LSU Tigers 2016 NCAA Football Preview

LSU Tigers 2016 NCAA Football Preview

LSU TIGERS                                                                                  

Southeastern Conference – West Division

 

2015 Record – 9-3

ATS – 5-6-1

 

MEGALOCKS Opening Power Rating Rank

West Division #1

Conference #1

 

2015 Recap

LSU took a 7-0 record into their game with Alabama last season and just had no answer for the Tide running game. That kick-started a three-game losing streak but losing to Alabama, Arkansas and Ole Miss is no disgrace. LSU pulverized Texas Tech in the Texas Bowl and finish up 9-3. LSU has won at least eight games every year for the last 10 seasons but expectations are always high in Baton Rouge. They look loaded heading into 2016.

 

2016 Preview

OFFENSE

Brandon Harris returns at QB this season and has a ton of talent to work with on offense. You can start with perhaps the best RB in all of college football in RB Leonard Fournette who is an absolute beast and certainly headed to the NFL after this season. There is even depth in the RB unit and they will be an absolute handful for opposing defenses. The offensive line loses a couple of starters but should be rock solid. If teams load up to stop the running game they have a pair of scary WR in Travin Dural and Malachi Dupre who both averaged over 16 yards per catch last season. These guys should be fun to watch and are probably a National Championship caliber offense if Harris takes a small step forward this season.

JUGGERNAUT ALERT – This one is too easy. We prefer to find under-the-radar players for these alerts but it would be an insult to not call out Leonard Fournette in this spot. We will note the stats for the record – 1,953 yards and 22 TDs on the ground while averaging 6.5 yards a pop. He also caught another 19 balls for 253 and a score. The real WOW factor though is tuning in and watching the man run. Fournette is must-see TV every week and while he may not put up 1,900 yards again due to the depth behind him it sure will be fun to watch.

DEFENSE

LSU allowed a very un-LSU-like 24 points per game last season and well over 200 yards per game through the air. The Tigers hired heralded Wisconsin DC Dave Aranda to help turn things around and he will have the pleasure of deploying defensive stars all over the field. Nine starters return to a unit that features a solid front 7 and perhaps the most talented secondary in the NCAA. We think the defense will have the best season since the almost impossibly-good 2011 unit.

SPECIAL TEAMS

The Tigers need to be better in this area in 2016. For starters, LSU was ranked 12th in the SEC in net punting and dead last in punt return defense. The FG kicking and return game was average overall. LSU typically gets better performance from their special teams and time will tell if they get it done this season. Always need to see it to believe it.

 

MEGALOCKS ATS Value Rating (10)          7.0

MEGALOCKS says…

It is all set up for LSU to make a run at the National Championship. They look fantastic on paper and the schedule works out in their favor as well. Typically, we do not put as much stock as others in whether key games are at home or on the road, but this team will welcome getting both Ole Miss and Alabama at home this season. Any way you slice it though you still have to beat Alabama.

Overall, we give the TIGERS a 7.0 ATS Value Rating (Good) this season. LSU has had only two winning seasons ATS in the last 10 years. They were 7-6 in 2014 and had 10 wins against the number in the near-magical 2011 season in which they lost the rematch vs Alabama in the BCS Championship game. This looks like a special LSU team. If they start the season red-hot the point spreads may get a little too high for our liking but we think that this team is good enough to really put the hammer down and be a money-maker this season.

 

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