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Brian Kelly on goals at LSU: 'This is really about winning the SEC'

On3 imageby:Andrew Graham11/15/23

AndrewEdGraham

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(Photo by Joe Petro/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Winning the SEC West and going the conference championship game in Year 1 was certainly a big proof-of-concept moment for Brian Kelly at LSU. But he’s certainly not content with just contending.

And in a season where LSU has fallen short of its own internal expectations to compete for an SEC championship, Kelly isn’t going to tone them down. He explained his outlook on the goals and aspirations in Baton Rouge during the SEC coaches teleconference on Wednesday.

“We got a banner, there’s no doubt. We cherish the banner. But this is really about winning the SEC and certainly the West was a great accomplishment in the first year, but look we’re all here for championships. That’s what we’re all looking for is an SEC championship,” Kelly said.

He discussed competing for championships in the context of an SEC that’s moving to a division-less scheduling format in 2024 and beyond.

From where Kelly sits, it doesn’t really change how he views competing in the league.

“Well, I don’t think, from my perspective, that it changes my feeling about what the SEC represents from a week-to-week perspective. In other words, the depth and the talent, whether it be the East or the West, is so good that you don’t beat — you’re not focused on just the West or the East. When you go to Missouri, you’re not thinking, ‘Hey, we don’t have to win this game because they’re not a West opponent,'” Kelly said.

And even if the matchups might not be quite the same year-to-year, Kelly is confident the SEC will remain the SEC.

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“From my perspective, it doesn’t hit me as hard that we’re not going to be East and West, that we’re just one SEC. Because I see it, as someone that’s only been in it for a short period of time, I see it as the depth of the league and the challenge that you have every week is about playing an SEC opponent,” Kelly said. 

Kelly continues to hype up Jayden Daniels

While LSU isn’t headed to the College Football Playoff, Daniels could be headed towards the Heisman Trophy. Speaking with the media, Kelly took some time to examine what makes his quarterback a tremendous off-field asset, highlighting his best attributes.

“Approachable – and, when I say approachable, I mean he has never been a guy that has built a bubble around himself,” Kelly said. “He has been a guy that has, I think, made himself available everybody on the team, whether it’s an offensive player or a defensive player. When somebody comes in and transfers in? Their guard is up. His has always been one where he has been approachable. He has always been somebody that has reached out to others on our football team. I just think that has made our entire team embrace him because he has been so readily available to everybody on our team – not just the offensive players but the defensive players.”

“His demeanor, his personality? You see him smiling on the sideline all the time. That’s the way he is whether he’s in meetings, whether he’s in the football building. He has that personality and I think it’s infectious.”