After an SEC West title and 10-win season in 2022, LSU enters year two of the Brian Kelly era with high expectations.
After exceeding expectations in year one, all eyes are now on whether Kelly can replicate the success of other second-year coaches at LSU in 2023. The Reveille Sports Staff took a stab at predicting LSU’s 2023 record, and below are each staff member’s predictions.
Peter Rauterkus | @peter_rauterkus
When predicting a team’s success in a season, two factors often come to mind; schedule and experience. On offense, LSU has few questions. It returns a fifth-year starting quarterback, its entire offensive line and its top wide receivers and running backs.
Compare that to the rest of the SEC West, and LSU looks like a contender. The defense, especially the secondary, has more questions. LSU replaces all of its starting corners, and has had issues with depth in the secondary throughout fall camp. The front seven can help cover up those issues, but will that be enough in every game over a 12-game regular season?
Either way, LSU has fewer questions than anyone else in the SEC. With that said, predicting the Tigers to return to Atlanta in 2023 isn’t unrealistic, and the schedule presents a path for that to happen.
Prediction: 11-1
Mackay Suire | @macthetiger
I was extremely confident typing up my season prediction last August, expecting that LSU and then first year head coach Brian Kelly would do no better than 7-5 on the season. I figured that so much newness circulating the program would drown out the NFL-level talent, and the season definitely started out that way.
By December, though, the Tigers had found their way into an SEC Championship game in Atlanta, and although they didn’t take the title, they proved that they had earned the right to be there.
Heading into this season, LSU should look like a much more sophisticated version of that 2022 team, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Kelly held onto his starting quarterback, Jayden Daniels, as well as a stacked receiving room. Questions within the secondary, however, still remain unanswered.
Overall, I think a much stronger team chemistry along with a few changes in the secondary, both within the staff and on the field, could mean that, come December, the Tigers find themselves in Atlanta once again.
I’ve also heard that the team has been pouring an immense amount of effort into nailing punt returns. No matter what, though, the pure talent oozing out of the SEC won’t make a trip to Atlanta an easy feat to achieve.
Prediction: 10-2
Jason Willis | @JasonWillis4
Last year exceeded all expectations for LSU football as the team went on a fantasy of a 10-win campaign with upsets over some of the best teams in the country. It’s important to recognize, though, that even though the team is better than last year, it’s not a team without flaws.
The offense is a world-beater, with a deep receiving corps and a star at quarterback. The one thing that worries me is a lack of a bona fide star at running back. Starter Josh Williams is reliable, but even with an excellent offensive line paving the way, he may not generate many big plays.
If LSU gets into too many third and long situations or becomes one-dimensional, it becomes easier to stop. On defense, LSU’s front seven is unstoppable. The uber-talented linebackers will be the backbone of the defense.
While the edge rusher group is somewhat unproven, my main concern is the secondary, where depth is precarious and the starters have struggled against LSU’s admittedly excellent wide receivers in practice.
It’s possible that opposing passing offenses will dice up LSU if they can hold off the Tigers’ pass rush long enough. LSU’s offense is good enough to keep up with anyone, but the pass defense will cost them at least a game in the SEC.
Prediction: 10-2
Tyler Harden | @ttjharden8
LSU has arguably some of the biggest expectations in the SEC this season. But the pieces to fulfill and exceed them are certainly there. It will be a battle of the perennial powerhouses year after year for the SEC West title, LSU, Alabama and Ole Miss, with other dark horses like Texas A&M, Arkansas and Mississippi State looking to throw a wrench in things.
On paper, LSU looks like its chances of making it to Atlanta for the SEC Championship are very good. Piecing everything together at the right times, however, will be their biggest challenge.
But timing is in their favor; Jayden Daniels has a year of experience in the system under his belt, the receiving core looks strong, the defense has its core leaders healthy, and the transfers are fitting into the lineup as planned.
The two games that will determine LSU’s fate begins right out the gate with Florida State, a team that also has a shot of slotting themselves in a good postseason spot. The other game, of course, is Alabama, which this year is in Tuscaloosa. It will be the little things that turn big for LSU. Winning at least one of these two games will serve LSU well. Other than that, they’ll have to put their trust into another team’s hands to do the dirty work for them. But a one-loss season should put them in the SEC Championship once again.
Prediction: 11-1
Tre Allen | @treday0314
The Tigers exceeded expectations last year as they finished the season with 10 wins and were able to make it to Atlanta to compete for an SEC Championship. Now this season they want more and to bring home a national championship.
They are led by quarterback Jayden Daniels who has some of the best odds to win the Heisman Trophy. He is supported by his weapons such as, Malik Nabers, Kyren Lacy, Brian Thomas Jr. and more. On the defense, LSU is led by Harold Perkins who is undoubtedly one of best players in college football. The defensive backs still have a lot of questions that need to be answered if they want to go all the way.
I predict a great season for the Tigers as I have them finishing 11-1 in the regular season. They do have some games that are tough including, starting the season against Florida State and on the road to Alabama, Ole Miss and Mississippi State.
Prediction: 11-1
Cabe Bond | @ACabeBond
The 2023 Tigers are a completely renovated team. Jayden Daniels has helped find the offense’s identity- a scheme that he has been a part of for the past 16 months. Last year, Daniels was the most cautious quarterback in football. Now, fans can expect to see a much more aggressive signal-caller.
