The Buzz: Experts Chime in on the Season Outlook for the LSU Tigers

Brian Kelly and Co. riding a four-game win streak, taking the bye week to recover and prepare for the thick of SEC play.

Kyren Lacy 2 runs the ball as the LSU Tigers take on the Nicholls Colonels at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, LA. Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. / SCOTT CLAUSE/USA TODAY Network / USA TODAY NETWORK

Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers have cruised up the rankings to the No. 13 program in America following a Week 5 victory over South Alabama.

A program riding a four-game winning streak, the Bayou Bengals are trending in the right direction heading into SEC play.

LSU will take the time to recover while begin game preparation for the Ole Miss Rebels during this week's open date.

Then, it's full steam ahead to conference play with Lane Kiffin and Co. up first.

It's been a rollercoaster season through five games for the Bayou Bengals after going 4-1 (1-0) with a critical victory over South Carolina.

After dropping the season opener to the USC Trojans, many dismissed Kelly's program as a College Football Playoff contender.

Just two weeks later, the program hit the road to South Carolina with ESPN's College GameDay in attendance where LSU fought back to take down the Gamecocks after trailing 17-0 in the second quarter.

Now, the Tigers are 4-1 (1-0) heading into the thick of conference play with the Ole Miss Rebels set to make their way to Baton Rouge in Week 7.

CBS Sports came out with their Early College Football Playoff and Bowl Predictions following Week 5 with LSU missing the cut for the playoff, but other college football analysts disagree.

The Experts' Take: LSU Peaking at the Right Time

No. 13 LSU is clicking offensively and it's woken up several college football analysts, including Fox Sports College Football analyst Joel Klatt.

Klatt believes LSU will drop one more game this season and it'll come against the Alabama Crimson Tide in November. At the end of the season, he believes LSU will be sitting at 10-2 (7-1) with the chance to punch its ticket to the College Football Playoff.

"I expect LSU to beat Ole Miss at night in Death Valley, [Texas] A&M on the road, Oklahoma at home, and lose to Alabama," Klatt said. "LSU would be a 10-2 team and 7-1 in the SEC... 7-1 in the SEC gets you in the playoff..."

Joel Klatt's CFP Bracket Prediction:
1. Texas
2. Ohio State
3. Clemson
4. Kansas State
5. Alabama
6. Oregon
7. Georgia
8. Tennessee
9. Penn State
10. USC
11. LSU
12. Boise State

Klatt isn't the only college football analyst high on the Bayou Bengals.

We've seen others begin to believe in what Brian Kelly and Co. are building in Baton Rouge with the program trending in the right direction ahead of SEC play.

SEC Network's Paul Finebaum is riding with No. 13 LSU after a recent statement on air:

"I think LSU may be a little bit tougher than Missouri," Finebaum said. "People are just not taking LSU seriously."

The Bayou Bengals have shined offensively despite not being at full strength just yet with starting wide receiver Chris Hilton Jr. sidelined.

Through the first five weeks of the season, signal-caller Garrett Nussmeier is 138-of-198 passing for 1,652 yards with 15 touchdowns and four interceptions.

He leads the SEC in both completions and touchdowns while ranking in or near the Top 5 nationally in both categories.

LSU has seen production from WR1 Kyren Lacy, tight end Mason Taylor and emerging star Aaron Anderson through the first quarter of the season.

Anderson leads the program in receiving yards with 371 on 27 receptions and a pair of touchdowns on 13.7 yards per catch. The second-year Tiger has become a focal point of LSU's offense while adding a weapon alongside Lacy at the receiver position.

For Lacy specifically, he's been the WR1 that LSU has needed this season with the departures of Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. He's up to 352 yards and five touchdowns on just 25 receptions this season while leading the program in yards per catch with 14.1.

It's evident the passing attack is firing on all cylinders with Nussmeier utilizing weapons Lacy, Anderson, Taylor and CJ Daniels, but it still feels as though this unit has another gear it can hit during SEC play when fully healthy.

Now, with the thick of SEC play kicking off in Week 7 against the Ole Miss Rebels, the Bayou Bengals will look to remain hot and carry the momentum into conference play.

More LSU News:

LSU Dishes Out Offer to No. 1 Quarterback in America

What's Next for LSU Without Harold Perkins?

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

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