Andy & Ari On3 - Are the LSU Tigers PLAYOFF BOUND with Garrett Nussmeier returning?

Episode Date: June 13, 2025

Down in the Bayou, Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers are gearing up for a big year. With an overhaul in the transfer portal and Garrett Nussmeir returning, LSU is expected to contend immediately for the SEC this season. On today's show, Shea Dixon from bengaltiger.com joins to give a full, in-depth breakdown of the Tigers. Will LSU make the CFP? How well will Garrett Nussmeier perform? Find out here in this jam-packed episode on 2025 season for the LSU Tigers. (0:00-0:39) Intro: LSU(0:40-5:39) Shea Dixon from the Bengal Tiger joins(5:40-11:51) Garrett Nussmeier returns to LSU(11:52-16:39) LSU in the trenches(16:40-17:15) Rhoback(17:16-20:15) LSU's offensive weapons(20:16-27:34) Revamped defense in Baton Rouge?(27:35-31:46) Season openers for LSU, Schedule(31:47-35:04) How much pressure is on Brian Kelly?(35:05-39:28) The LSU-Florida game(39:29-42:04) Wrapping up with Shea More news on LSU here: https://www.on3.com/teams/lsu-tigers/ Follow Shea Dixon here: https://x.com/SheadixonWatch our show LIVE on YouTube, M-F at 9:30 pm et! https://www.youtube.com/@On3sportsHosts: Andy Staples, Ari WassermanProducer: River Bailey

Welcome to Andy and Ariane 3 wrapping up our week of deep dives into the most fascinating team of 2025. I think we got the most interesting one yet. We're talking the LSU Tigers. Big in the transfer portal this offseason. Excellent recruiting class, high expectations, brutal schedule, including an incredibly tough opener at Clemson, the Death Valley to Death Valley home and home series.

It's going to be incredible. I cannot wait to get into this. Shay Dixon from the Bengal Tiger on threes LSU site. We're highlighting our experts from our team sites this week and Shay, man, you have had a lot to cover this off season. This team absolutely fascinates me because, you know, when we saw the end of last year, I think I saw you in Gainesville and they lose to Florida. And I'm like, Oh, what's going to happen now? Where do they go from here? And then they win a couple games against Vandy in Oklahoma. And it's like, all right. And they're hot, a transfer portal.

And now it's full guns blazing. Everybody's pumped. Yeah. There's a lot of, a lot of people out there predicting LSU into the playoffs, which is the goal, right? But you have to step back and think, even with the expanded playoffs, that Brian Kelly hasn't been there yet. And the

benchmark was really out of the gates, 10 wins. And they fell short of that a year ago. Like you said, DJ Lackaway beats him on one leg, essentially in that Florida game. And they fumbled it against A&M and knocked Connor Wegman out and Reid comes in and runs all over them and they lose and the defense just had to be revamped and the coaching staff had already been revamped obviously, Andy, but I think that whether it's returning guys or as you mentioned, the portal, um, signees out of high school, like five star DJ Pickett, the number one corner in the country on, on three, like they are so much better on that side of the ball than they were a year ago when look, it wasn't a Jayden Daniels number one offense, They are so much better on that side of the ball than they were a year ago when

look, it wasn't a Jayden Daniels number one offense, but it was a top 20 offense in Nussmeyer's first year starting. So if he can make that jump, you know, from year one to year two as a veteran quarterback in age, certainly, and now an experience of the year under his belt. They've picked up more weapons on offense in the portal. Look, you're gonna have questions like O-line, all that. We could do that for days, but talent wise, and Brian Kelly said it, it's like a bold statement, but it's the best roster he's had in Baton Rouge. And the thought is, if you can win 10 games within the SEC, like a Tennessee, something like that, you don't even

have to go to the SEC championship. You can get into playoffs. I think that's the goal right now for LSU. Anyone thinking nine wins might could do it? I don't know. It's just too unpredictable for me of who all is gonna be sitting out there. So there you go.