Deep throws, play action passes, fourth down calls–Daniels’ willingness to play with more risk is going to be an “X-Factor” for LSU’s offense. Compound QB1’s massive leap with an improved defense, a more explosive supporting cast and a special teams unit that isn’t shooting itself in the foot, LSU is expected to have a massive 2023 campaign.
So, how will the season turn out?
The Tigers open the season in dominant fashion, stomping out FSU in a massive victory. They carry the momentum into the following week and steamroll Grambling State, ending the tiger debate. Week three and four provides LSU some tough adversity, however I have them beating Mississippi State and Arkansas.
The week after, LSU coasts into Oxford and handles business. I don’t think Missouri poses much of a threat to LSU, they’re a sneaky team, but I wouldn’t expect a blowout. Auburn always plays LSU close, not to mention their team is expected to get even better over the next few years. I’m going to say LSU wins this one but Auburn is a gritty team. After the tough matchup, LSU bullies Army, entering Tuscaloosa undefeated.
LSU takes advantage of Alabama’s QB crisis and leaves Bryant-Denny with a win. The Tigers follow the massive victory with a win against Florida, a beat down of Georgia State and a crushing of Texas A&M, getting some revenge in the process. I have the Tigers going undefeated as they enter the postseason heavily competing for another National Championship.
Prediction: 12-0
Ava Hebert | @avahebe4
The pressure is on for Brian Kelly and the rest of the Tigers as talk of a national championship looms over their heads.
LSU’s offense should be exciting to watch with its experienced line and supposedly improved quarterback. If Jayden Daniels proves that he has amped up his passing game and is a threat with the long ball, he should be close to unstoppable.
However, things get trickier on the defensive side. With new faces from the transfer portal, it will be interesting to see the chemistry between the players in the secondary.
LSU will inevitably have some tough matches this season facing other experienced quarterbacks and players, but they are not a team to count out and can definitely be considered a threat.
Prediction: 11-1
Ethan Stenger | @allthingsethan
There are many paths this LSU team has to go down.
They possibly have the most talent out of any other program in college football right now. Brian Kelly and Jayden Daniels have the potential to lead LSU back to the College Football Playoff and make a run at a national title.
But some may argue that LSU’s No. 5 ranking is a little generous and is more based on what this team could do rather than what they’ve done.
The story of LSU’s season will be told like most are in the sport, through their juggernaut matchups against the other members of college football royalty. But for LSU, the challenge this season will be that the most challenging of their matchups are on the road: the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa, the Rebels at Ole Miss, and the very first of them all, the Florida State Seminoles at Camping World Stadium in Orlando.
The Camping World Kickoff Game will tell us all a lot about how the Tigers’ season will go early. With a loss, LSU may already fall out of the College Football Playoff picture, playing catch up for a team that may need time to find their footing before some of their season’s biggest matchups later. With a win, LSU quiets some of that noise, avenging their crushing loss to FSU down at the Caesars Superdome a year ago, and begins their quest toward a national championship.
This program has proved the doubters wrong in the past, so why can’t they do it again? It will depend on Jayden Daniel’s growth as a passer. He can play like a Heisman trophy winner; we haven’t seen him play at that level yet.
Brian Kelly puts it perfectly, “The preparation part has been very effective, we haven’t got into the performance part yet, that’s when you start to answer a lot of these questions.”
But with that being said, Kelly trusts Jayden Daniels to lead this group.
“In terms of his preparation both on and off the field, I think it’s exactly where we want it to be. His growth off the field in terms of his work in the community. His ability to lead, he’s been named captain, he’s developed in a manner that when you see his work in practice, you see a more complete quarterback and those are the things we’re mapping out, he’s stronger physically, he’s put on the right weight, he’s healthy in all those areas. Now it’s about flipping that switch and going from all this preparation to performance,” Kelly continued.
If LSU plays up to their potential, don’t be surprised if this year’s players are signing “National Champion” under their autograph this time next year.
Prediction 11-1
Lizzie Falcetti | @lizziefalcetti
LSU returns a lot of talent this year including QB Jayden Daniels who might be the top QB in the conference this season. Because the Tigers have 15 starters back, both lines should be strong.
The schedule sets up nicely for LSU, although they face two preseason top 10 teams – No. 8 FSU in Orlando to start the season and No. 4 Alabama on the road. Florida State is pretty evenly matched for LSU, but the Tigers are probably the stronger and more talented team on both sides of the ball.
Having to face Alabama on the road this year will be a struggle, especially considering Nick Saban will have two weeks to get his team prepared and will host in their environment. The Crimson Tide have not lost at home since 2019.
If LSU is able to avoid a major upset along the way, an 11-1 season is definitely possible. However, LSU’s SEC title ambitions likely rest on defeating Alabama since it is unlikely the Crimson Tide will lose two SEC games, assuming they lose to LSU.
If LSU wins both those games against top 10 opponents, they could compete for the National Championship. Even if they aren’t successful against both FSU and Bama, the Tigers should still be a strong enough team to make a New Year’s Six Bowl. Overall, I think the Tigers have a good chance to go 11-1, with their only loss being to Alabama.
Prediction 11-1
