The best offense in LSU history paired with the worst defense in LSU history

Second best LSU offense in LSU history. But point still stands.

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The best offense in LSU history

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Best offense was 2019's.

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paired with the worst defense in LSU history

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It is definitely the worst defense in LSU history. And it is a complete shame that the 2nd best offense we have ever had got paired with the worst defense because if we just had an average or above average defense we would be undefeated and in the playoff.

Shut up

Overall, 2019-20 is still number 1, but it's closer than some realize, and the season isn't over yet...

When you look at the numbers, 2019-20 benefitted from having a better defense. More total points and yards per game that season. But when you look at the yards per play, 2023 has been much better (well over half a yard). Easily #1 in the nation. And it looks to be close to an all-time record. I just looked through the last 10 years, and the only offenses that were even close were OU offenses with Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray.

2018 Oklahoma was the only one I saw with a higher yards per play at 8.43. To this point 2023 LSU has averaged 8.29. (These numbers are from ESPN. Team Rankings actually has LSU at 8.4. I don't know what the discrepancy is there.)
JD's individual YPP has to be among the best ever, if not the best.

On a yards per play basis, 2023 has been better, but less plays per game than 2019-20.
2023 has also been much better in 3rd down conversion percentage.

The offense will definitely look like it’s sputtering next year compared to this season. LSU is losing so much production on that side of the ball that no one expects it to come close to 2023.

HDS= HOUSE DERANGEMENT SYNDROME

Get a grip and learn a little basic football

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On a yards per play basis, 2023 has been better, but less plays per game than 2019-20.
2023 has also been much better in 3rd down conversion percentage.

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I don't want to get too into the weeds with this but the defenses that the 2019 team faced were better than what the defenses 2023 LSU faced. But again I don't want to dive too into this because both offenses are elite and are 1 and 2 in LSU history. I definitely agree that the Auburn game in 2019 was a game where the defense from this year would have lost us that game in 2019. But people do forget as well as the defense played the last 4-5 games they couldn't stop people in the second half of multiple games and the offense still came through.

Not so fast, my friend. I know you don't want to go weed hunting, but I was curious about the total defense metric for opponents for each season. By that metric, 2023 played better defenses.

2019 - 54.14
2023 - 43.58

The numbers came from cfbstats, and exclude the FCS opponents in each season (Northwestern State in 2019, and Grambling in 2023). Although, if you include those games, that'll widen the margin in favor of 2023. Grambling was better on defense this year than NW State was in 2019.

This is just one metric of course. No one metric or stat tells the whole story, or is the be-all and end-all.

2019 played the most elite-level defenses -- Georgia and Clemson.
Three defenses that finished outside the top 100, and Texas at 97 add a lot to the final number.

2011 offense was just the worst ever in the last two games of that year! The 2011 SECCG and the BCSCG were hard to watch!

You gotta remember though that the 2020 defense played against an all SEC schedule. So they didn’t have a Grambling, Army and a Georgia St to boost their stats. I truly think this defense is the worst I’ve seen.