Look at the schedule, 10 wins. Can you get there? It's tough. And look, I understand why the betting lines haven't moved off eight and a half because you can skip right past a Vanity or a South Carolina normally when you're looking at a season schedule and then realize this year shows up and then sellers shows up. And those are much tougher games than they might be in the past. So I don't know. I think everyone's baffled. Oh, who doesn't think else? She's gonna win nine games That's easiest bet of the year and that's why Vegas makes a lot of money. So we'll see a long way to go Yeah, it's like they have a lot of teams say they didn't have so yeah that a&m game like a&m

Look, if you look at where a&m pops up in everybody's schedule It's a trap every single every single time a&m pops up and somebody schedule this year. It's a trap every single, every single time A&M pops up and somebody schedule this year. It's a trap. It used to be the last game of the year that I'm still getting used to this, like not playing Auburn. Yeah. Playing state last year, not playing A&M at Thanksgiving, the push up of the schedule. Like I remember talking about the A&M game and I had made the comment to someone I was like, in the year that way last year, the loss is brutal. And they were like, no, it was in like September. I was like, oh my gosh, I completely forgot that. Yeah. So it is a bit of one. I will

say though, that I don't think they're going to let A&M seek up on them this year after how last year unfolded when they were up by what? Triple digits. And I mean, they were crazy. They were dominating that game. And mean it just they were crazy. They were dominating that game and then it just fell apart in the final 15 plus minutes. Sort of the reverse of the South Carolina game. Cause like that South Carolina game for LSU looked like it could have been curtains and then.

One of the best wins of the season. And well, I don't want any South Carolina fans, you know clogging up the mentions here. So they got some flags that helped them out there, whether or not, whether legit or not. But yeah, what NUS gets lit up, they have a pick six, it comes back and then you hold on to win that game. And a game that a lot of people didn't see is that South Carolina viewed as what they are now, right?

Like people were thinking that ahead of the season, it was just, you have to go to South Carolina. That's not a game LSU does very often. And that was kind of the intrigue behind the game. Then all of a sudden you watch it and it's like, uh-oh, they are in a back and forth. It literally went to the final minutes. And a big game for Garrett Nussmeyer to get through because I think going into the season,

a lot of it was can he minimize the turnovers? And he had some in that game and they Still wanted he got one back and after that he started to reel it a bit more and I think that's what a lot of this off season about is Taking those steps but kind of still keeping that gunslinger mentality, you know in a seat belt Well, let's talk Garrett dust fire because yeah I mean he could have gone into the draft like When you look at the quality of this past quarterback draft, if he throws his name in there, he might have been a first round pick.

And so comes back and we know about the last two LSU quarterbacks that went from year one to year two, both of them won the Heisman Trophy. Yeah, so I would, I understand why everybody's so excited about Garrett Nussmeyer this year. That seems to be, you know, the one that everybody's, you know, what's Arch going to be? What's DJ Lagway going to look like in the first year as a starter? You know, does Lenora Sellers take that leap? But Garrett Nussmeyer was a good starting quarterback in the SEC in year one as a starter. And we've seen at LSU what happens when you go to year two.

Yeah, it's funny to think about too because these, you know, look they had the Bryce Underwood commitment and then Larry Ellison comes in with the big payday in the 11th hour. Oh, we had the Michigan show yesterday. Oh yeah. Yeah, I'm sure you talked plenty about it. Well, we'll the Michigan show yesterday. Oh, yeah. Yeah, I'm sure you talked plenty about it Well, we'll skip past that part But now they're in it luck with another top five quarterback Bob Bentley is gonna decide here soon by the time people listen to it He may have already decided but people are these kids who are 17 or looking at LSU and are like it's a quarterback factory These guys have won Heisman's two in the past five seasons Nussmeyer is the odds on favorite in a lot of places to win the Heisman this year than the off season.

And I have to take a step back. I'm like you, Andy, where it's like, none of these kids then watch football during the last Miles year. No LSU fan anywhere over the age of 20, 30, I would say, associates LSU and Heisman quarterbacks. But look, from Billy Cannon to Joe Burrow, that was the first Heisman LSU had won at any position and in comes Jaden Daniels wins it again. And look if Nussmar can just play some good football this year, that'll win him some games. It'll be better on defense and he'll be right in that mix. But yeah, the jump from can he make a burrow Daniels year one to

year two jump? I don't know if he can do anything so much like do it. Yeah, are there two first-round receivers like those guys had to the and all of these draft picks on but Derek Stingley's and all pro already is a top five pick so pushing Barry baby Said center, you know He was a Mississippi State commit all the way to the day of signing day got offered eyes from right out Outside of Baton Rouge and flipped on the spot and paid off for him. And you know, it's crazy We're thinking about Nusmar. I meant to say this. Do you remember pop quiz here? LSU fans know this and it's not a pop quiz about Nussmaier meant to say this do you remember pop quiz here lsu fans know this and it's not a pop quiz i'll just give the answer they played kansas state in that texas

bowl they got waxed the kansas scored touchdowns on like seven straight possessions a lot of guys sat out they had to play john trey kirkland a wide receiver at quarterback in that game and he had not played quarterback since he was in high school Nussmaier was on that team but he had not played quarterback since he was in high school. Nussmaier was on that team, but had he played in that game, this was the final year. He burned his red shirt. He wouldn't have any college eligibility right now. He wouldn't be on the team. He would have been in the draft and probably somewhere else.

