Mekhi Wingo: National championship is 'the standard' for LSU

LSU defensive lineman Mekhi Wingo didn’t mince words when asked Monday at SEC Media Days about where he thinks the Tigers can finish this year. Wingo said the team has championship potential.

“The standard we talk about week in, week out is to win a National Championship,” Wingo said. “That’s the standard. Everyone has to understand that it’s not just going to take guys ranking us here or us believing in the hype. We’re going to have to take it week by week, practice by practice, and truly put in the work to become a National Championship team.”

LSU has won four claimed national titles to go along with four unclaimed national championships. The team has won three of those titles this century in 2003, 2007 and 2019.

All three of those titles were won by three different coaches: Nick Saban, Les Miles and Ed Orgeron. Miles and Orgeron each won the title in their third full season as the program’s head coach.

Quarterback Jayden Daniels agreed with Wingo’s assessment that this year’s team has the goal of winning the national championship.

“Our goal is obviously to win a national championship, but our thing is we have to take it day by day and focus on the process because the process is what’s going to enable us to get there,” Daniels said. “We want to win the SEC West again. Win the SEC. It’s a day by day process.”

Mekhi Wingo says LSU is focused on Week 1

Brian Kelly‘s first season leading the Tigers last season was a success — even more than many expected. LSU defeated Alabama on its way to the SEC West title and a Citrus Bowl victory over Purdue.

If the Tigers hope to make it to the College Football Playoff National Championship game, their Week 1 game against Florida State will be a key to it.

The Seminoles are a potential favorite out of the ACC, giving LSU potentially the best non-conference victory of any team this season. A loss wouldn’t be the end of the world, either, but it would put the Tigers behind the eight-ball for the rest of the year.

“I’m looking forward to playing every game this year, but we’re focusing on Week 1, which is Florida State right now, because if we want to get to the end goal, which is winning a national championship, we have to focus on week by week,” Mekhi Wingo said. “We have to keep all our focus on Week 1 right now.”