5 reasons to be optimistic about LSU, and 2 reasons not to be

BATON ROUGE, La. — Mornings have been gloriously sunny around Baton Rouge this week, except maybe over the LSU football facility on Skip Bertman Drive.

There, the wagons have been circled amidst the fallout of the 16-14 loss to Wisconsin. Cries for Les Miles’ job have returned. Cries for a new quarterback have returned.

But fear not, LSU fans, there are plenty of reasons to think LSU can bounce back from a season-opening loss and contend, as expected, for a national championship.

And there are reasons to not buy that.

Let’s look at five reasons to be optimistic and two reasons not to be.

5 reasons to stay bullish on the Tigers

Who else has a QB?: One of the reasons LSU is in this situation was an ineffective start by Brandon Harris against Wisconsin. Surely, LSU can’t win without better quarterback play.

But here’s the thing. Most of the teams the Tigers will face are also a little quarterback-challenged. Auburn is alternating three and can’t ever settle on one. Mississippi State and Alabama changed quarterbacks after ineffective starts.

If you don’t have great quarterback play in the SEC this year, it might not be the year it puts you at a huge disadvantage relative to the competition. Aside from Ole Miss’ Chad Kelly and, arguably, Oklahoma transfer Trevor Knight who’s now at Texas A&M, nobody else in the league has an established star at the position.

It’s a big reason why the league is just 7-7 in its first 14 games.

You still have Leonard Fournette: As bad as LSU’s offense was, Fournette still gained 138 yards on 23 carries and he’s still, arguably, the best running back in college football.

Let’s put those yards in perspective. A year ago, Wisconsin led the nation in scoring defense and has been consistently among the best defensive teams in the country in recent seasons. And the front seven is a strength this year.

If Fournette can pick up yards on the Badgers, he has some more highlight reel games coming up against defenses not as good as Wisconsin’s. And, let’s face it, aside from Alabama and maybe Florida, that’s pretty much everybody left on the schedule.

Dave Aranda’s 3-4 is working: As frustrating as LSU’s offense was Saturday, the defense held its own against a competent Big Ten offense.

Nose tackles Greg Gilmore and Travonte Valentine held up against a physical Wisconsin front. The secondary was stifling. Arden Key was a terror rushing off the edge.

Even better is the fact that it was only the Tigers’ first game in the new system. LSU should only get better on defense, and this has the potential to be a dominant unit, especially considering that this is a down year for SEC quarterbacks.

The offensive line should get healthier: LSU came into the season with offensive line issues. Starting with the beginning of camp, when Maea Teuhema showed up in a walking boot from a sprained ankle suffered in offseason drills, the Tigers have had trouble finding chemistry as players have been in and out of practice with a variety of ailments.

But lately, Teuhema, left guard Will Clapp and left tackle K.J. Malone have been getting more healthy.

As the line returns its key players, LSU should get more consistent play up front.

100,000 LSU fans: The Tigers have a chance to improve in what’s going to be a home-heavy heart of the schedule. After the neutral site opener, LSU plays seven of the next 10 games at Tiger Stadium.

That stretch includes Alabama and Ole Miss, probably the two best teams in the West (with the possible exception of Texas A&M).

If LSU can ride home field, the outlook can turn around in a hurry.

2 reasons why LSU won’t get better

The offense: When LSU plays a good defense like Wisconsin or Alabama last year, the Tigers can’t simply run the ball right at people and move the chains.

Even Harris’ breakout game, the 261-yard performance against Texas Tech, came with 377 rushing yards and the Red Raiders needing everybody and the band committed to slowing down Fournette.

There are going to be teams — let’s start with Alabama, maybe continue with Florida — good enough to stop Fournette without selling their soul to it. It’s those games where Harris needs to be able to deliver in the passing game, and there is little evidence that’s going to happen.

Alabama: LSU hasn’t beaten Alabama since the 9-6 overtime win in 2011. The Tigers lost the rematch in the BCS National Championship Game and hasn’t won since.

Even if LSU were to improve to where it could beat everybody else on the schedule BUT Alabama, would this season be considered a success if the Tigers were 10-2 and without a division title?

Probably not.

And watching the Crimson Tide hang 52 on USC on the same day LSU’s offense could barely shift out of neutral against Wisconsin, it’s hard to imagine the Tigers having enough firepower to win that game.

Gary Laney