Thank you Interim Staff for not doing that. Brad Davis, right. I think what Pops is in the game for as long as he's been in it, he knows, hey, look, when I set this one out, it's one game isn't worth with 13 or 14 can bring in. I don't think many people realize that outside the LSU kind of atmosphere of there was a bowl game they had to play with, you know, a kid who hadn't done it since high school, who was out there just kind of having fun with it during a coaching change. And the main catalyst of it was Nussmar sat because he wanted to have a year extra eligibility,

which he in turn then took as you said, he could have been a top pick. And I think he certainly would have been a first round pick this past year just because of the crop of quarterbacks that were out there. And he decides to come back for a final year, which obviously completely changes the trajectory of LSU's season and the outlook on a playoff chances. As you mentioned, Doug Dussmeier, Garrett's dad, longtime coach, he's in the pros now, but he's been a college offensive coordinator. He was at Michigan, he was in Alabama, he was at Florida.

Funny story, my son was talking to his offensive line coach the other day, and his own line coach played offensive tackle at the big public high school in Gainesville, and ended up going to play for Marshall. But when he was in eighth grade, he was a quarterback. So he's just a big athletic kid. He, he got injured and got replaced at quarterback. Never got the job back because he was replaced by Garrett Nussmar. He's like, yeah, I think they made the right choice. Garrett's kind of the, or coach's sons and daughters, I guess, are kind of like military

kids. I think Garrett's probably stolen a lot of jobs in a lot of different cities across the U.S. before he settled in over at Marcus High. And crazy now his brother Colton, who's a lefty. And I saw him at summer camp a year ago at LSU and he was already taller than Doug was who's taller than Garrett is. Uh, but he's got an LSU offer. He's got a ton of offers on three has him as a top five quarterback. So the Nussmeyer, uh, tree will not end here. Uh, as soon as Garrett, the first start talking about the LSU

quarterback since Rick Claussen. No, remember they, oh man, why would I blank? Why am I blanking on his name? Oh, McMillan. Oh, that's right. A little bit. Johnson was left handed is left handed. That's right.

Yeah. See anything that happened before or in the Burrow Daniels era gets skipped over. If it happened in the middle years or before that, you just kind of forget about it. Max Johnson left-handed last seen at LSU throwing a bomb to BTEC's A&M. That's right. I mean, he threw it behind his back against UCLA in a season opener as well. It was nearly caught. And he's still out still out there, UNC, so hopefully he can be healthy this year. I know he ran into some injuries, but. Well, okay. We know how good Nuss is. What we don't know is how good the guys blocking for him will be because obviously LSU has to

replace some excellent offensive linemen who are now in the NFL. So how does that work? Will Campbell, Emory Jones, what is that group gonna look like? Yeah, I mean, look, Will Campbell and Emory Jones stepped in as true freshmen day one and both started at tackle left and right tackle and they never lost a spot. So it's three straight years of having those two guys

then toss in Dellinger and Miles Frazier, uh, high school signing and the transfer. Those guys had started two years straight. So they had gone, I think, I guess it was three years. Yeah. Straight years of the same alignment and two straight years, I guess it would have been in full. Uh, but now you have to replace everyone because even DJ Chester, your center,

they went out and got Braylon Moore from Virginia Tech, who started at center for many years. Now Chester can kind of go back to a natural spot at guard, which there was no open spot for him because those guys were holding down the jobs. I guess to answer the question, it's like TBD will fit. I think that make one against Clemson in a really good front. We're going to see pretty quickly what they look like. And look, they were great in pass pro last year, even when they weren't. And look, people, the biggest knock on Garrett probably is that he doesn't use his legs enough. Like he's athletic enough to run it. He just, because he's thinking, Hey, I can make every throw. So no big deal. Jayden Daniels would just run and grab those seven yards, 10 yards, seven burrow. But I think we'll try it. We'll see more Nussmar doing that this year.

I do think Joe Sloan can rip him enough to say, hey, get out there and just get the first down for us. But I think, you know, go back to Texas A&M and the Florida games. If he escapes a few times instead of trying to make something happen in the pocket. Those games may go differently. You're one starter. You know, those types of decisions are commonplace, obviously. So I think he that year one to year to jump, I guess moments like that.

