J.D. PicKell: Improved offense is the key to LSU winning the national championship

LSU put themselves in position to make the College Football Playoff last season with how they played from mid-October to mid-November. To make it into the field and potentially win it all this year, though, On3’s J.D. PicKell believes the Tigers are going to need some more firepower on offense.

PicKell broke down the path for several teams to perhaps win the national championship this year during an episode of ‘The Hard Count’ last week. In LSU’s case, he believes that, even though they posted their best offense since winning the title in 2019, the Tigers are going to have to find a few more points on the offensive end to be able to compete at the highest level this fall.

“I think the offense has to become more explosive,” explained PicKell. “Everyone says that Jayden Daniels has got to push the ball downfield. Yeah, we’ve talked about that. But I think to put it specifically? LSU scored 32 points a game last year. I need them closer to that range of, like, 38-40 points a game.”

“Every team that was in the College Football Playoff last year was right around the neighborhood of 40 points a game offensively,” PicKell noted. “I think that’s still the order for LSU. I think, for Jayden Daniels and Mick Denbrock, that would equate to being able to push the ball downfield more. But, even so, that’s kind of the number I’m looking at, that’s kind of the landmark for me for LSU to get to the national championship game. And, to win a national title, I think that has to happen.”

LSU finished 24th in points per game last season with 34.5. They had enough firepower to beat two Top-10 teams in Ole Miss (45 points) and Alabama (32 points in overtime). However, in their four losses to Florida State, Tennessee, Texas A&M, and Georgia in the SEC Championship, they only reached the 30-point mark once as their average fell to 22.3.

A lot goes into making a team into a contender. Offense isn’t the only thing LSU is going to need to reach the College Football Playoff in 2023 but, in PicKell’s eyes, a couple more points on that side of the football certainly wouldn’t hurt their chances of doing so.

David Pollack states Jayden Daniels could make LSU feared in the SEC West

LSU won the SEC West last season in what was Brian Kelly’s first run in Baton Rouge. However, David Pollack believes they could command the division again if Tiger QB Jayden Daniels takes another step in his development.

Pollack spoke highly about Daniels and LSU during an appearance on ‘Always College Football’ on Monday. He, like everyone else, saw the progression that Daniels made as he became more comfortable at LSU. If that’s who Daniels is from the Tiger’s opening kickoff in Orlando next weekend? Pollack expects that he’ll also have LSU at the top of the SEC West again while he himself could also be in the Heisman Trophy conversation.

“At the end of the season, you started to see that. Less scrambling for his life. He started to have a better feel for the game, started to make more plays down the field,” said Pollack. “Like, if that guy takes the next step? And, listen, he’s second on the Heisman list as favorites. That gives you an idea because he had 800 yards scrambling. He’s going to do a lot of damage with his feet.”

“If they take that next leap, if he takes that next leap and finishes where he starts off? I think LSU would be the team in the West that I would probably be most scared of,” Pollack stated.