LSU football is here. Let me say that again: LSU Tigers football ... it's finally here, and with fans in the stands.
But exactly how many Tigers fans have made the trek out to Pasadena for a date at the Rose Bowl? We'll have to wait until Saturday night to find out, but Tigers coach Ed Orgeron said he expects there to be plenty of purple and gold when he looks around the vaunted arena in something of a homecoming.
Orgeron knows the Los Angeles area well from his time at USC, but he joked that he wanted it "to be a surprise" when his players stepped off the plane into air with virtually no humidity, wondering who turned the air conditioner on. He'll take his LSU Tigers team into that building Saturday night, a stage he and the team are eager to show out on this year, in part to prove the 2020 season was an aberration, not the tradition of LSU football.
The Tigers are debuting a new offense and defense, though the offense will look familar, and has new coaches and assistants up and down the roster. Will that solve the big-play debacles that loomed large in last year's 5-5 campaign? It all starts Saturday night.
WHO: 11 LSU (0-0) at UCLA (1-0)
WHEN: 7:30 p.m. (CST)
WHERE: The Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California
TV: FOX
Scroll below for the top five things I'm watching for in LSU football's home opener Saturday evening against UCLA at the Rose Bowl.
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BIG STAGE, WHO DIS?
Ed Orgeron has said repeatedly that elements of this 2021 LSU roster remind him of 2019. He's tried to recreate that offense with Joe Brady understudies Jake Peetz and DJ Mangas. But what this LSU team will have to do first: Prove it's got what it takes on the big stage.
In big moments and on big stages last season, this team often looked like a deer in the headlights. Defenders blew assignments and the Tigers were gashed for big play after big play. Whether it was due to being gutted by the NFL draft, the case for many title teams, or a product of an overcomplicated system, this year's team won't have the luxury of tuning up. They're thrown right into the fire, much like they were a year ago in a shootout loss to Mississippi State that foreshadowed the larger struggles to come. It was a team that didn't look ready to for big-time SEC action.
With a majority of starters returning, will this year be different? UCLA already had its tuneup against Hawaii. If the Tigers don't hit the ground running in Daronte Jones' defense, this could be a long one. I'll be looking for players performing with confidence, getting lined up correctly and putting themselves in position to make plays -- much like was the case in that 2019 season.
Orgeron said the team would be getting out onto the Rose Bowl field to practice ahead of Saturday's game, maybe he can bring a stepladder and measure the distance to the goalposts in a Tigers version of Hoosiers? Just a thought (because they're the same everywhere).
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ARE THE DB'S READY TO FIRE?
Ed Orgeron has said repeatedly that he believes his starting defensive backs in Eli Ricks and Derek Stingley Jr. are the best 1-2 punch in the country, and he's got a valid argument.
But Stingley's injury-plagued sophomore season was a big element in a struggling defense. He battled, got on the field and played well enough, but we only saw flashes of the All-American freshman who put the clamps on star receivers week after week and pulled down six interceptions. While Stingley was shut out in 2020, Ricks stepped forward with 4 interceptions of his own during an impressive freshman season.
Stingley, now in the vaunted No. 7 jersey, and Ricks have each battled what Orgeron termed to be nagging camp injuries. He said early on that both would be ready to play, and they are reportedly both in action. But are they up to speed? We'll find out quickly on Saturday.
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STOPPING THE RUN
Yes, I know I just pointed out the need for Stingley and Ricks to perform, but this week especially it'll be a key to stop the Bruins' rushing attack.
Zach Charbonnet rushed for 106 yards and 3 touchdowns on just SIX carries in UCLA's 44-10 victory over Hawaii last week. Brittain Brown rolled up 78 yards and a touchdown of his own on 13 carries. Orgeron also mentioned quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson as someone he's watching closely, yet another threat to pull the ball down and make plays with his legs.
LSU fared reasonably well against the run last season, and they'll want to set the tone early in this one. Explosive plays on the ground can be just as damaging as those in the run game. Orgeron has lauded his past rush throughout camp, particularly Ali Gaye, whom he described as "unblockable." But can he play the run on the way to the QB in the new 4-3 scheme?
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BOUTTE AND WHOSE ARMY?
In last year's thrilling win over Ole Miss in the season finale, Kayshon Boutte didn't really need much help other than that of Max Johnson tossing the ball in his general direction. He was ready to do the rest.
The freshman's 308 yards in that game broke Josh Reed's single-game record that had stood untouchable for nearly two decades. It's fair to expect a steady does of targets all season for a player who appears primed to be LSU's next superstar wideout.
Odell Beckham Jr. had Jarvis Landry. Ja'Marr Chase had Justin Jefferson. Who will be the Tigers receiver to step up into that No. 2 role?
It won't be freshman Malik Nabers this week, as he recovers from a shoulder injury. Will it be speedster Trey Palmer? Spring game star Jontre Kirklin? Koy Moore? Devonta Lee? Jaray Jenkins? Auditions are open. It's just a matter of who lands the role ... and what they do with it.
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MAX POWER?
Of course one of these has to be the quarterback.
Max Johnson's dad, Super Bowl champion Brad Johnson, has a thriving TikTok trick shot brand with the slogan "first try, first take."
In Max's first try he upset Florida. In his second try he outgunned Ole Miss. Was that the real Max Johnson, or was it like the movie magic you'll see on a lot of TikTok videos?
The offseason quarterback battle with Myles Brennan was likely to answer some of those questions, but a freak injury left the elder passer with a broken arm and decided that competition before it started. There's no reason to think the left isn't the creative, athletic leader he showed late last season. But it's often easier to perform when the expectations aren't cranked up as high. Can he do it again with the lights shining at their brightest? Joe Burrow faced similar questions before his dynamo season in 2019 that ended with a national title, a Heisman trophy and the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft.
Those are some big shoes to fill, but hey ... it's LSU. And if he does put them on, he'll probably put the left one on first. It all starts here.
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Follow Jeff Nowak on Twitter @Jeff_Nowak or contact him by email at jeffrey.nowak@audacy.com