EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the 11th in the series previewing the 2018 football season.
With two games left in the season, LSU could be either on the bring of an exciting finish or limping to a disappointing conclusion.
The Tigers are favored to win in five games: Southeastern, Louisiana Tech, Ole Miss, Arkansas and then Rice on Nov. 17.
LSU would need a win somewhere else along the way to finish at worst 6-6.
Many Tigers fans are hoping for a 10-2 record with losses to only Georgia and Alabama, but I’m not confident heading into the season that LSU will win more than eight games.
But Rice is definitely a done deal for the Tigers.
The Owls are only picked to win against Prairie View in the season opener and against Texas El Paso on Nov. 3.
New head coach Mike Bloogren is taking over an 1-11 program and his task is formidable.
Bloomgren inherits a squad with decent speed and assets he can work with — the components of a nice run game, attackers on defense, but they won’t win many games to start.
A 4-8 record for 2018 may be where the Owls finish.
Louisiana-Lafayette is taking on South Alabama and by Nov. 17 the season’s progress would have been well documented.
The Jaguars have a new head coach with Steve Campbell – who replaced program builder Joey Jones.
His playmakers are Tyree Turner and Riley Cole defensively, and offensively, with quarterbacks Cole Garvin and Cephus Johnson and Jamarius Way leading the offense.
Jamarius Way is a telented wide receiver.
They are putting in new offense, new defense, new kicking game, new head coach, new offensive coordinator, new defensive coordinator and new special teams coordinator.
But by the game with the Cajuns, USA could have gotten progessively better.
Other games of interest on Nov. 17 include Tulane at Houston, UL Monroe at Arkansas State, Louisiana Tech at Southern Miss, Southeastern at Nicholls, Northwestern at Stephen F. Austin, Lamar at McNeese.
Southern and Grambling have the week off in preparation for the Bayou Classic and perhaps the SWAC West title.