2008 LSU Tigers
Written June 19, 2008 by Jason Lowry
There is plenty to get excited about this time of year, as we inch closer and closer to the upcoming college football season. With so many good teams and just never knowing what will happen any given season, Jason Lowry is ready to make 2008 LSU Tigers football predictions. The Tigers are your defending National Champions, and should be very thankful to teams like West Virginia who opened the door for LSU with a late loss last season. The Tigers destroyed Ohio State in the BCS Championship game, but it was also the last game for many of their highly talented players. While head coach Les Miles does a great job of recruiting and bringing in great players, the Tiger will only return 12 players this season, and its hard to tell if it will be enough to have them competing in the very hard SEC. Lets take a look at what the Tigers will be lining up on each side of the ball this season.
Offense:
The team looks like it will be counting on the arm of redshirt freshman Jarrett Lee, but don’t be surprised if junior Andrew Hatch takes over the job in the fall. The team was also hit hard at tailback as 1,000 yard rusher Jacob Hester is now in the NFL. But don’t count out this unit to put up some big numbers this year, as they are loaded with replacements. Look for junior Keiland Williams, junior Charles Scott, and junior Trindon Holliday to battle for the starter spot. The team returns its two leading receivers from last year in junior Brandon LaFell and senior Demetrius Byrd, but also pay close attention to junior tight end Richard Dickson as the Tigers love to use their tight ends. Lastly the reason this team could compete again this year is they have one of the best offensive lines in the SEC coming back this season. They bring back 4 starters including the big names of senior left guard Herman Johnson and junior left tackle Ciron Black.
Defense:
This side of the ball only returns 5 players from last season, and could end up being the reason they aren’t a top the SEC this season. Don’t get me wrong this team will win its fair share of games, but it might not be a national championship year that they are starting to get use to. Even with the loss of defensive tackle Glen Dorsey the team has plenty of talent on the d-line, including two studs in senior defensive end Tyson Jackson and new starter at defensive tackle junior Ricky Jean-Francois. The team only returns 1 starter at linebacker, but its a very good one in senior MLB Darry Beckwith. Look for sophomore Kevin Sheppard and junior Pretty Riley to fill the two outside spots. The secondary only returns one starter and that is free safety Curtis Taylor. The team looks to be pretty young at the other 3 spots with freshman Patrick Johnson and sophomore Jai Eugene. There is a lot of good talk surrounding sophomore strong safety Chad Jones, as they think this kid will be something special by the time he is done.
Prediction: 2nd SEC WEST
This team could very well surprise us and everyone outside of Tiger country and compete for yet another National Title, but we really feel like this team is a year away from that kind of talk. They are loaded with great juniors so it could be a matter of how many decide to stick around for their senior season. There is just to much concern at the quarterback and the secondary for us on this team. We could still see a 9-10 win season this year, so its not like they are hitting anywhere near rock bottom.
If you want to get a jump start on the upcoming football season, head over to Sportsbook.com and get an account up and running today. They have a fast and friendly sign up, and some of the best odds you will find. Also be sure to check back for more NCAA Football team preview and predictions as the season continues to get closer.