And he's what you're talking about, like really big games where it could swing your whole season. Are you making the right decision? You throwing it away? Are you scrambling for five yards? Like it's a game of inches, certainly, uh, in moments. Well, I talked to Kate club, Nick, the guy that will be starting against LSU in game one, and he said, cause he kind of blossomed as a runner last year.

And he said his first year as a starter, he didn't know when to run and when to stay in the pocket. And Dabo said the same thing. Dabo was like, he used to drive me insane because he just sit there tapping the ball instead of running. And that's the sort of thing that year two as a starter can bring. Yeah. And look, again, we talked about this O-line thing deep into the season with LSU last year when they had those, all those guys, because they weren't great running the football. Like as I was said, even when

Nus would get pressured, I mean they faced a lot of good D lines, he's so pocket mobile and smart with it that he could sidestep you and throw off platform and make something happen and he reads defenses so well to know where pressure is coming and when that it sort of negated that if that ever became an issue for him, but they just couldn't run the football consistently. And Kayden Durham sparked him in that South Carolina game. And then as a true freshman, and they relied on him a bit more, you know, down the stretch. Now you've got him in year two. But I think that's the question going in one, who are the Olinemen? And I think that through spring, we got a feel for it. They took two transfers at both are likely to start Josh Thompson out of Northwestern was one more highly coveted transfers to hit the portal on the O line. And then I mentioned Braylon Moore should be their center.

So you've got two guys, right. And then your two tackles are two guys who've been waiting in the wings. Look, Tyree Adams at left tackle was a top 100 player coming out of New Orleans, regardless of position. Weston Davis at right tackle was a fast star. They flipped from A&M. He was, I mean, he's an above the rim basketball player on a Beaumont United team that was top 25 in the country. So that, like Brian Kelly's known for O-line tight end, right? Like he knows how to recruit in the trenches. Brad Davis has done it excellent. I mean, he's the only coach that was retained

from the Orchard on air and is still on staff right now with Kelly. And that one-two punch of evaluating guys and getting them and developing them, like we've seen it, it's worked. They also go after very athletic guys where, is the pass pro there? Yeah, more often than you know, is the pass pro there? Yeah, more often than not.

But is the physicality there? I think that's the biggest question of this off season. Yeah. And I have a question about one other position group on the offense before we move to the defense, which is obviously a hot topic. But first, we talk about row back. That's right. I'm wearing the performance hoodie right now. But the shorts, the joggers, the t shirts, the polos, they're all perfect for summer.

Any occasion, anywhere you go, you can wear it to work on a casual day, wear it to the bar, wear it to the golf course, you name it. R-H-O-B-A-C-K dot com load up on the performance hoodies because again, people will steal them. They are incredibly comfortable. Use code Andy for 20% off your first order. Roback.com code Andy for 20% off your first order. Rhoback.com. OK, before we get to the defense, I do want to talk targets for Garrett Nussmeyer because he's got some interesting when Aaron Anderson comes back, but also they get Nick Anderson, who played very well at Oklahoma in 2023 was injured most of last year, Barry and Brown from Kentucky, who has all the physical tools. And I'm intrigued by what what this could be.

And I'm intrigued by what this could be. Yeah, look, Ernie Anderson ended up being their most consistent guy a year ago. He's back. Xavier Thomas, who had transferred back to Louisiana from state and had been a starter for state for multiple years and was putting up 500, 600 yards at state with outing quarterback help, which was solid. And I think he's going to be a kind of a utility weapon of sorts for him. Baron Brown stole the show, Andy, in spring, there was no doubt. It was like, okay, yeah, like Nick Anderson's a little banged up, obviously.

They brought Destin Hill back from FSU. He was a top 100 guy coming out of high school, New Orleans native. But I think you've got to start with Brown because he's healthy, not been injured at any point. Both Hill and Nick Anderson are coming off of injuries, but boy, when, I mean, even look, Baron Brown, yeah, he went to Kentucky. He was a top 100 player coming out of high school, coming out of Nashville.

