LSU Football: 3 reasons the Tigers will struggle in 2020

LSU football won a national championship a year ago, but most of the key players from that squad are now gone. The Tigers face an uphill battle in 2020.

It may seem a bit pessimistic to be suggesting LSU will struggle, given that they just finished an undefeated season that was capped off by a dominant performance over the prior year’s champion. However, as LSU taught Clemson firsthand, defending the title is just as hard as winning it. In fact, it’s probably even tougher.

The path for LSU to get back is going to be much more difficult than Clemson’s was, though. Obviously, the ACC is at an all-time low in terms of football depth, while Ed Orgeron’s Tigers will have to go through a murderer’s row at the top of the SEC.

Additionally, Clemson kept most of the key pieces in place. Sure, they lost some huge defensive pieces, but head coach, quarterback and both coordinators remained in place. LSU, on the other hand, saw several key departures after their victory in the national championship.

This season will be the ultimate test for Orgeron. Can he, like Nick Saban in his division, survive the endless coaching turnover and increased rate of players leaving early for the NFL?

With coordinators and key players all over the offense and defense gone, and a tough slate of games in front of him, it’s unlikely in 2020.