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If the LSU Tigers didn’t play in the strongest division in the strongest conference in America their odds of making the CFP would look a lot better.
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As it is, the Tigers should be a threat in the SEC West, but there are hurdles to overcome, most notably Alabama and a brutal SEC West schedule. Things are looking up for the Bayou Bengals, though, after winning 10 games for the first time in five years and ending the 2018 season ranked among the top-10 for the first time since 2010.
The hiring of New Orleans Saints offensive assistant Joe Brady is a sign that the Tigers are ready to join every other college football team with an up-tempo, spread offense. They have an experienced quarterback in Joe Burrow to lead the way and a plethora of play makers to make the scheme work. How successful the team is with the new approach will determine if LSU has a shot at beating the Tide, winning the SEC and earning its first CFP berth.
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College Football Playoff Odds at BookMaker.eu
LSU Tigers to make 4-team playoff
Yes +380
No -550
LSU Tigers 2019 Season Preview
There were a number of questions surrounding the program at this time last year. The hiring of Ed Orgeron was still a hot topic in Baton Rouge and the Tigers entered 2018 with some concerns regarding their quarterback. Winning 10 games for the first time since 2013 muzzled some critics and Burrow led an effective if not spectacular offense. LSU did enough on that side of the football to win 10 games and the hiring of Brady tells us the offense is looking to open things up.
Burrow is the perfect fit for a team that needed stability at the most important position on the football field. He threw for 2,894 yards and 16 touchdowns last season and those numbers are expected to increase in the spread offense. It’s a scheme Burrow is comfortable with and feels confident can work given his supporting cast. The top six receivers from last season are back led by Justin Jefferson, and a backfield featuring the No. 2 ranked running back prospect John Emery Jr. should provide balance.
Eight starters return on defense giving coordinator Dave Aranda plenty of toys to play with. The group yielded 338.7 yards and 21.8 points per game in 2018, and those numbers were skewed when they allowed 541 yards in a 74-72 seven-overtime loss to Texas AM. This year’s group has the potential to be even better with what Orgeron calls “the best group of defensive backs I’ve ever coached.”
2019 LSU Tigers Schedule
Week 1: Georgia Southern Eagles
Week 2: at Texas Longhorns
Week 3: Northwestern State Demons
Week 4: at Vanderbilt Commodores
Week 5: OFF
Week 6: Utah State Aggies
Week 7: Florida Gators
Week 8: at Mississippi State Bulldogs
Week 9: Auburn Tigers
Week 10: OFF
Week 11: at Alabama Crimson Tide
Week 12: at Ole Miss Rebels
Week 13: Arkansas Razorbacks
Week 14: Texas A&M Aggies
If the Tigers make the CFP they will have earned it. They have the personnel to win every game on their schedule, but with so many quality opponents it’s hard to envision them winning every one. They get Florida, Auburn and Texas AM at home, which helps. But that game in Tuscaloosa will be the biggest on the slate. LSU hasn’t beaten Alabama in eight years and they’ve gone down by a combined score of 63-10 in the last three. That’s one obstacle that is clearly in LSU’s way.
There’s also a Week 2 matchup with Texas on the road that will tell us a lot about where the Tigers are headed. And they get the Tide coming off a bye, but Bama is also off the week before so any advantage is negated. Defensively LSU is going to be tough, how the Tigers adapt to their new offensive schemes will determine how far they go. The one drawback is that they play in the SEC West and it’s tough to be perfect if you’re not Alabama.
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- Phil Simon, Gambling911.com Special Contributor (This article courtesy of Bookmaker)
