re: Since 2020, Lane has maintained the #1 offense in the conference barring 2 years.

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There are some depth issues on defense at LB and DB, especially looking at experience

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Baker likes a 4-2-5, but getting the best players on the field, the 4-3 maybe used. The second leading in Tackles Per Game in the SEC returning is Keys, the 4th in that same category is Dottery. Both players led their teams in tackles, last season. Keys with 92 and Dottery with 98.

Prince coming over from Ole Miss, had great numbers in Tackles for Loss (13) and Sacks (9).


Knowing the offense can put up points, it’s going to be fun watching what Baker does.

f Leavitt stays healthy I have no doubt the offense will be really good by November. The problem is at Ole miss in week 3 and A&M at home in week 4. Then two road games in October. A healthy Leavitt looked horrible at Miss ST last year.

The cold water to all the optimism is how healthy leavitt truly is, especially early in the season, and bakers defense against mobile qbs. His defense will be good, but they have struggled bigly against mobile options like marcel reed. That over aggressive defensive style needs to be adjusted, or we’ll struggle again with offenses like a&m, auburn, potentially bama, and ole miss

I need to double check this, but I believe Ole Miss has had the lead or at worse tied going into every 4th quarter the last two seasons too minus the Oklahoma game last season (and guess who was on Oklahoma)

I’ll double check this though. Still pretty awesome knowing your team is going to be in every game late. Just need to protect those leads!

ETA: only games trailing going into the 4th the last two seasons:

Down by 4 against Florida last season (ended up winning)

Down by 1 against Oklahoma last season (ended up winning)

Down by 1 against Miami (loss)

That’s pretty impressive.

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I don't think we'll be an elite defense. I think we'll be a good defense and with Lane's offense, that should be enough to win any game we play.

There are some depth issues on defense at LB and DB, especially looking at experience. Lane's offensive tempo also usually doesn't lend itself to great defenses.

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I agree. I think LSU will be good, but I'm not ready to say "elite" just yet. That would require Baker doing something he's never done in his career. It's the inverse of Kiffin who has a lengthy track record of great offenses.

I also agree with the depth issues at LB and DB (more just CB). The starters are good. But beyond that there appears to be a pretty significant dropoff in terms of playmaking ability. Especially at LB. You'll get the people who will come in a talk about Keys' tackle numbers. But that is more a matter of volume than anything else. Someone has to make the tackle...even if it is 5, 6, 7 yards downfield. He's not a playmaker. In 13 games last season he had 3.5 TFLs and .5 sacks. Whit had just as good of numbers in those categories in 8 games. Hell, West had 2 sacks and 8 TFLs in two less games. I think there is probably a little bit of hubris from Baker in that he wants to show "his" LBs are great. LSU has taken a lot of transfers over the last two years at just about every position. Only one has been at LB...and that was Dottery as a late add. Whit has been the only one who has been a consistent playmaker (when healthy). The rest are just "guys".

I think Offense will be top 3 in SEC.

I think Defense will be middle of the pack, but improved.

I worry about ST. We've been historically bad under BK, and that small difference and improvement can make or break you in a few games.

When I look at our WRs I don’t get excited. I hope I’m wrong.