2009 LSU College Football Predictions

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lsu 73009The Tigers finished with a losing mark in SEC play in 2008, just one season removed from winning a national title. The defense wasn’t nearly as good as it has been, but LSU was still very close to a 10-win campaign, losing by just one-point at Arkansas and in overtime to Alabama. The Tigers looked a lot more like their national title team in the Chick-fil-A Bowl when they clubbed Georgia Tech 38-3. Perhaps, that game was a sign that LSU will be right back in the hunt in 2009. LSU is listed at +1,900 to win this year’s BCS championship.

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Offense – Jordan Jefferson is expected to be the guy under center for the Tigers in 2009. He’s a great runner, but it is yet to be seen if he can beat teams with his arm. He will have plenty of offensive talent around him to help him succeed. Wide receiver Brandon LaFell is one of those weapons. LaFell is one of the best receivers in the conference and led the league with 63 grabs in 2008. He finished the season with 929 yards and eight touchdowns. Another one of those weapons is running back Charles Scott. Scott rushed for 1,174 yards and an SEC-leading 18 touchdowns on the ground last season. The tight end position is also a strength with Richard Dickson back after a 31-catch campaign. The offensive line appears to be in good shape as well with three starters returning, including senior left tackle Ciron Black.

Defense – We are used to seeing much better defensive football teams at LSU than the one we saw last season when the Tigers allowed 24.2 points per game (56th nationally). The real shocker is that the Tigers allowed the opposition to break 50 points twice in a season for the first time in school history. Former Tennessee defensive coordinator John Chavis has been brought it to return the Tigers to an elite defensive team. A lot of talent has been lost up front in recent years so it will be up to Chavis to find the beef again. I am excited to see how defensive end Rahim Alem will do in a starting role. Alem earned all-league honors last season when he recorded eight sacks in a non-starting role. The idea behind Chavis’ defense is to make the linebacker unit more versatile so that it can compete against the many strong spread attacks in the league. Moving Harry Coleman from safety to linebacker should help accomplish that. Coleman is the team’s top returning tackler, making 71 stops last season. Kelvin Sheppard and Perry Riley, who combined for 124 tackles last season will see significant time at the linebacker spots again. Jacob Cutrera is expected to take over at middle linebacker. The secondary is a big focus heading into the season after LSU ranked 11th in the league against the pass in 2008. Look for safety Chad Jones and cornerback Patrick Peterson to hold up on their end of the bargain. Both of these players are very athletic and should make a big impact in their first year in starting roles.

Prediction: 3rd SEC West – The Tigers should be better than they were a season ago, but reclaiming the SEC West title appears to be a difficult task as LSU must play division foes Alabama and Ole Miss on the road. LSU is listed at +220 to win the SEC West Division at BetUS.

Jimmy Boyd’s expert football picks will keep you crushing the books in 2009!

About the Author: Jimmy Boyd is known for his consistency. He's a proven winner in college and pro football, college and pro basketball and pro baseball. He finished as the No. 1 ranked MLB handicapper in 2007 by earning $1,000/game bettors $50,050. He also finished as the No. 1 ranked basketball handicapper in the 2008-09 season, profiting $1,000/game bettors 38,530. His basketball plays have banked $1,000/game bettors nearly $80,000 the last five years. Check out Jimmy's premium picks for tonight!
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