I'm baffled. Help me understand how LSU was ranked higher than UT going into the season?

[aRmo]

Honestly, ESPN and Other analyst HEAVILY pushed the Narrative that Joe is inaccurate and will struggle. Also pushed that we will take a step back losing Hyatt and Tillman. It is what it is. At this point i want the smoke from everyone. Lets settle your "Analysis" on the field.

 

[Vol-e-ball]

I was stunned by how little pressure was applied by LSU's DTs. Their rushers were easily stymied 1 vs 1 and they looked unathletic compared to previous LSU defensive tackle incarnations.

 

[VolunteerHillbilly]

Honestly, ESPN and Other analyst HEAVILY pushed the Narrative that Joe is inaccurate and will struggle. Also pushed that we will take a step back losing Hyatt and Tillman. It is what it is. At this point i want the smoke from everyone. Lets settle your "Analysis" on the field.

I don’t watch the mothership very often but SEC network coverage was exact opposite, really pumping Milton up all Summer, and it’s a lot of the same analysts I’d assume.

 

[Sudden Impact]

Brian Kelly is a pretender vs a contender. Always been that way at ND and his teams never cut it in big games. Got lucky last year.

 

[lastlapuncle]

The exact same reason UT was behind Clemson-Idiots allowed to vote who have no knowledge of football.

 

[lastlapuncle]

With Kelly,you saw what he is as a coach.Average.Playing Navy andTemple and the other division two teams means zero when you play good to great teams week after week.Kelly is an average coach and as fake as his drawl.

 

[jsc1973]

Other.

Everything that happened between December 8, 2001 and the day Heupel was hired at UT is still much more significant in the heads of AP poll voters than what happened last year when Tennessee played LSU.

You're not going to erase two decades of perception with one win, no matter how decisive it may have been.

 

[Eastknox865]

They were ranked that high because they played FSU to start the season and it's better for TV ratings.

 

[greenbacknative]

LSU, Bama were ranked above us only because although we did beat both of them, the USCjr game killed us. It came late in the year when we really couldn't recover. Clemson is the real head scratcher. they're on a losing streak now going back to last year. The polsters really love Dabo, but he's lost his coordinators, and he's finding out he can't just plug and play like Satan does every year. He's trying to keep his program pure by trying to recruit the old fashioned way. The game will run him over until he starts using the portal.

 

[Hawaiian Hammer]

It’s all speculation. So media pundits look at Tennessee losing Hooker, Tillman, Hyatt, Wright and Young who were X factors for us and they don’t know what we know about how we’re starting to stack talent again. They are leaning towards the opinion of we’re a flash in the pan and take a huge step back this year because we can’t backfill those guys.

What we know:
- WR room probably doesn’t drop off but may actually improve. Keyton, White, Thornton, McCoy is as good as any. Super deep behind them
- QB room is rock solid still. Media thinks Joe Milton is the same 2021 Joe we had and not accounting for a massive leap in ability due to coaching. Plus Nico lingering in the wings in case something happens
- RB room: everyone is back plus Sampson is now college ready
- OL maybe a small step back but will still be highly serviceable. Return some good guys, get a rock solid transfer at LT.
- Defense in general they think will be the same or worse. We know it leaps forward. Massive jump in LB talent with Beasley, Pili, Carter. D line is super seasoned and the combo of Baron, Harrison, Pierce getting two full years of Garner makes our EDGE more than one consistent pass rusher. Secondary stays put but likely steps up with another year with Banks and the fact our front 7 can wreak havoc consistently.

 

[C-south]

This is as goofy as trying to determine the outcome of games based on common matchups.

 

[ButchPlz]

Big Game Brian is literally just doing what he did at Notre Dame. He's not a title-winning coach.

 

[UTFranklinVol]

Feel you there. Tired of our “fans” putting LSU on a pedestal. They are trash with Brian Kelly.

My comment was not putting LSU on a pedestal. I never would have ranked LSU that high. My comment was about UTs 12 rank being 100% understandable given what we lost on offense and how bad our defense was last year. I also would never have ranked Colorado and I would not put FSU so high after just 1 win.

 

[ChrisVFL]

My comment was not putting LSU on a pedestal. I never would have ranked LSU that high. My comment was about UTs 12 rank being 100% understandable given what we lost on offense and how bad our defense was last year. I also would never have ranked Colorado and I would not put FSU so high after just 1 win.

I said fans, more than one. As far as the Colorado team. TCU lost Max Duggan - The Big-12 Offensive Player of the Year. Wide receiver Quentin Johnston-Running back Kendre Miller, Offensive lineman Steve Avila, Defensive lineman Dee Winters, Cornerback Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson.Then Davis, Horton, Ali, Demercado and Barberton out of eligibility and they all played significant roles for TCU in 2022. For a TCU program, that’s a significant loss. Also, watching that game just reminded me of another Big12 match up with no defense. Colorado will come back down to Earth later in the year IMO. We will judge them after Oregon, USC, Oregon St , and Utah.

 

[Flipdaddy]

Because everybody loves to jump on everybody’s jock except when it’s TENNESSEE. That’s fine tho, I’m glad they don’t. It causes unnecessary pressure.

 

[Volnanza]

The LSU brand is pretty hot still. Their baseball team, ladies basketball just captured championships. They won it all in football just a couple of years ago thanks to Joe Burrow (and he was/is a great ambassador for them). I never felt they were better than us and were way over ranked. I did think we would improve over last year. A few more losses and the MSM will move on to the next hot item.