Lindy's Top Ten

1. Alabama
2. Clemson
3. Oklahoma
4. Georgia
5. Ohio State
6. Texas A&M
7. Iowa State
8. Cincinnati
9. North Carolina
10. Oregon

LSU is ranked #16.
Don't Worry, It Was Only a Nightmare
Following 2019's incredible dream, 2020 was supposed to be a down season for the LSU Tigers. But the incredible nightmare it became was nobody's idea of a good time in Baton Rouge. By the time the Tigers were 3-5, a whisper campaign was swirling about Ed Orgeron's job security–yes, roughly 10 pandemic-ugly months after winning the national championship. So, he fired three assistants. Problem solved.
THE GOOD NEWS: The entire offensive and defensive lines are back, which is a big deal in the SEC. The quarterback situation is stronger with Myles Brennan healthy and then-freshman Max Johnson showing Florida and Ole Miss he can lead victories.
THE BAD NEWS: After allowing 34.9 points (that's a touchdown more than any LSU team on record), changes had to be made, and new coordinator Daronte Jones has eight starters back and some ideas to use their speed better.
OUR CALL: The Tigers start the season on a two-game winning streak, and let's not forget that this program had 21 players drafted into the NFL the past two years. They have talent stockpiled that we haven't even seen yet. So, yeah, ask Alabama, Auburn, A&M and Florida if they view this as a 5-5 team.

In the Top 10 Storylines, this is #5:
THE LSU MESS – Less than 18 months after winning a national championship, LSU is wrapped in controversy. There is an ongoing investigation into alleged sexual assault that may have happened on the watch of both Ed Orgeron and Les Miles. The biggest football question of the offseason – will it be Myles Brennan or Max Johnson at quarterback – kind of pales in comparison.

Seven Hot-Seat Coaches

1. Jim Harbaugh, Michigan
   In six years (and signed through 2025), he hasn't been able to solve the simple math of today's game: If you've got a quarterback, you've got a chance.
2. Clayton Helton, USC
   New year, same discussion about Helton's future. Finishing in the AP Top 25 in just three of his six years is only half as good as USC should be. Considering that Helton has run out of coordinators/assistants to fire, it's now his neck that is way out there.
3. Jeff Brohm, Purdue
   Tumbled to an 8-16 record since a 2018 upset of Ohio State. And now they always lose to Indiana? Ouch.
4. Dino Babers, Syracuse
   Had the brilliant 10-win season in 2018, but there hasn't been cause to post many joyous locker room videos lately, with the Cuse going just 6-17 in the past two seasons, including 1-10 in 2020.
5. Dan Holgorsen, Houston
   Couldn't hang on to QB D'Eriq King and, after two seasons on the job, is clawing for relevancy in the AAC.
6. Justin Fuente, Virginia Tech
   His job status was so tenuous after last season that Tech's athletic director felt the need to hold a press conference announcing that he wasn't firing Fuente, who is 38-26 in his five seasons, but just 19-18 the last three years. The buyout was too big after last season's 5-6 finish.
7. Scott Frost, Nebraska
   It was the lock of all locks that his homecoming would be a return to Nebraska greatness–or at least to Bo Pelini-level of very good-ness. Instead, it's basically been Mike Riley's 2017 season on a loop: 12-20 in three seasons.

Only LSU Players on Lindy's Preseason All-America Team
First team offense – K Cade York
First team defense – CB Derek Stingley Jr.
Tigers ranked in the Top Ten at their positions:
Kayson Boutte #10 WR
Ed Ingram #7 G
Ali Gaye #7 DE
Derek Stingley Jr. #1 CB
Eli Ricks #9 CB
Cade York #1 K

LSU Players in the top ten at their position on the NFL draft board
#1 CB Derek Stingley Jr.
#7 C Liam Shanaham
#7 DE Ali Gaye
#8 S Todd Harris
#9 G Ed Ingram

LSU Unit Rankings in Top 10 Nationally
#6 Receivers
The Tigers look good on paper, at least. Kayshon Boutte showed what kind of potential he has with 527 receiving yards on 27 catches and four touchdowns over the final three games of his freshman season. LSU also returns Jaray Jenkins and Jontre Kirklin, plus added a top-notch group of prospects.
#6 Offensive Line
Led by the likes of Austin Deculus, Ed Ingram and Dare Rosenthal, the Tigers return all five starters, which should help them improve their chemistry in comparison to the Joe Moore Award season of 2019. LSU will be much better up front, with one of the keys being Liam Shanahan, a Harvard grad transfer who now has an SEC season under his belt at center.
#6 Defensive Line
The question isn't if the defensive line has improved, it's how much? All four starters return. The strength of the unit are ends Ali Gaye and Andre Anthony as pass rushers. Sophomore BJ Ojulari is right behind them. Glen Logan and Neil Farrell will be challenged in the interior by Maason Smith and Jacquelin Roy, who appear poised to force their way onto the field. To challenge for the SEC West title, LSU has to get better against the run and this is where it will start.
#1 Defensive Backs
Derek Stingley Jr. and Elias Ricks figure to be the best pair of starting cornerbacks in college football. Stingley wasn't 100 percent in 2020, while Ricks picked off four passes as a true freshman. At safety, LSU will need true freshman Sage Ryan to grow up quickly after dual-sport standout Maurice Hampton decided to focus solely on baseball.