And he tore it up when Will Levis was the quarterback. And he was still putting up numbers with a quarterback who retired from football now. Like was their weapon. And let it also be known, we mentioned Aaron Anderson and Xavier Thomas, the only guy that may be better than them in the return game in the SEC is Barry Brown, who is tied for the record all time for touchdowns on special teams. So they'll have some decisions to make there, which feels like light years ago. But remember the first two years of the Kelly era, they fair caught every single punt because they could not find anyone who could catch the ball and return it. That

was the beginning of the Brian Kelly era. Yeah, I don't think that's a problem anymore. But it could be very interesting because Barry Brown, they're pumped about him at LSU. Dane Key, they love him at Nebraska. The two former Kentucky receivers could have very, very big years. So let's move to the defense because that's the side of the ball that... And I'll add, look, Mason Taylor is on the team for Jaden Daniels, but why would Jaden throw it to Mason seven yards down the field and make it just run it. But that's Nuss's favorite target. They love Bauer Sharp and he was OU's

leading receiver this past year after every receiver on the team, including Nick Anderson, got hurt. So toss him in there as a guy who I think Nussmeyer loves the tight end. Obviously Mason Taylor was a really great player here, set the record school records for both catches in receiving yards, but Expect Bauer sharp and obviously trade as green your six Freaky basketball player caught you a couple touchdowns in the bowl game to be pretty involved All right, let us let's shift to the defense because this group's been just torn up over the last couple years They did get better last year, but clearly an effort was made to bring in veteran players, but you already mentioned a freshman that I'm very excited

about, uh, DJ Pickett, who was the top corner in our on three rankings. And so one of my first jobs covering the high schools in Pasco County for the, for the Tampa Tribune. So the Pickett family, legendary there, Booker Pickett, DJ Pickett, who both ended up playing in the NFL, his uncles. So like this is a guy who comes from an incredible football lineage.

And he looks like what LSU used to always have. LSU used to always have some freshman corner who was ready to step in and be one of the best in the SEC. And it's been a long time, it feels like, since LSU had that. I'm looking at an article, I thought I pulled an ARIA when it was on mute. I'm looking at an article now that Charles Power did, Future Freaks. DJ Pickett, 6'4", 179, nearly 34 inch arms,

6'8", wingspan, and then also runs in 10'6", and the 121 and the 200. And when you see him, so that's Brian Kelly, not many, I'm 6'4", sure you are, and you show up to camp and you're six to, you know, whatever. Six four and the arms are longer. Yeah. The arms drag on the ground. It looks a quarter Raymond who is back at LSU after a stint at Florida played here and obviously has coached

a lot of the great DBs who come through here. This is the quarter Raymond built out of a lab type of player, like the link size can turn and run. As you mentioned, has the pedigree multi-sport athlete. Uh, and then to take it a step further with your story for those that don't know it, Zephyr Hills is not, um, you know, the name, the best team, name, name the best high school team out there. I don't know if ever you want to pick it doesn't matter but DJ Pickett was basically like kicking off going down and making the tackle, playing defense, you know, punting it, then he was the gunner who had

to make the tackle. So I think he's going to be nice and rested now that he gets to just play some quarterback and I do think they'll roll him out there day one at Clemson he will be on the field as a starter. I said Booker and DJ, his uncle Booker and Ryan, his uncle's Ryan Pickett who played D Tackle at Ohio State. That's the thing is D Lineman and his family like that's he's a corner who comes from a family of D Lineman. He has got I'm telling you I asked Brian Kelly what was the first thing he thought when he saw DJ Pick in person. And he said that he was the first person that said they were 6'4", and they actually were when they walked into the office for a meeting. So he's a head turner. Doesn't look like a

freshman. And as you said, you think about Corey Raymond, LSU, these are the type of DBs they've got to get back to. Because I mean, we joke about the quarterback, Preet Burrow and living through the last year is well, at least they had great defenses. And Brian Kelly gets here at a time when the roster had kind of been cut in half. And all right, well, thankfully you landed Jaden Daniels and you had weapons on offense, but boy, the defense was just so tough. And they make the change from Matt House to Blake Baker. And look, Baker had been here as linebackers coach when Kelly got here. And then he ends up replacing him, gets Matt House.

Baker goes to Missouri as the DC and Missouri was great the past two seasons or the prior two. And I said last year, Andy, they were like, how many D1 teams are there? 130 something? They were like 136 FBS teams. They're like 132 in total. It was terrible. So it was like, how good can they be? Well, cut it in half. Like if you're in the sixties, that would be good. And I think they finished like 65th. So can you do that again? Can this be a top 30 defense, 40 defense? I think if so, you're going to have another top 20 offense, top 25 offense. Like that's, that marriage is enough to carry you into a potential

playoff spot, whatever it might be. They just haven't been in that position during the Brian Kelly era because the defense has lacked personnel for really each year until now. Well, and so they get Mansour Delaney from Virginia Tech is a really experienced corner on the edges. You know, Jack Piper and got caught in a numbers crunch at Florida. They had a bunch of edges who could be starters in the SEC. He's one of them. So he goes to LSU. Patrick Payton had a really good year two years ago at Florida State. God only knows what happened at four state to all to all of them last year. But Jamari Butler coming from Nebraska, like you go watch the Nebraska Ohio State game,

