CBS Sports writer offers mea culpa after predicting LSU football would struggle in 2022
Even the most optimistic LSU fans likely didn’t think the team was capable of what it accomplished in 2022.
A 10-win season, an upset win over Alabama and an SEC West division title — none of these looked very attainable entering the season. Even many who believed in Brian Kelly long term at LSU thought he would struggle in his first year with the Tigers.
CBS Sports’ Barrett Sallee was one of those, predicting a near .500 finish for the Tigers in 2022. In Sallee’s postseason accountability post, where he addresses his takes that did and didn’t pan out, he admitted he got Kelly’s team wrong this season.
I picked LSU to win the SEC West last season, which landed in the “ugly” section of last year’s end-of-the-year accountability story. Well, LSU made a return appearance to the section because I thought the Tigers would go .500 and have to catch a few breaks to even get to that sixth win.
Instead, they topped Alabama in a thriller and won the SEC West. Now, in my defense, I wasn’t alone in this prediction. But it was too much of a miss to ignore. To head coach Brian Kelly, I’m sorry. I won’t doubt you heading into 2023, especially with Jayden Daniels returning to take the snaps.
Kelly’s quick turnaround was largely unexpected, and it’s hard to imagine many will doubt his team next fall, as Sallee gets at here. The Tigers will open the 2023 campaign against Florida State in Orlando for what could be a battle between top five teams.
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