Why media will predict LSU to win the SEC West

In 2022, the LSU Tigers surprised a lot of people by winning the SEC West in the first year of the Brian Kelly era. However, the Tigers aren’t going to catch anyone by surprise in 2023, with many people expecting LSU to win the SEC West.

On3’s Andy Staples explained why everyone is so high on the Tigers and explained why he expects the media to predict LSU to win the SEC West over schools like Alabama.

“The bigger question is in the west and I will start with a prediction of a prediction,” Staples said. “I predict that the assembled media at SEC media days, minus me because I will forget to turn it in, will predict that LSU will win the SEC West.”

“LSU won the SEC West last year, beat Alabama in overtime in Death Valley, brings back a lot of people, two freshman offensive tackles from last year are now sophomore offensive tackles. They’re awesome. Maason Smith the defensive tackle who’s a potential first round talent, he’s back, he was hurt all last year.”

Along with LSU being a great team, Alabama seemingly has questions to answer at the quarterback position.

“That said. I’m a little traumatized at the idea of picking against Alabama. Alabama, we know they don’t have a situation [where] they’re sure about a quarterback, yet. They didn’t like what they had after spring practice. They went out and got Tyler Buchner from the transfer portal. He played at Alabama for Tommy Rees, who is Alabama’s new offensive coordinator, but it could be Jalen Milroe, it could be Ty Simpson. Perhaps, Nick Saban and Tommy Rees had the same visceral reaction to seeing one spring game series that I did, and it’ll be freshman Dylan Lonergan,” Staples said.

“But, here’s the thing, no matter who plays quarterback at Alabama, they will be surrounded by a ton of talent. This team is loaded, especially on defense. So, I have a hard time just handing LSU the SEC West. Plus, again, I’m a little traumatized by this.”

Part of why Andy Staples isn’t sure if picking LSU and going against Alabama is the right move comes down to a simple fact. Picking against Alabama has blown up in his face before.

“The last time I picked against Alabama was I picked Georgia to win the 2021 SEC Championship Game. It made sense. Georgia felt like the better team. Georgia actually did beat Alabama for the national title that year, but going into that game in Atlanta, I was very sure of it. I was positive that Georgia was gonna beat Alabama, that Alabama team just wasn’t gonna be able to hang with Georgia, wasn’t going to be able to score on that defense,” Staples said.

“Well, afterward, Alabama thanked me, and several others, in a video for giving them the rat poison that helped beat Georgia…So, as you can see, I’m a little hesitant to do this because after that I went ahead and picked Alabama in the national title game because I wasn’t gonna do it again and wind up in someone else’s hype video. Then, of course, Georgia won the national title game. So, I’m not exactly sure where to go with this.”

Staples admitted that he probably isn’t in the majority because his heart still doesn’t scream LSU to win the West in 2023.

Paul Finebaum on if Alabama can hold serve against LSU

College football analyst Paul Finebaum has heard that LSU has passed Alabama by, but he doesn’t see it just yet, especially with the two playing in Tuscaloosa in 2023.

“I think the LSU-Alabama game being in Tuscaloosa matters a lot in favor of the Crimson Tide. But what if I we’re wrong? What if Brian Kelly has really, already changed the dynamics, in such a short period of time? So I’m focused, as I usually am, on Saban, but this has turned out to be one of the most intriguing media days with Nick Saban that we’ve ever had,” Finebaum said.

“I literally had a guy say the other day that LSU absolutely has passed Alabama. I just haven’t seen it. It took a two-point conversion in a bizarre game in Tiger Stadium on a Saturday night for that to happen. During a stretch where Alabama was leaking oil. Would that have happened earlier in the season on the day that Tennessee went in there and won by 28? Or later in the season when Alabama put it together? No. I don’t think so. That was a very strange occurrence. As much as I respect what Brian Kelly has done? That program is really in the same zip code at the moment as Alabama.”