Are we much better off?

our SEC ranks in 2015

5th in total offense

8th in scoring offense

9th in red zone TD

11th in passing



SEC ranks as of today:

12th in total offense

10th in scoring offense

14th in Red Zone TDs

12th in passing offense


total offense rankings:

2015: 39th

2016: 59th

2017: 54th

2017: 104th

according to Ed the scheme is fine just need better players

FIFY

Statistics are tricky things. 3 years, or data point, may or may not be a referendum and it certainly isn't enough to define a trend. Go back just one more year, to the 2014 season and overall, LSU was #77 in TO, 73 in SO, and 87 in the RZ. That season the #1 ranked RZ offense was North Texas who finished the season 4-8.

I guess I'm also interested in why you went with SEC-only ranks and then jumped to national comparisons. In 2015 at this point in the season, LSU was 7-1 (would have been 8 if not for weather). They had played teams with the following Total Defense rankings, 71 (Auburn), 56 (Moo U), 98 (Syracuse), 122 (Eastern Michigan), 94 (Sakerlina), 72 (Western Kentucky). Florida was a statement win as they had a top 10 defense and the only loss was to Bama with the #3 ranked D.

By comparison this season with a 7-2 record, LSU has faced teams with the following Total Defense rankings, 2 (Miami), 36 (Auburn), 47 (LaTech), 124 (Ole Piss), 34 (Florida), 13 (Georgia), 6 (Moo U), and since Southeast Louisiana is FCS there is no ranking. To me it looks like the your schedule this season has resulted in playing teams with much better defenses than 2015. That's why snapshot statistics are typically only helpful for coaches to review.

I can't take credit for the stats - courtesy of Nootch. However, the national ranking just illustrates the point - I do not see us as "better".

Would you have predicted that at this point we would be 7-2 and in the top 10?
Still a good shot at winning 10 games and playing in a New Year's 6 bowl.

I am as concerned as anybody else about the offense but those issues won't be fixed this season. It will be interesting to see what Oeaux does about the OC job next season.

I'm not convinced that a new OC will result in an immediate improvement in our O. I think we need better players, particularly in the O line.

Have you looked at the 2019 oline recruits? There’s 6 total: 1 five star & 3 four star. They probably won’t have a real impact until the 2020 season, but it looks to be a big step in the right direction.

I don't follow recruiting. How were O line starters ranked when they signed with LSU?

If I am not mistaken, we had a down year that year because we lost a boatload of players (juniors) to the NFL, but I could be off a year