Getting Burrow was a big win but I don't know that it'll save them from getting shackled

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In a battle of established defenses vs. retooling offenses, does Miami have the edge over LSU?

Whether or not Richt’s spread offense or the Burrow/Ensminger system can get going in 2018 will be major storylines, but in Week 1, each faces established defenses and DCs who are known for bringing pressure and overwhelming iffy offenses.

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1. A new QB vs. the turnover chain

Miami’s top-25 defense garnered a lot of media attention with the chain their defenders would don after taking the ball from the offense. It was a fun gimmick that gave the defense some energy and identity. The Canes picked off 17 passes on the year and ranked third nationally in takeaways.

They return all three starting LBs, three starting DBs and a fourth in Trajan Brandy who started three games in 2017, plus edge-rusher Joe Jackson. The DL was devastated by graduation and early departure, and they also lost star DL coach Craig Kuligowksi, who built a reputation of churning out NFL pass-rushers

It’s certainly a tall order for a QB who hasn’t practiced with his team as of the drafting of this article to navigate a veteran group eager to parade the chain on the sideline (if they haven’t retired it).

The concern with trying to execute multiple philosophies is the Cane pressure package, which includes fire zone blitzes, disguises, and all of those returning starters

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2. Peso defense vs. the Cane spread

Last season was a disappointing one for the LSU defense. They “only” finished 18th in the country in S&P+ and had to live in a rather limited base defense, due to the lack of a nickel that DC Dave Aranda trusted. This season they have greater depth and knowhow in the secondary, meaning that we may finally see the kind of peso package that Aranda was dominating with at Wisconsin.

This ideal package for Aranda features two DL, four LBs, and five DBs, with the peso moniker coming from the fact that a peso is worth about a nickel, and this is a type of nickel package. With the extra speed and versatility on the field from playing multiple LBs and mobile DL, the defense can move around up front in ways that can confuse OL and create mismatches for the pass-rush.

The Canes would seem due to make a leap on offense with senior QB Malik Rosier, but they have a few hangups. One is the departure of their top two targets, WR Braxton Berrios and TE Christopher Herndon IV, and the other is the rebuild along the OL, which will require elevating Navaughn Donaldson from being a true freshman guard in 2017 to a true sophomore tackle. They’ll also be plugging in Tennessee transfer Venzell Boulware (not on campus yet), and OL is clearly an area of concern.

This LSU defense is one of the toughest fronts to face with an inexperienced OL. There’s not much comfort to be had from Rosier’s mobility either, as he was sacked on 6.1 percent of his dropbacks a year ago.

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It looks much more likely that both of these teams will end up fielding truly fearsome defenses than that either will be particularly good on offense in week one.

With that in mind, this game likely comes down to which offense manages to protect the ball and make the most of opportunities created by their own defense. Given the Canes’ experience in the secondary and at QB, juxtaposed with Burrow’s lack of experience in the LSU program, the pick here is a Hurricane victory.

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