LSU Football: Official 2024 Season Predictions

The LSU Tigers head into Year 3 of the Brian Kelly Era in Baton Rouge, looking to take that next step in 2024.

No. 13 LSU will hit the road to Las Vegas this week with a showdown against No. 23 USC inching closer.

The showdown in Allegiant Stadium will kick off year three of the "Brian Kelly Era" for the Bayou Bengals with the program looking to get off to a hot start in 2024.

Now, with the season just days away, it's time to log season predictions on how LSU's season could unfold this fall.

The Fall Camp Takeaways

There is a growing sense in Baton Rouge that the LSU defense can take a significant step forward in 2024 under coordinator Blake Baker. He's given his group a spark during the offseason and it was on full display during camp with the defense playing with passion and intensity.

But "passion and intensity" can only take a group so far. It'll be the different packages that Baker has put together that will allow the defense to take that next step. It starts with Harold Perkins and his usage.

There's an aggression level that was on display this offseason in Fall Camp that shows this group will be both fundamentally sound and in the right spots to be successful in 2024.

On offense, it was the creativity in playcalling that was a major takeaway. Joe Sloan is the shot caller now on this side of the ball. There is versatility on offense with playmakers all over ranging from Ka'Morreun Pimpton all the way to the offensive line in Will Campbell. Both will be used in a variety of ways this season. Expect the offense to remain elite this fall. Garrett Nussmeier is itching to showcase his talents and has weapons on the outside in Kyren Lacy, CJ Daniels and Chris Hilton ready to breakout.

The Season Prediction: 10-2

LSU Tigers On SI has sat back battling between nine or 10 wins for a week now. After mulling things over, the belief in Brian Kelly's game plan and Blake Baker's defensive schemes is what gave the go ahead to go with a 10-2 record as opposed to 9-3.

Kelly has assembled an elite coaching staff on both sides of the ball that has enough talent to get over the hump in Year 3 of the "Kelly Era".

Another key factor is the favorable schedule. LSU will get Ole Miss, Alabama and Oklahoma in Tiger Stadium this season with a neutral site showdown against USC. It falls in the right direction for the Bayou Bengals in 2024 in this area.

Kelly has been successful at his stops in year three with expectations remaining high heading into 2024. He returns significant talent on offense led by a gifted line with a signal-caller in Garrett Nussmeier who's prepared to showcase his talent.

The Season Breakdown:

Week 1 (USC): Win

Week 2 (Nicholls State): Win

Week 3 (at South Carolina): Win

Week 4 (UCLA): Win

Week 5 (South Alabama): Win

Week 6: Bye

Week 7 (Ole Miss): Win

Week 8 (at Arkansas): Win

Week 9 (at Texas A&M): Loss

Week 10: Bye

Week 11 (Alabama): Loss

Week 12 (at Florida): Win

Week 13 (Vanderbilt): Win

Week 14 (Oklahoma): Win

LSU should head into Week 1 and handle business against a USC squad that lacks the necessary talent in the trenches to get the win. LSU's elite offensive line should put the Tigers in position to come out on top. From there, the expectation is that LSU heads into the Ole Miss matchup 5-0.

The Rebels will head into this one playing their seventh straight game. With LSU coming off of a bye week, and looking to bounce back after last season's thriller, this one will be a game they have circled before the year begins. Expect LSU to come out here and jump out to 6-0.

From there, LSU should handle an Arkansas program that won't have the necessary talent to come out and shock a likely Top 10 team at the time in LSU. The Bayou Bengals should head to College Station sitting at 7-0.

From there, it gets tricky. LSU hasn't won in College Station since 2016. Kyle Field is a challenging atmosphere to play in and Texas A&M has a a few weapons offensively that can exploit the LSU defense. This is the one that could give the Tigers trouble. Mike Elko is a talented coach and has the talent that can push them over the top.

LSU will head into the bye week after their first loss and regroup for the Alabama Crimson Tide to come to town. In what has all the makings of being a thriller in Kalen DeBoer's first season at the helm of the program, he has Jalen Milroe to fall back on in Death Valley. Milroe's escapability is what will give the LSU defense fits and could cause trouble here. This could be the Tigers' second loss of the year. The expectation is that LSU splits the Ole Miss and Alabama matchup.

With three games to go, LSU should win out at Florida followed by back-to-back victories over Vanderbilt and Oklahoma to cap off the year. Yes, it's a challenge to go into The Swamp to get a win over the Gators, but it'll be a program fatigued and beat up after a gaunlet leading up to the LSU matchup.

The Recap:

LSU heads into the season with a floor of 8-4 and a ceiling of 11-1. Brian Kelly has assembled a talented coaching staff to lead this group with the program turning the corner on defense. It was on display during Fall Camp, but Week 1 will tell the story here.

There will be several Top 25 matchups on LSU's schedule this season with at least one or two getting the Tigers slowed down. But all in all, the expectation is that this team can win 10 games and punch their ticket to the College Football Playoff in 2024.

10 wins in the SEC gives you the resumé needed to compete for a National Championship. For the Tigers, they have a favorable enough schedule to do just that and reach the College Football Playoff.

More LSU News:

LSU vs. USC: The Early Betting Lines for Week 1

LSU Inching Towards No. 1 Recruiting Class in America

Nick Saban Calls LSU Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier a "Sleeper" Ahead of 2024 Season

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Follow Zack Nagy on Twitter: @znagy20 and LSU Tigers On SI: @LSUTigersSI for all coverage surrounding the LSU program.