Les Miles is 51-15 with a national title under his belt in five seasons at LSU, but the school is far from satisfied. LSU is not at all happy about playing second fiddle to Alabama in the SEC West, especially since former LSU coach Nick Saban is the reason for Bama's re-emergence. Since winning a national title in the 2007 season, LSU has had no answer for Alabama, Florida or Ole Miss. In fact, the Tigers are 0-6 against these three schools the last two years. With Auburn and Arkansas also on the rise, 2010 is a critical season for Miles to show the school that he's capable of getting back to the top of the mountain.
Offense: LSU's offense was atrocious in 2009. The Tigers ranked dead last in the SEC, and 112th nationally, in total offense, averaging just 304.5 yards per game. In case you don't know, there are only 120 FBS teams in the country. From a scoring standpoint, the Tigers ranked No. 10 in the SEC, averaging just 24.9 points per game. Every good offense starts with a good offensive line, and that was something the Tigers did not have in 2009. LSU ranked No. 11 in the league in rushing offense, averaging 122.8 rushing yards per game, and No. 9 in passing offense, averaging 181.8 passing yards per game. This unit also allowed 34 quarterback sacks. With three starters returning up front there is reason to believe the line will be better, but I don't think it will be like night and day. Quarterback Jordan Jefferson is coming off a solid season, throwing for 2,166 yards and 17 scores with only seven picks. I can only imagine what he could do with a little more time. His primary target is Terrance Toliver, who caught 53 passes for 735 yards and three scored in 2009. Inside runner, Stevan Ridley, and the speedy Michael Ford figure to get most of the carries.
Defense: It's safe to say LSU wouldn't have won a lot of games last season if it wasn't for the defense. The Tigers boasted the 11th-best scoring defense in the country in 2009, only giving up 16.2 points per contest. While LSU does lose seven starters, it isn't expected to take a step back. Middle linebacker Kevin Sheppard and cornerback Patrick Peterson lead the defense. Sheppard returns for his senior season after leading LSU with 110 tackles. Peterson is a shutdown corner who will be playing on Sunday's soon enough. LSU's defense could have been even better a season ago if it had been able to get more heat on opposing quarterbacks. In fact, the Tigers only tallied 21 sacks last season. Defensive coordinator John Chavis expects to do much better in the pass rush department with the additions of Sam Montgomery, Barkevious Mingo and Ken Adams up front.
Prediction: 4th SEC West - The Tigers are a year away from having the level of talent and experience to challenge for a league title and more. Still, it would be nice to build some momentum with a strong campaign in 2010. But that might be difficult to do with a challenging schedule, and with the way Auburn and Arkansas have gotten back on the map. Check out my 2010 SEC football predictions to see how I have the rest of the league stacking up.
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