Latest preseason poll reveals expectations for LSU in massive season for Garrett Nussmeier and Brian Kelly
The Bayou Bengals are a top ten team in the preseason. Can they live up to that hype?
The preseason college football AP Poll dropped on Monday morning, and there are plenty of folks discussing ranks, conferences, schedules, and everything else that looms for the upcoming CFB season. For the LSU Tigers, they garnered plenty of respect. With that respect, expectations are also nestled right in along with it.
LSU ranked 9th in preseason AP Poll
The Tigers will start off the season ranked in the top ten. Of course, their first action will come against a fellow top ten team, the fourth-ranked Clemson Tigers. If they can win that matchup, we could see LSU jump into the top five by the second week of the season.
As per usual, the SEC boasts an impressive amount of teams in the rankings. That is no surprise, but it does put a bit more pressure on everyone involved. The Tigers could see a handful of ranked opponents during conference play, which could crumble or boost their College Football Playoff outlook. For LSU, living up to the ninth overall spot in the country by regular season’s end would land them a berth in the CFP.
The SEC leads all conferences with 10 teams in the preseason Top 25, most ever by a conference and one more than a year ago. The SEC has four teams in the top 10 for the second straight year. — ESPN
If the Tigers want to reach this sort of standing, QB Garrett Nussmeier must continue to take steps forward. There were flashes of stardom a season ago, but Kelly needs his quarterback to find more consistency. Particularly against top teams, the QB must improve his decision-making and take care of the football. If he does, the Heisman Trophy conversation will probably include him.
Starting off strong against Clemson
ESPN’s Peter Burns has a lot of faith in Brian Kelly’s team. On social media, he predicted that the Tigers will upset the Clemson Tigers to kick off their season.
Love It. LSU going to start the season with a Top 5 road win. — Peter Burns
That would be a massive win for LSU in more ways than one. It boosts their stock and also forces Clemson down the board a bit. There would be a ton of football to be played over the course of the rest of the season, but they would have an upper hand. It won’t be easy. Clemson’s roster is one of the most talented in the country, and quarterback Cade Klubnik is alongside Nussmeier as some of the tops starters in CFB.
Regardless, so many eyes will be on Brian Kelly’s squad to begin the season. They can’t afford to flounder.
