LSU football schedule 2020: Predicting every LSU Tigers game

Will the LSU football schedule bring more triumph or a letdown in 2020?

Not long ago, many people were questioning whether or not Ed Orgeron could get LSU football over the hump, namely to compete for a National Championship. Now coming off of a historically great season that resulted in a title for the Tigers, there’s no questioning the merits of the head coach on the sidelines, as a recruiter and overall.

The question, however, is what’s next for LSU. Joe Burrow is gone, sure — but so too is a laundry list of other key starters from the team that won a championship last season. So while they may have a new addition to the trophy case, there are some worries about what the defense of that title will look like for the Tigers.

Myles Brennan will be under the microscope early on as he attempts to fill Burrow’s shoes at quarterback. He’s on the Heisman shortlist and credits Burrow for helping him learn a lot. He’ll have arguably the best wide receiver in college football, Ja’Marr Chase, along with Terrace Marshall to work with. However, Scott Linehan is taking over the offense as the line is being rebuilt, as is the running game. There is virtually no chance the offense is able to replicate what we saw in 2019.

The same can probably be said of the defense. Yes, cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. is among the best returning players in college football as a true sophomore. But around him, there are players who have yet to play as big of roles as they will in the 2020 season, with the exception of maybe Tyler Shelvin. New defensive coordinator Bo Pelini, returning to the program, will have his work cut out for them.

Even with all of these concerns and the roster turnover, it’s hard to totally doubt Orgeron and the Tigers. As mentioned, he’s recruited at an extremely high level and those talented youngsters are simply the next men up. But how successful will that be coming off the National Championship?

Let’s go game-by-game through the 2020 LSU football schedule and make picks for every matchup to determine what the Tigers’ season will end up looking like.