When it's all said and done, Brian Kelly's second season may not be materially different than his first. LSU defeated Alabama and won the SEC West in his 2022 debut, yes, but the Tigers went 10-4 and finished No. 16 in the AP poll. As of today, LSU is 9-3 with a bowl game pending and ranked No. 14 in the land. The Tigers did not beat Alabama or win the West, but quarterback Jayden Daniels will likely become the program's third Heisman Trophy winner in two weeks.
But Daniels' performance this season, in a way, highlighted LSU's deficiencies this season.
Look at it this way: where would LSU be without his 50 total touchdowns?
LSU allowed 30 points or more seven times in 12 regular-season games. The Tigers entered the weekend 111th in yards per play, 92nd in passing efficiency, 103rd in rushing defense, and 83rd in scoring.
In four games against ranked teams, LSU went 1-3, on average coming up short by a score of 45-38.
By definition, LSU's offense will get worse next season with Daniels and Malik Nabers in the NFL. So to maintain their status as a top 15 team, let alone improve, LSU will have to be different on defense in 2024.
Following his team's 42-30 win over Texas A&M, Kelly indicated he'll evaluate the entire operation top-to-bottom.
"Every year, there's going to be an evaluation. I evaluate what I've done, and I have to look at, how did I lead this year? So, it starts with me," Kelly said, via The Advocate. "Then I'll evaluate all our coaches and our support staff as well. Everybody is part of the evaluation process. Our players will be evaluated this week, then I'll go through a lengthy evaluation process of our entire staff. Not just the coaches, but the entire support staff as well. You know, the ultimate goal here is to win championships. But I also know the development of this program is still ongoing. That's an important piece of this evaluation process as well."
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