Tigers Picked to Finish 5th in SEC West

SEC Media Day’s come and gone and with it the preseason predictions and all-conference teams have been released.

The media isn’t totally sold on Brian Kelly’s first LSU team as the Tigers were picked to finish fifth in the West. Alabama was the overwhelming favorite to win both the SEC West and the conference as a whole.

SEC East

1. Georgia (172)
2. Kentucky (4)
3. Tennessee (1)
4. Florida
5. South Carolina (3)
6. Missouri
7. Vanderbilt (1)

SEC West

1. Alabama (177)
2. Texas A&M (3)
3. Arkansas (1)
4. Ole Miss
5. LSU
6. Mississippi State
7. Auburn

Couple of thoughts here. First these SEC East predictions are w i l d. Yes you’re reading that right, three people think South Carolina is going to Atlanta while one voter actually (jokingly?) picked Vanderbilt to win the East.

As for the West...I mean I guess the top three makes sense. I imagine the one person who gave a first place to Arkansas covers the team? The last time the Hogs beat Bama Nick Saban was coaching the Miami Dolphins so excuse me for being skeptical of Sam Pittman’s squad. I’m also begging the media at large to please stop drinking the A&M koolaid. Jimbo finally beat Alabama last season and the Aggies still ended up finishing fourth in the West.

Now as it stands with LSU friend of the website Logan Leger put it best: LSU ain’t finishing fifth...they may surprise people and finish top-three or they may crater and bring up the rear but they won’t finish fifth.

Call me optimistic but I think LSU gets to 8-4 and maybe even 9-3 if they get enough breaks. The way I see it the Tigers went 6-6 last regular season with a roster that got more and more depleted as the season progressed and Ed Orgeron was essentially fired halfway through the season; and despite all of that they still almost beat Alabama and probably should have beaten both Arkansas and Auburn. An upgraded coaching staff and—hopefully—a healthier roster is worth 1.5 more wins in 2022 right? Right?

Anyway. LSU also had four players land on various preseason All-SEC teams. Junior wide out Kayshon Boutte landed on the first-team while BJ Ojulari is the only first-team defensive player. Ali Gaye landed on the second team, and Maason Smith was voted to the third team.