SEC football power rankings: Top 5 teams to watch

When you have 14 players drafted in a single cycle, including your quarterback, running back, No. 1 receiver, and three offensive linemen, repeating as national champions could be a bit of a challenge.

Having said that, Orgeron’s Tigers shouldn’t be counted out as a contender in the SEC West. In addition to having arguably the best receiver in the land in JaMarr Chase, the likes of Chris Curry and Tyrion Davis-Price should be able to replace Clyde Edwards-Helaire’s production at a respectable clip.

Derek Stingley and JaCoby Stevens give LSU one of the nation’s best secondaries, and North Dakota State transfer Jabril Cox should fill in for Patrick Queen nicely before he starts playing on Sunday.

Quarterback is what will determine how far LSU can go in 2020. While no one is expecting Myles Brennan to equal Joe Burrow’s 2019 season given both how prolific he was statistically and the loss of passing game maestro Joe Brady, he needs to show that he can cut it at the SEC level.

If Brennan flourishes under new PGC Scott Linehan, LSU might win the West again. If he struggles to get acclimated, losing three or four games might not be out of the question.