Campus Clash
(5) LSU Tigers at (8) Florida State Seminoles
LSU: After that magical 2019 season, it’s been different since. Ed Oregeron resigns and who knew which direction the university would go in next. Let’s take it back to November 30th, 2021. That’s the day when Brian Kelly decided to take the job in Baton Rouge as the next Head Coach of the LSU Tigers. Brian is one of the five best Head Coaches in our sport and I say that because wherever he’s gone, he’s won. I understand he hasn’t won that National Championship yet, but he’s turned programs around. Look at his time in South Bend. He left there as the winningest Head Coach in the history of Notre Dame football. Whenever a new Head Coach comes to a program, they’re always looking for that signature win and Brian got that last season when his Tigers defeated Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide last year in Baton Rouge. They were able to win the SEC West for the first time since 2019 when they won it all and got to the SEC Championship, but fell short to the eventual champion Georgia Bulldogs. Returning for the Tigers is Quarterback, Jayden Daniels and to some, he’s listed as the best Quarterback in the SEC after Bryce Young left for the the NFL. Jayden is an electric threat that can make a defense pay with his feet. Jayden also takes great care of the ball and with the way he plays, that’s all you can ask for. The one guy I can’t wait to watch is Harold Perkins on this LSU defense. I remember watching that game against Alabama last year and he was spying Bryce all game long. This is what he does. He’s that pest that makes the life of Quarterbacks crazy. They enter this season as the team to take down in the SEC West. On Sunday night, they will do battle again to open up the year with the Seminoles from Tallahassee, Florida.
Florida State: When the legendary teams are good, it’s an amazing thing for the sport overall. There’s been some hard years for this program. Willie Taggart didn’t pan out and they decided to hire Mike Norvell as the next Head Coach. Sometimes, you have to struggle to get to where you are and rebuilds are necessary. Last season was the best I’ve seen the Florida State Seminoles look in years. First, the talent is there. They have a deep roster with a ton of depth and a Quarterback who can make a case to be a Heisman Candidate and his name is Jordan Travis. You all have been with me for a while, so I think you know the rule by now: “You better have game if you have two first names”! I was telling Israel Rivera during the off-season that there were a few teams I was looking forward to watching and these Seminoles are one of them. In case you didn’t see it on social media, I wrote all my predictions down and now only do I have them winning the ACC this year, I have them as one of the four teams making the College Football Playoff this season as well. One of the biggest wins they received this off-season was the return of Defensive End, Jared Verse and if he decided to keep his name in the NFL Draft, he’d be a top five or six pick at best. At 6’4 and 235 pounds, he’s an absolute nightmare for Quarterbacks. He enters this year as my best defensive player in the country and he also reminds me of someone I raved about two years ago who’s now in the NFL. I’m talking about Kayvan Thibodeaux. If you watch any Seminoles games this year, pay attention to number five this year. I haven’t seen this much hype around this program in some years, but I like the buzz surrounding them. They kick off their season with another showdown with the LSU Tigers.
LSU X-Factor: Mekhi Wingo– Maason Smith was lost to a season-ending injury against these Seminoles while celebrating with his teammates. His absence allowed Mekhi Wingo to further develop and become a force on this defensive line. Maason was a member of the All-SEC team in 2021. His presence makes all the difference. If he is back to his full strength and you add Mekhi into the mix, this could be the best Defensive Tackle duo that the Seminoles will face all season long.
Florida State X-Factor: Fabien Lovett Sr.– This is another key piece returning to this Seminoles defense. I love the energy Fabien displays because it’s contagious to his teammates and everyone feeds off of that. He has an electric first step which allows him to get wherever he wants to make a play. When he’s in the zone, he’s such a difficult challenge for anyone attempting to block him. Fabien just doesn’t let the run defense show what he can do because he’s also strong as a pass rusher and getting to the Quarterback.
Three Things To Watch
1. Daniels vs Travis– This is such an intriguing Quarterback matchup. Throughout the Spring and off-season, many considered both of these Quarterbacks to be Heisman candidates and get to New York City in December. Jayden Daniels is that threat with his feet which can keep a defense on its toes while Jordan Travis is that dual threat who can make you pay with his arm or legs. I’m anxious to see these two battle it out for the second straight season.
2. Brian 1, Mike 1– This is the third consecutive season that Brian Kelly and Mike Norvell will be facing each other. They faced off against one another in the opening game in 2021 back when Brian was still the Head Coach of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and of course, last season when Brian made his debut with the LSU Tigers. Both coaches have split their first two meetings. Who has the edge entering the third one?
3. Better Football?– When these two met last season, it was a sloppy game on both sides for both teams. What made the game so great a year ago was the thrilling finish. I’m looking forward to seeing a clean battle between two teams who enter the year with all of the hype. Some have considered both LSU and Florida State to each be playoff teams which aren’t bad predictions to be honest. This will be an early showdown which will show us each what either team is capable of doing.
Final Analysis: Realistically, this could be one of the best games of the entire season. Both teams enter the year with elite Quarterback aiming to prove they can be Heisman worthy, both enter with elite Wide Receiver groups and potential day one starters in the NFL in their front sevens. I have a strong feeling this will be a very exciting game from the kickoff to the fourth quarter. It’s key for the Seminoles to get that ground attack going which will slow down the Tigers pass rush. This will also turn Harold Perkins into a tackler and not a game-breaking rusher. Enough success on the ground will open the door for Johnny Wilson on the perimeter. I want to see how LSU comes out in Brian’s second year. If there were ever a game for Jayden Daniels to show some strides and confidence, it’s this one. LSU must attack this Seminoles secondary which is the weak spot of the entire defense and vice versa for the Seminoles as they have some question marks in their secondary. Take some shots down the field. Neutralizing Jared Verse will be a challenge but also be key. I like the Tigers to avenge last year’s tough loss and do just enough to hold on to secure a victory in week one.
Prediction: LSU 35, Florida State 30
