Football season is officially here as LSU is getting ready to take on Florida State this Sunday to start the season. With this game marking the beginning of the Brian Kelly era at LSU, expectations for the season are all over the place. Any time there’s a coaching change, predictions are often a mixed bag.
With that said, The Reveille Sports staff took a stab at predicting LSU’s success this year. Here is what our staff is thinking.
Peter Rauterkus | @peter_rauterkus
LSU enters year one of the Brian Kelly era with a team that has a lot of question marks but a lot of talent. That is most evident on the defensive line and in the wide receiver room, where LSU has top end, NFL talent, along with solid depth.
Playing in the SEC West, the schedule will always be tough and that is no different this season. Getting off to a hot start will be key and I think LSU will do that, carrying a 4-0 record into the month of October. From there, LSU will be in the heat of SEC play, where I think the Tigers will steal a few games at home but struggle in some of the tougher road games. To me, that amounts to about an 8-4 record, which would be a positive step forward in year one under Kelly.
Record: 8-4
Mackay Suire | @macthetiger
LSU’s 2022 season has ‘rebuilding period’ written all over it. With new leadership both on the field as well as throughout the coaching staff, something that could be lacking is true team chemistry. This season’s schedule is brutal, as is any other season in the SEC West. Against those tougher SEC opponents, I think that this roster’s NFL-level talent will allow the team to stay afloat.
The lack of chemistry, however, will be what forces them to drown. It will be in those moments, though, that LSU slowly builds a sound team camaraderie. Overall, I think LSU will have a solid start to their season. The height of SEC play is where LSU’s cracks will begin to show, falling short both at home and on the road.
The Tigers have the potential to end the season strong, especially if that team chemistry has been building throughout the weeks. I see this season ending with a 7-5 record. After 2021’s chaos and so much newness, Brian Kelly would still be walking away with an extremely successful first season.
Record 7-5
Henry Huber | @HenryHuber_
I believe this team sports a lot of potential, albeit still playing in the SEC. While I can see them starting the season 8-0 based on their schedule, it feels more likely that they will drop one or two of those first eight games, as Brian Kelly and his coaching staff adjust to life in the SEC. The final four games are particularly tough as well, which includes matchups against No. 1 Alabama, No. 6 Texas A&M and No. 19 Arkansas. At best, I see LSU finishing the four-game stretch 2-2.
In all, I believe this team’s ceiling is a 10-2 record with an appearance in a BCS bowl, and the floor would be to finish bowl-eligible at around 7-5. Kelly seems to have rebuilt this team well, and both sides of the ball could be scary if they live up to their potential. But there’s also a part of me that remains skeptical.
Record: 8-4
Tyler Harden | @ttjharden8
This season is one of hope, but also uncertainty. With coach Brian Kelly leading the team in his first year, and Kayshon Boutte back in the purple and gold, many LSU fans think this could be the year the Tigers turn it around.
While I do think that year is coming soon, there is still work to be done. I’d say the Tigers start 5-0, beating Florida State, Southern, Mississippi State and New Mexico all at home, and Auburn in a big, road matchup. LSU will then hit a rough patch, dropping a home matchup against Tennessee, but bouncing back on the road against Florida. The Tigers then drop games against Ole Miss, Alabama and Arkansas, then split the last two games with a win against UAB at home, and a loss at Texas A&M on the road.
While this is not the result LSU fans would certainly hope for in the first year with a new head coach, I believe the Kelly era will be one of long-term success; you may not see the results you’d want to see now, but later on, it will pay off.
Record: 7-5
Tre Allen | @treday0314
There are plenty of LSU fans who are hoping to get back to that magical time as it was in 2019 with Joe Burrow, Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase while winning a national championship.
However, I don’t think LSU is there just yet. I do think the Tigers start the season off hot going 8-0 and winning big games against Tennessee and Ole Miss at home and Florida on the road. Although it’s a hot start I think down stretch is where things get tough with opponents such as Alabama, Arkansas and Texas A&M. I believe LSU losses three out of its last four and end the season on somewhat a bad note but still a respectable season for Brian Kelly’s first season.
