5 things to know about LSU

BATON ROUGE – LSU has been picked third in the Southeastern Conference West behind Auburn and Alabama by SEC reporters. Interestingly, Auburn was voted to win the SEC title while Alabama was the pick to win the West, which is impossible. More voters who did not vote Alabama to win the West voted them to finish higher in the division than those who did not vote Auburn to win the West. Translation – the league is wide open.

This is why LSU has a chance this season. The Tigers have an obvious hole at quarterback and on the defensive line, but other West teams have as many questions. Here are five factors that could weigh heavily if LSU is to return to the upper echelon of the SEC after an 8-5 season in 2014 and a fifth place finish in the league at 4-4 – the Tigers’ worst season since 2008.

1.QUARTERBACK – Simple math says it would be hard to believe that the position could be any worse this season. Offensive coordinator/quarterback coach Cam Cameron surely cannot be as bad a coach as he showed last season. He admitted he was not accustomed to coaching quarterbacks right out of high school, and it showed with freshman Brandon Harris. Meanwhile, Anthony Jennings did not improve in his sophomore season through 12 starts.

Jennings has had every chance. Harris has not and should have gotten more of one last season as Jennings continued to regress. LSU head coach Les Miles and Cameron want Harris to win the job because he has the potential to do more than Jennings because of his arm strength and overall talent. But it will not be given to him. And if Harris does win the job for the opener against McNeese State on Sept. 5, he must play well enough to keep it. And Cameron needs to continue to prepare him well enough so he at least looks like he has been coached and prepared, which was not the case in Harris’ only start last season at Auburn. Harris is a very talented quarterback. He is working harder and is more focused this year. It is up to Cameron and Miles to do the rest.

2.DEFENSIVE LINE – For perhaps the first time since the 1990s, LSU looked very pedestrian at this position last season. The Tigers’ 19 sacks were their lowest since the 2000 season when a new coach was trying to reverse eight losing seasons in 11 years. Two starters return at the tackles with Davon Godchaux, who could be a star after starting 10 games as a true freshman – a rarity at LSU this century. Junior Christian Lacouture returns after starting all 13 games as a sophomore. True freshmen Arden Key and Isaiah Washington may see a lot of time at the ends as projected starters Tashawn Bower, a junior, and Lewis Neal, a sophomore, played sparingly last season. The key here will be new defensive line coach Ed Orgeron, who has a reputation of getting the most out of his linemen. He will need to do so.

3.OFFENSIVE LINE – Possibly the strength of the team with future high round draft choices as bookends – junior left tackle Jerald Hawkins and senior right tackle Vadal Alexander. There is another returning starter in junior left guard Ethan Pocic. There is highly recruited young talent elsewhere, such as true freshman Maea Teuhema – the No. 1 guard in the nation by Rivals.com out of Keller, Texas, who can play anywhere – and redshirt freshman center William Clapp. Junior right guard Josh Boutte has waited his turn and may be the strongest player on the team.

2.TAILBACK LEONARD FOURNETTE – He showed the flashes of a Heisman Trophy contender late last season as he ran over people like Herschel Walker and sprinted by others like Bo Jackson. He is expected to pick up where he left off behind a strong offensive line. Cameron would be wise to pitch Miles’ traditional tailback-by-committee approach and just give it to Fournette. It would be smart to throw to him more, too. Selected kickoff returns could turn a game around as well. Thanks to Fournette and that line, LSU will have the ability to dominate most games with the run and some solid defense. The Tigers could do very well this season if one of its quarterbacks just played average.

1.NEW DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR KEVIN STEELE – Former LSU defensive coordinator John Chavis had his problems late in games here and there since 2012, even when he wasn’t looking for another job. But his units usually finished at the top or near it in the SEC if not the nation. After a horrible start, the Tigers did finish No. 1 in the SEC in total defense in 2014. There is talent on LSU’s defense the likes of which Steele has rarely seen as a coordinator. With the problems LSU is likely to have at quarterback again, particularly early on, if Steele is not at least nearly as good as Chavis, the Tigers could see themselves in the eight- or nine-win area again.

PREDICTION: Brandon Harris is decent in his first season as LSU’s starting quarterback, but he will share time with Anthony Jennings. Tailback Leonard Fournette will not share a lot of time and will take over the SEC. The defense will not be great, but it will be solid with enough big play ability to help LSU win. The Tigers will finish 11-2 overall, 6-2 in the SEC and beat Michigan in the Outback Bowl.