The 2020 college football season for the defending national champion LSU Tigers kicks off in two days.
On Saturday, the Tigers welcome the Mississippi State Bulldogs to Baton Rouge for the first game of the conference-only season.
LSU lost 14 players from last year’s team to the 2020 NFL draft, which leaves a few questions in the air when it comes to production at each position.
Let’s take a look at two main areas of concern heading into Saturday’s season-opening game for the Tigers.
Offensive Line
As much of a lingering question that the quarterback position could be with Myles Brennan leading the way replacing Joe Burrow, the Tigers’ offensive line lost three starters from last season.
With the official depth chart for the first game being released last week, the Tigers will start three players that have experience on the line in Dare Rosenthal at offensive tackle, Chasen Hines at right guard and Austin Deculus at right tackle.
Offensive guard Ed Ingram also has starting experience and will be a key factor in protecting Brennan and opening holes in the running game.
The Tigers’ starting center will be Harvard transfer Liam Shanahan, who is a player that the coaching staff has been giving high praise for.
The main reason for the concern is due to the fact that the team lost nearly all of their starters from last season on the line. Protecting Brennan is focal point number one for this unit.
If they can transition into a solid unit early in the season, things will look good for them from a protection and production standpoint for the season.
However, the front seven has to give Brennan enough time in the pocket to complete passes and escape pressure. We will find out on Saturday how well the unit is clicking during the game.
Going up against a team with a new head coach, coupled with a new quarterback in Brennan, could give the offensive line a struggle during the game.