Record: 9-3
Grant Chachere | @ChachereGrant
Although this is a rebuilding year, I expect a pretty big year for the Tigers. The Tigers’ quarterback room has the most depth that it has had in years, their receiving room is still elite and the defense will be one of the best in the country. I also expect LSU’s offensive line to greatly improve because of the transfers they brought in, and the emergence of true freshman left tackle Will Campbell. I expect the Tigers to start the season 5-0 with wins against Florida State, Mississippi State and on the road against Auburn.
However, they will lose against Tennessee due to the Vols being a little more complete team than LSU. They will win their next two on the road against Florida and then Ole Miss in Death Valley. The Tigers will then drop two in a row against the projected SEC champion Alabama and the rising Arkansas Razorbacks. They will then finish the season strong with a victory over UAB on Senior Day and win a hard-fought battle against SEC West rivals Texas A&M.
Record: 9-3
Cole Hernandez | @Ct_hernandez
A new head coach in Brian Kelly and a revamped coaching staff means higher expectations for LSU football this season. These expectations should be met with the idea that it will take time for Brian Kelly to build this team into a national title contender. The Tigers’ depth chart has greatly improved from last season, but a lot of that talent is still relatively young. Also, talent is not enough to win all the time in the loaded SEC West.
I believe offensive players Kayshon Boutte and John Emery Jr. will have big seasons along with defensive players Ali Gaye and Jay Ward. I predict LSU starts the season 5-0 with its first loss coming against Tennessee at home. LSU wins the next two games on the road against Florida and at home against Ole Miss. LSU loses the next two games at home against Alabama and on the road against Arkansas. The purple and gold finishes the season with two straight wins at home against UAB and on the road against Texas A&M. A three-win improvement in Brian Kelly’s first season should satisfy LSU diehards.
Record: 9-3
Jason Willis | @JasonWillis4
Looking at this football team on paper, it’s easy to get excited. There’s no reason to think creating offense will be a problem; the skill positions are stacked, especially the wide receivers, and whoever is at quarterback will have a lot of options. The early reviews on the defense are favorable too. Still, any time you bring in a new head coach and establish a new system, you have to assume that things won’t immediately gel.
Particularly at the offensive line and secondary–position groups where communication is key–LSU has a lot of players who have no experience playing together in a college game. The talent is undeniable, but I think it’ll take a while for the team to really hit its stride playing together, and they may struggle in SEC play and against better teams as a result. My heart sees the potential for 9 or 10 wins, but my head says the team is likely to hit a few roadblocks.
Record: 7-5
Connor Barney | @theconnorbarney
LSU is my SEC dark horse this year. The hiring of Brian Kelly, and signings of Jayden Daniels, Miles Frazier and other transfers shows how much LSU has strengthened from last year. The year will start strong, with LSU winning the entire first half of the season going 6-0 through the game against Tennessee. LSU will probably lose to Ole Miss, Alabama, Arkansas and Florida, but I see the Tigers finishing the end of the season strong against UAB and Texas A&M. Texas A&M is seen as a top team coming out of the 2022 recruiting class, but LSU has always been Texas A&M’s kryptonite.
I think LSU will take this game, regardless of Jimbo Fisher’s reloaded team. This is the SEC, so any of these games can go either way, but I think LSU will be better than people are predicting. Kelly will need more than one year to craft a national championship team, but LSU will not be an easy win for SEC teams this year.
Record: 8-4
Adam Burruss | @AdamDBurruss
The key with LSU is consistency and finding that consistency early. While it is easy to get hyped off of camp, we do not really see the cohesion and talent until this team faces off against other teams. On paper, LSU has talent and should immediately do well. How long will it take for the players to click, though? I think LSU does pretty well due to its much-improved offensive line and deep wide receiver room, but it will take some time to find that cohesion and that will probably cost LSU a win or two.
I know I keep emphasizing that, but it is especially important on the offensive line to feel comfortable as a group. LSU does not seem to have its offensive line fully settled even with their talent and that especially worries me. Overall, this is a team with a high floor and a high ceiling but a lot of new pieces. I think the Tigers land around seven to nine wins.
Record: 7-5
