ESPN thinks the outlook for LSU football in 2020 is bright, despite lost production
By Zach Ragan
LSU football lost a lot of key production from their 2019 championship team.
A lot of folks, mostly opposing fans and national talking heads, are down on LSU football heading into 2020.
And I get it. The Tigers lost a lot of key pieces from their 2019 championship team.
Passing game coordinator Joe Brady is gone. Quarterback Joe Burrow will likely be the top pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Wide receiver Justin Jefferson will be close behind him. And defensive players like Patrick Queen and Grant Delpit, among others, are also heading to the NFL.
It’s easy to understand why LSU isn’t the favorite to win the National Championship in 2020.
But next season isn’t as bleak as some might think.
ESPN’s Bill Connelly revealed his SP+ rankings on Thursday and he has LSU as the No. 6 team in the nation.
The SP+ rankings take into account returning production, recent recruiting and recent history.
Connelly notes that LSU is returning 41.9 percent of their offensive production and 18.6 percent of their defensive production.
With a low of amount of production returning, it’s clear that LSU’s recent recruiting success is why Connelly believes the Tigers will still be one of the top teams in the nation in 2020.
It makes sense. LSU has been recruiting at a high level under Ed Orgeron (the Tigers’ last four recruiting class ranked No. 7, No. 15, No. 5 and most recently No. 4). They might be losing some key production, but they have talented players ready to step up in 2020.
Plus, when a team dominates the way LSU dominated last season, they get the benefit of the doubt (which factors into the recent history part of the rankings).
Next. Coach O started a trend, then bucked it. dark
No one knows how 2020 will actually play out, but I think it’s obvious that LSU will once again be one of the top teams in the country.