LSU is in a tough spot as we are now in game week of the 2024 season opener against USC in Las Vegas.
On one hand, the Tigers lost a lot of production from a solid but flawed team, and they haven’t been nearly as aggressive in the transfer portal as they have been in the past two offseasons. On the other hand, they are optimistic about the changes, both in terms of personnel and staff, and hope to compete for a spot in the expanded playoffs.
ESPN’s Bill Connelly divided all 134 FBS teams into classes, and LSU fell into the third class, titled “Who Needs a Quarterback?” The Tigers were joined by four other teams with new and (fairly) untested starting quarterbacks.
Jayden Daniels was an unstoppable deep-ball producer last season (except when he played defense at Florida State, which the committee casually forgot at year’s end). Garrett Nussmeier shouldn’t be expected to match Daniels’ numbers, but his career stats over three seasons — 219 passing yards, 58.9% completions, 11 TDs and 7 interceptions — won’t be enough for a Bayou Bengals team with playoff hopes, either.
Nussmeier showed positive signs and looked strong in his only career start, throwing for nearly 400 yards and three touchdowns with just one interception in a bowl win over Wisconsin.
A lot of the Tigers’ hopes depend on whether Nussmeier can keep the offense as productive as it was under Daniels, but if he can do that, this team could reach the CFP for the first time under (autotag)Brian Kelly(/autotag).
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This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: What category will ESPN place LSU in at the start of the 2024 season?
