There are sky-high expectations locally for LSU football in Lane Kiffin’s first season.
Nationally, the Tigers are expected to be good. But it seems they have something to prove.
That was demonstrated Tuesday with the release of USA Today’s preseason coaches poll, which has LSU as the No. 13 team in the country.
In the SEC, No. 3 Georgia, No. 4 Texas, No. 8 Texas A&M, No. 9 Oklahoma, No. 10 Ole Miss, and No. 11 Alabama are all ranked ahead of LSU; the Tigers were voted fifth in the SEC’s own preseason poll with Alabama and Oklahoma behind them.
LSU, talent-wise, is very much in the mix this season after adding the likes of quarterback Sam Leavitt, left tackle Jordan Seaton, safety Ty Benefield, linebacker T.J. Dottery, and edge rusher Princewill Umanmielen in the transfer portal.
But the Tigers do have a difficult, if not navigable, schedule ahead of them. They open with the coaches’ No. 23 team, Clemson, on Sept. 5. Two weeks later, LSU will have to visit what’s currently a top 10 team, Ole Miss, which is Kiffin’s former program.
LSU faces No. 8 Texas A&M in a home contest on Sept. 26. The Tigers will have No. 4 Texas and No. 11 Alabama as part of a home back-to-back in November. LSU then has to travel to No. 18 Tennessee on Nov. 21.
Right now, the Tigers are being viewed as a borderline College Football Playoff team by college football coaches. By season’s end, LSU will hope to crack the CFP selection committee’s top 10 to assure a bid to the postseason field.
