LSU Wire Roundtable: Bye week predictions for the rest of the season
LSU has the week off as it prepares for perhaps the most important game of the entire 2023 slate as it will hit the road to take on Alabama for a Week 10 matchup that could decide the SEC West once again.
While we don’t have a game to predict this week, this edition of the roundtable will instead focus on what’s to come for LSU. With two losses through eight weeks, the College Football Playoff likely isn’t in the picture, but the New Year’s Six and a return trip to Atlanta absolutely could be.
With that in mind, here’s how our staff sees the rest of the season playing out for LSU now that we’ve reached the bye week.
Tyler Nettuno, Site Editor
LSU didn’t exactly have the start to the season many anticipated as this team had two losses before the calendar turned to October. Many of its struggles early had to do with the defense, which has seemingly been improved in recent outings. If that progress is no mirage, this team has a real chance to win out. I actually think the Alabama matchup is pretty favorable for LSU, and I like it to win that game on the road. There’s no guarantee it wins the West at that point with games against Florida and Texas A&M remaining, but it will be heavily favored in those games. I think LSU knocks off the Crimson Tide, returns to Atlanta but falls to the Georgia Bulldogs once again and misses the New Year’s Six. I do expect some consolation in the form of a Jayden Daniels Heisman win, though.
Will Rosenblatt, Staff Writer
You never want to boil a season down to one game, but LSU’s hopes hinge on Tuscaloosa. If the Tigers want any shot at a NY6 bowl, they’ll have to upset Alabama. A 9-3 finish would be respectable, but this team entered the year ranked fifth. I think LSU’s hitting its stride at the right time. The offense is the best in the country and the defense is showing improvement. LSU’s got a good shot at winning out and salvaging the season after a poor start.
Kyle Richardson, Staff Writer
I believe that the success of the rest of LSU’s season will hinge on how the Tigers play in the Alabama game. I say that because if LSU wins, it has a shot at playing against Georgia for the SEC title. If the Tigers lose, they would fall to 6-3 and 4-2 in conference play. At that point, they will no longer be in consideration for the CFP or for any New Year’s Six bowl games. The home stretch of the regular season isn’t a very difficult one. LSU gets three straight home games. It plays Florida, Georgia State and Texas A&M in Baton Rouge. The Tigers are talented enough to win all of those games. Even with a loss to Alabama, Brian Kelly could finish Year 2 with another 10-win season.
