Like it or not, this is the truth about the 2023 LSU Football team

LSU Football fans are in an uproar following the Tigers’ loss to Ole Miss on Saturday. As such, the truth about Brian Kelly’s 2023 squad is now out there.

The truth about the 2023 LSU Football team is that they’re not that good.

LSU is a Top 25 squad that will win a couple of big games, sniff 10 wins, and a decent bowl game. However, the Tigers are not a team that is ready to compete for the SEC championship and jockey for a spot in the College Football Playoff. Indeed, they remain unable to live up to the preseason No. 5 spot that is further proof that preseason rankings do not matter.

I am sorry if you believed in your heart of hearts that LSU Football was going to be a top four team in 2023. However, I understand your rage following the embarrassing 55-49 loss to Ole Miss on Saturday. It is unacceptable when considering the standard and expectations that surround Baton Rouge.

The Tigers had no business devouring a 50 burger from Lane Kiffin, of all people. LSU exposed themselves as a USC Trojans copycat on Saturday. A team that is one of college football’s best on offense, but eternally doomed because of a defense that is consistently run off the field.

We should’ve seen this coming. Brian Kelly tried to warn us during the preseason.

LSU Football was vastly overhyped in the preseason

LSU Football was never going to compete for a national championship with a defense that is largely composed of transfer players. They’re good players, but not CFP-caliber.

Fans must consider that the team’s best cornerback this season is an FCS transfer. One of Kelly’s safeties transferred from Tulane. Half the linebacker corps are players that did not live up to expectations at fellow FBS programs.

Ultimately, Kelly’s defensive talent isn’t where it needs to be and scheming around it was a band-aid destined to pop off after a game or two. Here we are.

I give credit to Ole Miss for understanding what they were up against on Saturday and destroying it. They masterfully used tempo and crossing routes that LSU’s defenders could not keep up with. Also, the Tigers’ defensive line was rendered ineffective because Jaxson Dart was often rolling out of the pocket.

Not even Harold Perkins could catch up to Dart before the ball was thrown to a receiver that was wide open by 10-yards.

The CFP is not in the cards for LSU Football this season

Ole Miss is not a better team, but they outplayed LSU Football because the Rebels performed like a club with their backs against the wall. They knew that losing another SEC West game was a conference death sentence. Now, the Tigers find themselves in the same situation at 2-1 in conference play.

I see some LSU fans trying to stay positive and describing a path to the SEC championship and a potential playoff birth. Indeed, I have felt that the 2023 season would involve so much chaos that (ironically) a two-loss team would enter the CFP in the final year of the four team format.

However, the LSU Tigers will not be such team.

LSU needs more players. Kelly needs more time to get the recruits he wants and develop them into starting roles, especially on defense.

It’s tough, but we must remain patient as fans and not let the overachieving 2022 squad cloud our judgement. I am confident that Kelly will get LSU back into the CFP picture, but it’s going to take more than two season. It always was.