LSU

I'm not quite sure why everybody seems to have written LSU off this year. Sure, they lost a lot of starters, mostly on the lines, but they're still LSU. Saban's recruits are still there, and Saban does not recruit poorly. It's not like LSU is starting true freshmen on the lines or anything. They will still have loads of talent, but they just don't have any game experience yet. Opening up against patsy UL-Lafayette should help some in that department. Other than this obvious weakness, here is what LSU has going for it:

One of the best secondaries in the SEC. Safety LaRon Landry has made nearly every pre-season All-American list that I've seen. With fellow returning starters Jessie Daniels and Chevis Jackson back there as well, LSU will make it tough to throw the ball. This, of course, is good, considering running the ball against the Bayou Bengals probably got a little easier this year.

One of the most talented backfields in the SEC. RBs Alley Broussard finally returns healthy to LSU's playing rotation. This guy can play, it's just been so long, everybody has forgotten. I'm curious to see how he comes out of the gate after being out for an entire year. In the backfield with him is QB JaMarcus Russell. I wish LSU fans would quit their whining about JaMarcus. There is no QB controversy because JaMarcus is almost there. He's got a gun for an arm, decent mobility, and he's a giant among QBs. Yes, he will miss some throws, but you never have to worry about him not being able to make the throw. A perfect example was his touchdown pass at the end of the Arizona State game. Rolling to his left, he fires it 40ish yards to the endzone. That's some arm-strength. When his accuracy catches up to his potential, he is going to be a force to be reckoned with.

Fast, fast, fast, fast wide receivers. Man, they can fly. I'm glad LSU's receivers had trouble catching the ball last year because once they do, nobody else is going to catch up to them. Craig Davis, Early Doucet, Dwayne Bowe, and Xavier Carter all have some serious jets. If JaMarcus can get them the ball (and they can hang on to it), the offense will find the 'click' it was missing all of last year.

Before I get to the schedule, I have got to note that everyone is giving the SEC West to Auburn. Now I am a die-hard Auburn fan, but seriously, has anyone watched these games the last two years? Both teams are loaded with talent. Auburn has more experience in most places, but not in the secondary, which could present problems against a very fast receiving corps. I'll speak more to this match-up in a few weeks, but I am not about to hand the West to Auburn. The winner of this game, though, should win the SEC title.

So here's the schedule. The opener is against UL Lafayette, which is an easy win. Next comes Arizona, a team that everyone seems pretty high on to start this year. Most media members love QB Willie Tuitama. Yeah, he put up some decent numbers out west at the end of last year. I don't expect him to do so in Death Valley. LSU, in general, is far more talented than Arizona and should have no problem dispatching of them. The Auburn game is next and could go either way. Tulane and Mississippi State are both easy wins, but then LSU has to go to the Swamp. Of course, it doesn't really feel like the Swamp since Spurrier left, but that's a discussion for another day. I like LSU in this game simply because I have yet to see Urban Meyer work magic in Gainsville. He has plenty of talent, and yes, this is year two. However, he has no running game, and Chris Leak is not his QB. I don't care how high anyone is on Florida, LSU and Auburn are the class of the SEC this year and will own the East. Kentucky is a win, and Fresno should be a win. If Fresno was returning QB Paul Pinegar, I'd give them a fighting chance. Without him, they lose pretty badly. The Tennessee game is next, and I don't want to call this one yet because of how late in the season it is. About a thousand different things could happen by this point in the season. However, I feel obligated to stand by my assertion that the East will be Auburn and LSU's whipping boy this year, so I'm giving LSU the win. Tennessee QB Erik Ainge would have to turn into Peyton Manning overnight for the Vols to win this one. Next comes Alabama, and I really think LSU has their number. Both teams probably took a slight step back this year, but LSU retains much more of its talent than Alabama did. If LSU's offense clicks, which I think it will by this time in the season (of course, I thought that would happen last year), Alabama should present no difficulty. Ole Miss and Arkansas are next, and LSU should win both. However, there's no telling what could happen at either school. Ole Miss has a totally new and improved offense and Arkansas almost knocked off LSU last year. In theory, LSU wins both, but I can't make that a completely solid pick. So, LSU's season should range from 12-0 to 9-3. I really think LSU would have a great chance to run the table except that Auburn, Tennessee, and Florida are all away games. A loss at Tennessee or Florida wouldn't blow my mind, but at this point, I'm still picking LSU in both.

Auburn may be getting all of the attention in the national media, but LSU can change all that on Sept. 16.