SEC PICKS

SEC WEST	SEC EAST
Alabama Texas A&M LSU Auburn Ole Miss Mississippi State Arkansas	Georgia Florida Missouri Kentucky Tennessee South Carolina Vanderbilt

LSU players on Lindy's All-SEC Teams:

• 1st team offense
  PK Cade York
• 1st team defense
  DL Ali Gaye
  DB Derek Stingley
• 2nd team offense
  WR Kayshon Boutte
  C Liam Shanahan
  OL Ed Ingram
• 2nd team defense
  DB Eli Ricks
• 3rd team offense
  OL Austin Deculus
• 3rd team defense
  LB BJ Ojulari
  LB Damone Clark
  DB Jay Ward

LSU's Units Ranking in the SEC

• #3 QBs
• #7 RBs
• #2 Receivers
• #1 O-Line
• #3 D-Line
• #6 LBs
• #1 Secondary
• #1 Special teams

LSU ranked #3 nationally in recruiting for 2021
A third-straight top-five class for the Tigers as Ed Orgeron rises to No. 3 with this 23-player haul, highlighted by home cooking.
The Tigers secured signatures from the top two players in the state. They grabbed five-star DT Maason Smith, holding off Georgia, and five-star S Sage Ryan, beating Alabama late. They are two jewels of a class that should provide instand help to a defense that was young and took some lumps in 2020. Six of the state's top eight are headed to Baton Rouge, including Top 100 receivers Chris Hilton and Brian Thomas Jr., DE Savio Jones and athlete Malik Nabers, who could be a difference-maker at wideout or in the secondary.
This was a strong receiver class for the Tigers as another consensus Top 100 receiver in Deion Smith is on the way. Nobody is happier about that than Top 247 QB Garrett Nussmeier, who is already on campus and impressing. LSU hit on a pair of prolific running backs in Armond Goodwin and Corey Kiner, and look for CB Damarius McGhee to blossom into one of the top cover guys in the SEC.
This 23-player class should particularly keep the scoreboard lighting up in Death Valley.

LSU Freshmen Among the 2021 Top 100 Players
18. DT Maason Smith, Terrebonne HS (Houma)
29. S Sage Ryan, Lafayette Christian Academy
64. S Derrick Davis Jr., Gateway HS (Monroeville PA)
69. WR Deion Smith, Jackson Academy (Jackson MS)
78. WR Chris Hilton, Zachary HS (Zachary LA)
83. QB Garrett Nussmeier, Marcus HS (Flower Mound TX)
88. WR Brian Thomas Jr., Walker HS (Walker LA)
90. OT Garrett Dellinger, Clarkson HS (Clarkson MI)
95. RB Armoni Goodwin, Hewitt-Trussville HS (Trussville AL)

Excerpts from full page write-up on LSU

• PRIMARY STRENGTHS
  Maturity and experience abound. LSU has gifted athletes throughout the lineup, including WR Boutte and CB Stingley. They - and numerous others - will be counted on to tilt the field in the Tigers' favor at any moment.
• POTENTIAL PROBLEMS
  Adapting to five new coaches could make for a sizeable learning curve. The first-year coordinators inherit units that struggled more than any other since LSU's last losing season in 1999. Among their tasks are the restoration of a rushing attack and the revitalization of a porous defense.
• OVERVIEW
  When LSU opens the season at UCLA in the Rose Bowl, it will be just 20 months since Ed Orgeron fielded what many observers call the greatest college football team ever. Yet the Tigers find themselves having to bounce back from a collapse in which opponents averaged more than a touchdown per quarter. Theyhave the talent to contend again in the SEC with a host of returnees and a fresh outlook engineered by the newcomers on the coaching staff.
• OPPOSING COACHES VIEW
  "I think LSU is a dumpster fire. (AD) Scott Woodward will get stuff cleaned up. He won't tolerate what's been going on. They need to clean house. ..."
  "Bo Pelini was a horrible hire for lots of reasons on a lot of fronts. He wasn't good the first time there and they brought him back anyway. The offense was a disaster after they lost the young guy (assistant Joe Brady to the NFL). ...
  "All that being said, Ed Orgeron continues to recruit. That is his wheelhouse. When Ed won the national championship, that proves players win over coaches. ..."
  "I watched some of their games last year, and I was embarrassed by the way they played, with the lack of effort and toughness. And the coaching staff never made any adjustments. You could see the frustration on Ed's face. I'm surprised he didn't fight some of those guys."