LSU football: 5 Biggest concerns in 2015

Nov 15, 2014; Fayetteville, AR, USA; LSU Tigers head coach Les Miles during a time out in the first half of the game between the Arkansas Razorbacks and the LSU Tigers at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

The LSU football team is looking to bounce back from a rocky 2014 campaign. What are some of the obstacles they will face along the way?

It is not often that the LSU football team does not reach double-digits in the win column, but that is exactly what happened last season. The Tigers went 8-5, tying the worst record during Les Miles’ decade with the program.

There is plenty of reason to be optimistic for the future, though. The LSU football team that struggled throughout the 2014 season, including a blowout loss to Auburn and a 17-0 shutout at the hands of a seven-win Arkansas team, featured a significant amount of underclassmen in key positions. Many of these players are still underclassmen, but they also received a crash course on SEC football last year. This will prepare them to be difference makers in 2015.

Among the bright spots on the team are a Heisman Trophy candidate in running back Leonard Fournette, one of the most talented offensive lines in the conference and a defensive backs unit that could be the best since the 2011 secondary that carried the Tigers to the BCS National Championship Game.

There are also several areas of concern, however.

Offseason suspensions have kept three players expected to play key roles away from the team during the months leading up to the season. While the return game is strong, other aspects of the special teams unit are far from certain. And playing in the daunting SEC West, all it takes is a few bad games to free-fall out of conference title contention.

Here is a look at the five biggest concerns for the LSU football team in 2015:

Next: Depth on the defensive line