Athlon Sports has a surprising pick for toughest game on LSU football’s schedule
By Zach Ragan
LSU football will hope to successfully defend its national championship in 2020.
LSU football knows as well as any program that there’s no such thing as an easy schedule when playing in the SEC.
If the Tigers are going to successfully defend their 2019 national championship, they’re going to have to run through the gauntlet of the SEC West, while also hosting Texas.
Not fun.
But LSU proved last season they can handle the best of the best. In 2020, the Tigers won’t have as much firepower, but they should still be favored in most of their matchups.
Speaking of those matchups, Athlon Sports recently ranked the toughest games on LSU’s schedule next season. And they had a surprising choice for the No. 1 toughest game the Tigers will play.
Athlon Sports ranked LSU’s matchup against Texas A&M in the regular-season finale on November 28 as the Tigers’ toughest game in 2020.
Wait, what?
The matchup against Texas A&M barely cracks the top five.
LSU football’s toughest game is a toss-up between two other SEC programs
The Aggies will undoubtedly be an improved team this season. Texas A&M will have a veteran squad and they’re led by a coach in Jimbo Fisher who knows how to get it done in crunch time.
But LSU is still a more talented team (despite the loss of 14 players to the 2020 NFL Draft) than Texas A&M.
I think the Tigers should be more concerned about the matchups against Alabama and Florida.
Alabama is always going to be one of the toughest games on the schedule. Even without Tua Tagovailoa, the Crimson Tide are still one of the most talented teams in the nation. And Nick Saban will be looking for some revenge after missing the College Football Playoff in 2019 (due mostly to the emergence of LSU).
Florida is a legitimate threat to win the SEC in 2020. If there’s a team this season that could possibly crash the playoff for the first time, it’s the Gators.
Those are easily the two toughest games on LSU’s schedule. Texas A&M is right there with Auburn and Texas. Those are all games I feel confident that LSU will win.
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Of course, no one really knows what to expect from the Tigers in 2020. It all depends on how Myles Brennan fares as LSU’s starting quarterback. He doesn’t have to be Joe Burrow for the Tigers to be successful in 2020. He just has to be good enough.
And based on offseason comments from Ed Orgeron and the LSU staff, it sounds like they’re confident that Brennan will be just fine leading the Tigers’ offense this season.