2013 College Football Preseason Rankings: #8 LSU Tigers BCS Odds and Predictions

2013 College Football Preseason Rankings: #1 LSU Tigers BCS Odds and Predictions: For a team that always seems to have national championship aspirations, LSU’s 10-3 season in 2012 was viewed as a disappointment. That being said, the three losses came by a combined 13 points with two coming via last-second scores by the opponent. In other words, the Tigers were still just a couple of plays away from a very special season despite Heisman finalist and star corner Tyrann Mathieu getting kicked off the team before year even began and despite the offense never really coming together. Regardless of what happened last year, the goals won’t change in Baton Rouge for the 2013 college football season. Winning the toughest division in the toughest conference and playing for an SEC and national title remains the goal for Les Miles and LSU.

The Good News:

The loss to Alabama seemed to inspire quarterback Zach Mettenberger to live up to his potential, and he should be much better in his senior season than he was in 2012. Meanwhile, three starters are back for the offensive line, and LSU has four capable backs to fuel the team’s punishing ground game. The Tigers’ wide receivers are also pretty good, a new offensive coordinator Cam Cameron’s track record says he is the perfect guy to bring it all together and put some punch back into LSU’s offense. Not to mention the fact that many of the new starters that will have to be broken in will be former four-star and five-star recruits so the drop in talent and athleticism will be minimal.

The Bad News:

For starters, last year’s leading rusher Jeremy Hill is suspended until further notice. More importantly, the Tigers’ roster was ravaged by the NFL Draft, and just three starters are back from a defense that was one of the best in the country the past two seasons. In particular, LSU will go from having arguably the best defensive line in the country to having to rebuild with four new starters. The team’s best linebacker and defensive back are also gone, along with punter Brad Wing. Don’t underestimate the impact of Wing’s departure either. His accuracy and power helped LSU control field position, providing the perfect support for the team’s stingy defense and conservative approach on offense.

Outlook:

While the overall talent level on this year’s team hasn’t really dipped, the experience level has taken a dramatic dip, especially on the defensive side of the ball. For a team that has basically lived and died by its defense the past several seasons, changing identities and relying more on the offense could cause a few bumps in the road. After all, Mettenberger has yet to prove he can outduel the top QBs in the SEC, and he has had a tendency to crack when opposing defenses have been able to rough him up. With a young defense and a schedule that includes meetings with Johnny Manziel and Florida in Death Valley and road games against Georgia and Alabama, and undefeated season seems next to impossible, and a division title will require some serious work.

Prediction: 10-2, Second in the SEC West Division

Preseason Vegas Odds for LSU’s 2013 College Football Team:
LSU’s 2013 Odds to Win BCS Championship: +1500
LSU’s 2013 Odds to Win SEC West Division: +300
LSU’s 2013 Odds to Win SEC Championship: +650

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