Fansided

College Football Rankings: Top 25 entering spring games

By Brad Weiss

December 31, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; General view of the College Football Playoff championship trophy during the game between the Clemson Tigers and Ohio State Buckeyes at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
December 31, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; General view of the College Football Playoff championship trophy during the game between the Clemson Tigers and Ohio State Buckeyes at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
16 of 25
Next
Dec 31, 2016; Orlando , FL, USA; LSU Tigers running back Derrius Guice (5) runs for a first down during the second half of an NCAA football game against the Louisville Cardinals in the Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl at Camping World Stadium. The Tigers won 29-9. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 31, 2016; Orlando , FL, USA; LSU Tigers running back Derrius Guice (5) runs for a first down during the second half of an NCAA football game against the Louisville Cardinals in the Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl at Camping World Stadium. The Tigers won 29-9. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports /
10

LSU Tigers

2016: 8-4, SEC-West Division

What a season it was for the LSU Tigers in 2016. The Tigers entered the season as one of the favorites to go to the College Football Playoff, but those dreams deteriorated very quickly. LSU fired legendary coach Les Miles during the season, clearing the way for Ed Orgeron to take over and lead the team to a nice finish to the regular season, and a bowl win.

The 2017 season will be his first full season at the helm in LSU, and while he lost a Heisman-caliber running back in Leonard Fournette, he still has one at his disposal. Derrius Guice is an absolutely explosive player for the Tigers and has averaged 9.0 yards per carry as Fournette’s backup during his career. This team is going to be tested early and often this season, as road dates await them in Alabama, Ole Miss, Florida, and Tennessee.

Quarterback Danny Etling took over during the 2016 season and played well for the Tigers, and will head into the season as the unquestioned leader on offense. However, aside from Guice, this team is going to be inexperienced on offense, which should make for an interesting year in the Bayou. Still, they have a ton of talent on this roster, and if Guice has the year most expect, they could battle for a West Division title in 2017.

The loss of Fournette will not come close to the impact on the loss of Tre’Davious White and Jamal Adams in the defensive secondary. Both players are expected to go in the first round of next month’s NFL Draft, and there is not enough talent on his roster to replace them. However, there is strong depth in the defensive backfield, and if the Tigers can keep games close this season, they should be able to upset a couple of teams along the way.

Home/College Football