re: 2015 Tigers...more optimistic about this team than any other

I was WAY more optimistic about our 2011 team. We were ranked #4 in the preseason then and I thought we were underrated.. And we were. I don't think we're quite that good, probably will be a little better on O but not as good defensively, but this is an incredibly talented team. Definitely excited about this season.

If we can get 2011 production out of our QBs, we'll be a force. As good as we were that year, Ford and Ware didn't command near the attention of Fournette.

Correct.. I said our offense should be better than 2011, but our D probably won't be there unless our D-line makes huge strides.. Which is always a possibility

Barkevious Mingo..... DE.......... Maquedius Bain
Bennie Logan........... DT.......... Christian Lacouture
Michael Brockers...... DT.......... Davon Godchaux
Sam Montgomery..... DE.......... Tashawn Bower

Ryan Baker............... OLB........ Lamar Louis
Kevin Minter............ MLB........ Kendell Beckwith
Stefoin Francois....... OLB........ Deion Jones

Morris Claiborne....... CB........ TreDavious White
Tyrann Mathieu........ CB........ Ed Paris
Brandon Taylor......... FS........ Jalen Mills
Eric Reid................... SS........ Jamal Adams

I'd say we're definitely weaker on the line, with Godchaux and Lacouture being a slight dropoff from Brockers and Logan, and with Bain and Bower being a huge dropoff from Mingo and Montgomery.

The linebackes are probably about the same, with Minter and Beckwith both being superb Mike linebackers with average OLBs. I remember Baker being a one man wrecking crew on STs, but can't recall him having much of an impact at linebacker... but it was a few years back, so I may be wrong.

The secondary is what it is. Adams, White, and Mills compare favorably to Reid, Claiborne, and Taylor.... but I may not live to see another player that makes the plays that Mathieu made that year. You simply can't expect anyone to force six fumbles, recover five, interception two passes, lead the team in tackles, and rank fourth nationally in punt returns. At best, Dwayne Thomas may have been a poor man's Mathieu, but his future is cloudy, and even if reinstated, I doubt Steele would use him in a similar role as Chavis did with him and Mathieu.

Yeah for all those reasons I'm excited about the season. But the offense is a concern until proven otherwise. Either we once again have a new inexperience QB, or we return the one who struggled last year. And it wasn't simply a struggle making reads, AJ struggled with passing accuracy on throws that he should've been able to make.