that dude was awesome in that game. Like, so this feels like they could be considerably better. And to Marcus Cooley coming out of NC State, I mean, I think every starter they had at DB hit the portal and he was the most coveted. He ends up signing with LSU. You mentioned Delane is a guy coming out of Virginia Tech that everyone's pretty high on. I mean, he's played like, played more snaps than anyone that's going to be on LSU's defense, obviously. He's a three-year starter in the ACC. Then, as you mentioned, Pibern, you've got Whit Weeks, who really had a breakout season, obviously, and then got injured in the bowl game, but he'll be back and healthy People forget this Harold Perkins is on this team and I was my next question is what what is Harold Perkins? Is it back to?

back to the star position the the one that he played freshman year when If you can remember the Arkansas game KJ He wanted by himself. He wanted by himself as a spy on the quarterback, pretty much picking passes off and forcing fumbles. So he got hurt early into last year. And even that year one to two jump, like, yeah, he tore it apart as a freshman. He was a five star coming out of high school. They moved him to middle linebacker because that was, hey, this is that step you need to take to the NFL. And his stats were similar. They just wasn't, it just didn't seem the same. And now when Blake Baker's here, got him healthy again, like I said, he only played a handful

of games last year, they've moved him back to star. So he is going to be rushing the pastor. He's solid in coverage. So don't, I think Whitweek sort of stole the show while Harold was hurt. Having both them out there, I think, is going to be a big difference for them, both being healthy and on the field at the same time is something we have not seen yet because Whit wasn't even starting when Harold got injured is when Whit started. So they'll be much better at linebacker, edge, star,

kind of the spots you just mentioned with those additions, as well as Piber and those guys. And boy, when you mentioned Patrick Payton, when he was playing opposite Jared Burris, he was an animal two years ago. I think kind of a theme around here has been like if he and Nick Anderson at receiver, who averaged like 20 yards a catch at OU two years ago can harness that season of play like 80% of it then it takes both sides of the ball to another level. So they start with Clemson. We've on the show mentioned several times what has happened to LSU in season openers? How many is it? Isn't it five now? It's five, four, five.

Yeah, yeah. New Florida State losses, a UCLA loss. A USC. Last year to USC. And then this year will be arguably just as tough as the FSU when that FSU team went undefeated. This is probably tougher because it's there. And this is a

good country. But I see I think it's one of those where the fan base of the losing team in that game is going to be freaking out. But either one of them could lose that game and make the playoff. So I'm not as worried about it. I just kind of want to see it as a measuring stick for both teams. I feel like for LSU that that Florida game is the real you know because it's so early in the season and obviously it's going to be huge for Florida too because they they'll have two kind of warm up games but then

they play Miami, Texas and Texas A&M right after that and that feels like kind of a must win for both teams. I mean look at the schedule again if you're on must win for both teams. I mean, look at the schedule again, if you're on YouTube or watching it there, I mean, in the first half of the season, but really the first five games, you get two non-cons with two in-state teams, La Tech and Southeastern.

Beyond that, you're going to Clemson to open the season, and then you gotta play both Florida and Ole Miss, and then the game right after South Carolina. So like by the midway point of the season, you could have this could be in shambles or they could be one of the hottest teams in America. And look, it doesn't matter how many times we tell LSU or Clemson fans, don't worry, if you lose this game, you're not out of the playoff hunt. They will be very mad.

Thankfully that USC game was in Vegas last year. So they were mad and then they walked back across the street and gambled and forgot about it for a minute. But they will not feel the same way if they're stuck in Clemson and lose. It's a long walk to the parking lots. I can't remember.

It's usually, I think it's downhill to the parking lot. So at least they got that going for him. But then yeah, traffic getting out is always a nightmare. But they definitely don't want to be pissed at that one. I it's an easier path. Let's be real. Ari's not here to argue against us. We can say it Andy. It's if Clemson loses that game, their schedule is easier. What is much easier? Much easier. They would have a much easier chance of making the playoffs. LSU loses that first game and you're still staring down the barrel of every

SEC team as we said. Pavia is on the sky. You can't even skip over Vandy. Like every look at the quarterbacks, the first seven games, Kate Club. Nick DJ lagway. I think Austin Simmons is going to be awesome at Ole Miss. So that's another one to worry about Lenore sellers and then Diego Pavia. And it'll by the way, Marcel Reed, who tore him up last year.

