Despite NFL Draft defections, LSU still Alabama’s biggest threat in SEC

LSU football lost what feels like every meaningful player from the title team to the NFL Draft but the Tigers are still Alabama’s biggest threat in the SEC.

You would figure that, after winning the National Championship last season, that Ed Orgeron and the LSU Tigers would be among the favorites to return to the College Football Playoff. Much less, you would probably expect the team to be one of the favorites to win their own conference.

However, the Tigers aren’t the favorites to win the SEC or even the SEC West division — that belongs to Alabama. But even more shocking is the fact LSU football is actually listed with only the fifth-best odds to win the conference in the 2020 season, and the third-best in the SEC West.

As the latest conference championship odds were released by Superbook, via Brett McMurphy, LSU is behind Alabama, Georgia, Florida and Texas A&M in terms of their odds to win the SEC one year after capturing the natty.

Of course, it stands to reason why the oddsmakers believe the Tigers may not be able to totally defend their SEC crown. After all, they lost four starters on the offensive line, their top running back, wide receiver and tight end, and six starters on defense as well. Oh yeah, they’re also having to replace quarterback Joe Burrow after he submitted one of the most impressive single seasons in college football history. In total, LSU lost 14 NFL Draft picks and that doesn’t even count tight end Thaddeus Moss who would have been drafted if not for a medical concern.

Despite losses to NFL Draft, LSU still Alabama’s biggest threat in SEC

It starts with what they have returning in Baton Rouge, which boils down to two trump cards, one on each side of the ball. Wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase was a monster in 2019 with 20 touchdown receptions and cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. was one of the best DBs in the country as a true freshman, raising the stakes for what he can do leading the secondary moving forward.

Anyone detracting from the Tigers’ chances, however, will point to the replacements but there are plenty of answers there as well. Quarterback Myles Brennan is largely an unknown after throwing for 353 yards in 10 limited appearances last season. However, if LSU can retain the offensive system that cultivated Burrow’s success — though Joe Brady is also gone — Brennan has the talent to consistently make plays.

Along with Chase, Terrace Marshall is healthy and primed to step into a bigger role. Perhaps just as importantly, one of the best tight end recruits in recent memory, Arik Gilbert, is now joining the program and will give Brennan another weapon. The same can be said of Chris Curry who should step into the starting running back job after shining in limited work a year ago.

Though the Tigers must replace four starters on the O-line, they have the bodies to do it. Not only is their experience thanks to suspensions and fill-in duty but the players stepping up have all performed well when on the field.

The defense, who is without Dave Aranda now after he took the job at Baylor, should have little worry as well. While there may be some concern at inside linebacker, Orgeron has consistently added top-end defensive back talent and a ton of high-upside athletes and behemoths on the defensive line.

Expecting LSU to be the team they were a year ago would be fool’s gold — the 2019 Tigers may be the most dominant team in college football history. And to be sure, Alabama is deservedly the favorite to the win the SEC this season. But in the SEC West and in the conference as a whole, Orgeron has earned the right for his team to be considered the biggest threat to the Crimson Tide in the 2020 season.

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