By Matt Moscona
There is an old saying that success is more about the Jimmys and the Joes than the Xs and Os. And with a nation-leading 18 returning starters, LSU should have the talent to win every game on its schedule.
There is another adage about a schedule regarding the importance of who you play and when you play them. That might be more complex for Les Miles’ squad.
A novelty game of a lifetime with LSU playing at historic Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. New Tigers defensive coordinator Dave Aranda faces his former team, which returns its top three rushers and four starters on the offensive line. Still, the nation’s collective eye will be on Leonard Fournette as he begins his Heisman march.
Last year, the Gamecocks blew a late lead at Auburn in the season’s second week, before falling in overtime. Auburn was not good in 2015. LSU will be good in 2016. Don’t expect a similar scare.
The last time the Bulldogs visited Baton Rouge, quarterback Dak Prescott led a romp over the home team. Prescott is now with the Dallas Cowboys and MSU may finish last in the SEC West. LSU’s September coast should continue.
Leonard Fournette rushed for 228 yards and three touchdowns against Auburn a season ago. His opportunity at an encore will come against former LSU defensive coordinator Kevin Steele, who left Baton Rouge for the same job at Auburn.
LSU and Missouri tangle for the first time since the Columbia Cats joined the SEC. New head coach Barry Odom inherited a bad football team that averaged an SEC-worst 13.6 points per game in 2015. Good luck scoring on this LSU defense.
The Gators will be coming off back-to-back SEC road games with Tennessee and Vanderbilt. If veteran quarterbacks Luke Del Rio and Austin Appleby struggle early, LSU could become reacquainted with freshman quarterback Feleipe Franks—the top recruit who decommitted from LSU at the last minute to sign with Florida instead.
USM beat LSU in Death Valley in 1994. This ain’t 1994. (I wonder what Curley Hallman is doing these days?)
All-SEC quarterback Chad Kelly returns for the Rebs, but other familiar names like Nkemdiche, Treadwell and Tunsil are off to the NFL. This should be a perfect final tuneup for LSU before the open date and a matchup with Bama.
On the fifth anniversary of the Game of the Century, LSU will try to do something it has not done since that night in Tuscaloosa—beat Bama. This should be the Tigers’ best chance to beat the Tide since 2011. But after five consecutive losses, I’ll believe it when I see it.
The Hogs have capitalized the past two seasons on an emotional bottoming out by the Tigers the week after the Bama game. The result of the Bama game and the corresponding emotional high or low should determine which LSU team shows up in Fayetteville. This series is tied 5-5 in the last 10 meetings.
The schedule makers were wise to include a late-season breather. Last season’s four consecutive November SEC games nearly cost Les Miles his job.
Playing a road conference game on a short week is never ideal, but the Aggies have their Thanksgiving tradition and LSU has to play ball. In what feels like an unpredictable season, both coaches could be shooting for an SEC West title—or coaching for their jobs.
Matt Moscona has hosted “After Further Review” on 104.5/104.9 ESPN Baton Rouge since 2010 and is now syndicated on 100.3 ESPN New Orleans. Radio Ink magazine named him one of the U.S.’ Top 30 Local Sports Talkers in 2012, ’14 and ’15. He is also the 2016 Louisiana Association of Broadcasters Prestige Award Winner for Best Sports Show.