So I guess the first eight games, you've got those quarterbacks to worry about. He stopped at Bama. Who's going to be Bama's quarterback? That's all we need to know. I think it's Ty Simpson. Right. Maybe Keelan Russell.

We don't know. That one's, that was up in the air. So. It's again, so weird not seeing Auburn or State on this list if Andy if they do away with LSU Florida I'm gonna start boycotting this SEC. It feels like both schools like all the fans want it to stay but it feels like both schools want it to end and I think they're just sick of arguing with each other. Yeah yeah no I think the fans love it. It's I LSU doesn't have a true rival. There isn't a Florida state There's no other in-state team or my yeah like that

A&M, you know wouldn't consider LSU their rival as a new entrant to the SEC and if so, it'd be Arkansas It's weird Florida's almost become LSU's rival. I don't know Florida considers that to be their rivalry, but LSU like oh, yeah, we at least have the annual SEC East matchup with Florida. And that's what can I would say the most hated fan your seven overtime game and all that stuff, but How much pressure is on Brian Kelly this year because we know what his contract is like I know that I'd be feeling pressure that I'd be getting fired, but I just I know what LSU expects and Not having gotten there yet seems like a problem a and not having gotten there yet seems like a problem. A lot, which is why I think that he sort of said, hey, look, they went out and they got Austin Thomas back to run pretty much everything from NIL to roster management. He had been at Ole Miss when

the Grove Collective had really taken off the past couple of years and seen how it had happened. And boy, everyone's going to have a GM now, right? Like, with all of the changes that's happening. So they have retained, like, their coordinators are all the same. They went and got Alex Adkins from FSU. He's the tight ends coach now because they had an opening there. It's, it feels like they've got enough continuity on staff. You've got a returning quarterback, and then you green lighted, arguably the best portal class. Certainly in December, they just load it up on guys and you bring back a lot of talent. So it's, yeah, it's pressure, but I think it's just expectation. The expectation is this roster should win 10 games. Do you have a tough schedule? Yes. Do you have a

tough schedule every year? Yes. They also won 10 games with way not teams that were as good as this created that Jayden Daniels, but those teams weren't as good as this one overall. So this should be a 10 win team. And if you win 10 games and you're LSU in the SEC, you're in the playoffs. I think that's a fair assessment and I'm excited to see how it shakes out because great game right out of the gate against Clemson and then week three Must win for both teams against Florida gonna be crazy Let's say this beyond Vandy and I'll say I guess you can toss in South Carolina as well is I feel like this is one of those years Andy and you've about it before, but there's so much in the portal plays into this. But look around the SEC, there's so much quarterback uncertainty, not maybe not even uncertainty, but like new guys at quarterback. LSU is one of the few teams that doesn't have that, and they're returning guys really good, just like a Pavi or a Sellers.

So if there's something to kind of sit back as an LSU fan this off season and realize you're not going through sweating out who you got in the portal at quarterback, how good they might be, who they have to beat out. Like the talk of spring is always the backup quarterback around here. That's just what it is. Who's next up? Can you beat out the main guy? And there's none of that because everyone who a quarterback. He was good last year.

Davis again. Yeah. Shout out again to and probably Pops Nussmeyer there for making a a family decision that 13. Well, I'll throw one more thing at you that I was thinking about. So we mentioned Lagway and LSU last year. Lagway got thrown in at Tennessee because because Grammert's hurt his knee. But this will be like ways first real

road start because he was hurt when they went to Texas last year and so a night game at Tiger Stadium is not something that he's seen before. So I think in a game that is going to matter a ton to both teams, that's a huge advantage for LSU Yeah, and I'm not playing into your roots here Andy and buttering you up

I don't think lagway cares about that. He seems like a game. No, he's a dog I I will tell you the man like I said that that week of Billy Napier may may not play may not play He couldn't even run one leg beat LSU last year in the swamp. So And one of those games at Tiger Stadium that places it's it's my favorite for a reason. So like it that place at night is a different different animal. It is some of the best night games that have ever happened for the Florida wins. So we've got to keep that that rivalry

going. We called people loved it when they got his cell phone number. Call me. Yep. I guess. I mean, has there would be like four house calls. Yeah. Hester that that was seven game. I was seven. Yeah. Would arguably a lot of LSU fans would call it one of the best games they've ever seen played that back and forth of less miles every fourth down. Yeah. Why not go for it? it run it run it run it I don't know why but for me a vivid memory is And we could do an LSU Florida pod here all day is Brandon spikes picks six and Jarrett Lee at some point Oh, we kick on it into the upper deck of the stadium pretty much and it was like let's go I ever go home now. It's time to leave That was the I think that was the same game that Riley Cooper covering a kickoff hit early to set and Florida recovers the ball on the one and

punches and that was a that was a weird game that 06 LSU Florida game is just weird. Yeah that uh oh no the spikes kick was in 08 066 was the rally Cooper really set hit. Yeah, correct. That was the year of the pick sixes, I think. And then that game had like three of them or something. It was ridiculous. But and then you had the one in Gainesville where the less was was coaching and they flipped the fake with a flip it over.

