ESPN identifies best, worst case scenarios for LSU in 2023

Brian Kelly turned things around quicker than expected having earned LSU a spot in the SEC Championship game during his first season as head coach in 2022.

Heading into the new season, ESPN’s Chris Low is as high as anybody on the Tigers. He’s predicting a College Football Playoff semifinal apperance as the best case scenario for LSU this season.

“Nobody saw LSU getting to the SEC championship game a year ago, especially after getting pummeled by Tennessee 40-13 at home the second week of October,” Low wrote. “But the Tigers picked themselves up off the turf, kept getting better, and Brian Kelly squeezed everything and then some out of his first LSU team. His second team will be even deeper.”

Leading that charge is quarterback Jayden Daniels, who, if advertised, is expected to be one of the nation’s premier signal callers. His ceiling could be as high as the Heisman Trophy, and if that’s the case, LSU should expect similar success as a team.

In 2022, Daniels finished his first season with the Tigers having thrown for 2,913 yards, 17 touchdowns and three interceptions on a 68.6% completion percentage. He also contributed 885 rushing yards and 11 more touchdowns on the ground — and is only expected to build on that during the 2023 season.

But if Daniels doesn’t enjoy their expected success, how disasterous could the 2023 season end up being for the Tigers?

“8-5 with losses to Florida State, Ole Miss, Alabama, Texas A&M and the bowl opponent,” Low wrote. “The Tigers finished 10-4 last season, and that was with losses in two of their final three games. Winning just eight games as an encore to what LSU did a year ago would be a disappointment on the Bayou.”

That shouldn’t put too much worry into the hearts of LSU fans. It’s Low’s worst case scenario for a reason and all signs point toward the Tigers enjoying another successfull season this fall.

LSU is set to kick off its 2023 season against the Seminoles in Orlando on Sunday, Sept. 3. FSU took home last year’s victory in a 24-23 thriller, and the Tigers will look to avenge that loss before ending the two-year series. 

Whether a College Football Playoff run under Daniels’ lead in 2023 is on the table remains to be seen, but most experts would likely advise you against betting against one of the most dynamic players in the country.