Phil Steele calls LSU a 'legitimate' title contender

LSU is a legitimate national title contender going into Year 2 under Brian Kelly, according to Phil Steele.

Writing his annual preview magazine ahead of the 2023 college football season, Steele likes where the Tigers ended up four calendar years after the school’s last championship. With the amount of talent coming back, it’s easy to see why.

But to get here, it was a wild journey from the last national championship featuring Joe Burrow and Ed Orgeron.

“In 2019, LSU beat seven Top 10 teams with one of the best teams in College Football history at 15-0,” Steele wrote. “LSU tied a record with 14 picks in the NFL Draft and had just five returning starters. They rated a -5.5 on my SMI. LSU went from No. 19 on my Experience Chart to No. 130. In ‘20, LSU was just 3-5 but rallied to finish 5-5. In ‘21, they cut ties with Ed Orgeron mid year and dropped to 4-6 before upsetting A&M to get to 6-6.

“With just 38 scholarship players available and a WR at QB, they lost the bowl for a 6-7 finish. LSU had 74 starts lost to injury (No. 131) and dealt with the coaching circus. Last year over 30 players departed but Kelly hit a home run with lots of the 19 transfers he brought in.”

But last year, LSU practically turned it around instantly in the first year under Kelly.

“LSU trailed Auburn by 17 and Mississippi State by 13 but won each,” Steele said. “They lost to Tennessee by 27. LSU trailed Ole Miss by 17, beat Bama in OT and got past Arkansas by 3 (Hogs QB out). SHowing their tight rope act they were -5 YPG in SEC play but got to the SEC title game and blew out Purdue 63-7 in the bowl for a 10-4 year and were No. 16.”

Despite a rollercoaster of a good season in 2022, things are looking up for ‘23. It could’ve went off the rails for Kelly last year.

But now, it looks like LSU is on more stable ground if the Tigers are to win the SEC and win the College Football Playoff.

“This year, they are preseason top 10 and do have better talent and are in Kelly’s second year,” Steele wrote. “They do rate a -3.0 in my Stock Market Indicator and were two plays away from being 7-5 last year but are more experienced, grew as the season went on and the defending SEC West champs are a legitimate National Title contender in Kelly’s second year.”