The long the holder flips it over his head bound. And of course, K. York kicked it through the fog to win a couple years ago. Oh, that was a shoe. Oh, God. And if he doesn't throw that shoe, does Ellis Shoe get what? That was the undefeated season. No, that was the year prior. That was Joe Burris' first year.

Right. It was 2020. So Florida, probably Florida's best team under Dan Mullin. I think that was the end of Dan Mullin. I think that that moment is where it all started unraveling. And of course, who can forget 2021 when was it their former trainer?

Why am I blanking on his name? He makes bats. Yeah, Jack Marucci says, Hey, there's this play that they're really susceptible to. You should probably run it like 17 times in a row. And it was, it was just a counter. And he's just destroyed him with it. That's it. He sits back in the lab back there running analytics.

And sometimes it's as simple as hey, just run that counter on them all day long and you'll be good. But yeah, now that you think now that you say that lag, Wayne Tiger Stadium is gonna be great. And now that I mentioned it, that of the SEC returning quarterbacks, LSU has got to play Vandy in South Carolina. I know it's it's ridiculous. He started last year. He's at Auburn and you open with Club Nick.

And they also play Oklahoma at the end of the season. And honestly, like we did an Oklahoma show on Monday, we don't we have no idea what Oklahoma will be. I'm pretty confident job. Here is going to be good, but I just I don't know what the line is going to be. Their receivers are basically all transfers, except for Dion Burks, who's coming off an injury like that's.

Who knows at that point in the season? What's going on? So there's a lot of intrigue this year in Baton Rouge. The more I look at that schedule, the more I realize what I remembered during a season is there is nothing for free in the SEC. Like you just don't know. No. The Arkansas coming to them could be so many different things. Could be a team with an interim coach. Could be a team saving its coach like who knows at that point. When last year, oh you at the end of the year when you put the schedule out it was like they just beat Alabama.

That's a tough way to end it right and then you get through the season and everyone on our team got hurt. They played quarterback kind of the wheel of it all year and LSU just kind of kicks the crap out of them and no one thinks anything of it but before the season everyone was like well I think they'll probably they could always lose that last one. I thought when they lost to Florida because you know the way they lost to Alabama was as bad as it gets at home just kind of not showing up in a game you got to have. That was the week I that was the only game last year I could not remember exactly how it played out and I looked it up yesterday and I was like, oh my god, I forgot it was like 45 to

ten or something. They just it was awful like they could not stop J. Lamar at all and then but then they go lose to Florida and you're like, okay, they might just bag it and I thought that was the the part that impressed me with with Brian Kelly and his staff last year, is it could have all fallen apart right there. And they did come back and win those last two, which were not gimmies. And I think that probably was two of the more important weeks in Brian Kelly's LSU tenor. And I think it allows them to kind of have a springboard this year.

Yeah, very similar fashion. We mentioned they've lost all these openers like during the Kelly kind of run here, what the floor I guess the A&M game was like five games in the last year, but they went from oh and one to like six and one in all of those years to where it didn't like completely derail you out the gates. So resiliency is not something that I've had anyone's had to question under the Kelly era at LSU. It's just been, do you have the talent? And look, having Jayden Daniels at quarterback can mask a lot of deficiencies for you. And thus the same, but as Kelly said at SEC or the SEC meetings, coaches meetings down in Destin,

As Kelly said at SEC or the SEC meetings, coaches meetings down in Destin, it's his best roster. So the thought is that should take you to, if you have one 10 before you should be able to do it again. Which is easy to say. Not even asking for 12 and a year. 10 and two, that'll do it. That'll do it. Shay, thank you so much.

We need, we should do a full. Oh need we should still afford. Oh, listen that we we just need to just come on and trade LSU Florida stories and I go go find the greats like grab Hester talk to him grab Steve Spurrier who played some pretty memorable FSU or LSU Florida games in the in the 60s. All of those guys, it would be fantastic. So I yeah, I'm I'm I'm down for that in a final game Spurrier ever coached was in Tiger Stadium for South Carolina.

No better place to hang it up after that. It was it was time it was yeah. Shea, thank you so much. See any.