?

Jefferson is easily the better talent in most "experts" eyes, but he still has to prove to his teammates that he has grasped the offense and has the leadership to take this team back to the promised land. 

Les Knows Best

Les Miles played Jordan Jefferson a decent amount in certain packages for his offense, but how much will Jarrett Lee continue to play, say, next weekend against an aggressive, fast and athletic Gators defense?

Lee went eight of just 21 for 169 yards and a touchdown without any turnovers. That is the key, since this defense is lights out in the best conference in the nation.

However, how much longer can LSU choose to run the ball without making big plays down the field? 

Well, they had plenty of big plays against West Virginia two weeks ago, and their secondary is not up to par with half the teams in the SEC, which makes you think a change is on the way in Baton Rouge.

Talent Always Wins out

Jordan Jefferson is one of the better duel threats in the SEC, and his ability to buy time when the pocket collapses gives him the best chance for his Tigers to go all the way.

Jefferson did not get a chance to throw any passes against Kentucky, but he did run the rock four times for 29 yards and a touchdown in his season debut.

Threading the needle may not be his specialty, but solid arm strength and decent accuracy will allow Mr. Jefferson to see the majority of snaps sooner than later. Is Jarrett Lee really the answer? 

He has finally avoided turning the ball over, but I doubt his talent will come through in games against Florida, Alabama and Arkansas. Jefferson is the guy that lets this offense do any and everything.

Running Improvement

Jordan Jefferson has now ran for 784 yards in his career, and the extra dimension of running will certainly play a huge factor in their pivotal game against Alabama in about a month.

Jarrett Lee is a sitting duck back in the pocket with the inability to move, but Jefferson can reach paydirt with a ton of athleticism. 

Jefferson proved what he can do in primetime games last year against Alabama and Texas A&M, so why not slowly hand him the reigns in time for their game against the Tide this season?

A ton of the offensive plays LSU currently runs includes rollouts, which is something Jefferson thrives at. I would bank on Lee getting the axe as the starter, but for LSU's sake, I hope Lee continues to play mistake-free football—or else it might be too late. 

Now, LSU still looks like the best team in America since they did not play many of their studs in the backfield against Kentucky, but at some point Jarrett Lee is going to have to throw for 300 yards, and I am not sure he is the guy (zero career 300-yard games).

Winning Experience

While Jordan Jefferson has had his fair share of disappointments on the field ('09 Capital One Bowl), there is no doubting what he brings to the table for this offense. LSU has won National Championships with Matt Flynn and Matt Mauck, and Jordan Jefferson would perfectly fit the bill.

Posting a 28-17 TD/INT ratio is nothing to brag about, but it is the best LSU has by far. Lee has a decent ratio of 24/19, but that includes this season's stats, where he has played near perfect ball as far as turnovers are concerned.

The Bayou Bengals would prefer to pound the rock, but they have just as many athletes at receiver in comparison to the backfield, so the more points the merrier. This defense is sensational but will eventually need to get a bit more help. Lastly, consistency is really the only glaring concern at the moment, but Lee has been called the "pick six man" plenty of times in his career, so how much longer until he goes back to his old ways?

Let JJ Do His Thing

The ability to fully open up the playbook is something Les Miles and Greg Studrawa need to slowly start to do. This team is good enough to play defense and special teams, but to win every game and to beat Alabama in Tuscaloosa you are going to have to light up their secondary. You will not be able to run the ball consistently, because they will not allow it.

Jefferson is the only guy on this roster (Mettenberger in time) that will allow Russel Shepard, Reuben Randle, Deangelo Peterson and Odell Beckham to use all sides of the field.

With Lee, the deep routes are not all there and the play calling is starting to get easier to forecast, even with the "Mad Hatter" himself mixing it up a lot. Those are tremendous options to throw to downfield, and being able to fully use them is vital.

Jordan Jefferson is the man for this team—always has been and always will be. Whether he is under center on November 5th against Alabama could be a telling tale of how much confidence Les Miles and his team still has in the 21 year old.