Today we will preview the #6 LSU tigers. Last years national champs have had a lot to celebrate the last few years. This team is a perennial national championship contender. Coach Les Miles has been one of the most successful coaches since taking over as head coach. After winning two national championships in five years under two different coaches, the expectations are higher than ever at LSU, and anything less than national-title contention will be seen as a disappointment in some circles. Last years team was lead by many seniors and there are many wholes to fill in to get back to the championship game. The process of building a national championship contender is the key. The Tigers have enough talent to win it all again, but last year's team proved that talent is never enough in and of itself. It takes a level of leadership, chemistry and commitment that separates the champions from the contenders. LSU's 2007 seniors possessed those qualities. Only time will tell if this year's veterans will be equal to the task, especially if the Tigers lose a painful game or two, as they did with last year's triple-overtime losses to Kentucky and Arkansas.

Offensively the Tigers must replace there starting and backup qb off last years team. That leaves the Tigers with only one returning quarterback who even threw a pass in a game, and junior Andrew Hatch. The well-traveled Hatch's story is interesting. He was MVP of Crowton's quarterback camp at BYU and signed with BYU out of high school. When Crowton was forced to resign, Hatch transferred to Harvard but never got on the field after suffering a knee injury during a two-year LDS mission in Chile. When Hatch found out Crowton was at LSU, he decided to follow him to Baton Rouge. This is definitely a huge question mark but most of the coaches think he can step in and give them the same as last year’s qb. The Tigers aren't short on candidate to replace Hester's 1,103 yards and 12 touchdowns. Just don't expect all of that to come from one back. Instead, look for the Tigers to mix and match junior Charlie Scott, junior Keiland Williams and sophomore Richard Murphy, depending on the situation and who has the hot hand. Even without Early Doucet, the receiving corps will help out the new man under center. Brandon LaFell could emerge as the new top receiver if he can get over his habit of dropping passes and Demetrius Byrd is a threat to score every time the ball is thrown in his direction. The offensive line should be strong this year, having three returning starters and two others with significant playing time. Early in the season the offensive group could struggle but should improve greatly as the season continues.

Defensively they are going to be very strong this season. Even with the loss of tackle Glenn Dorsey, the defensive line will be one of the best in the nation. Ends Tyson Jackson and Kirston Pittman are back and will cause plenty of havoc in the opponent’s backfield. At tackle Marlon Favorite, Ricky Jean-Francois and Al Woods will not be quite as productive as Dorsey, but those three will make a name for themselves this year. The line will not have a problem replacing Dorsey, but what about replacing linebackers Ali Highsmith and Luke Sanders? Or corners Chevis Jackson and Jonathan Zeno? Or safety Craig Steltz? Sure LSU will reload, but there will be a lot of inexperienced players at important positions. Darry Beckwith will have another great season after earning second-team All-SEC accolades last year, but Kelvin Sheppard and Perry Riley need to step up if the LSU linebackers expect to be as good as they were last year. The biggest issue will be upholding the nation’s ninth best pass defense. Corners Jai Eugene and Chris Hawkins are the probable starters, but freshmen Ron Brooks and Phelon Jones are not giving up too easily. Eugene has amazing speed, but the opposition will certainly test him often until he can prove that he is capable of covering the best receivers in the SEC. Look for this squad to be amazing this year. There athletic talent should cover for their lack of experience!

The Tigers have a lot of whole left from departing seniors. But don’t look for them to fall to far. They are definitely going to be in the SEC championship game again this year. The foundation is strong, especially on both lines, and the talent at the skill positions is impressive. If the Tigers find and develop the right quarterbacks and cornerbacks, they'll be hard to beat once again this season. Look for the tigers to only lose one game this year. Will be one of three teams that will fight to play in BCS game again.

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