We are one day from the season opener. One little day. The end — or, more accurately, the beginning, as in sight. With that in mind, let's take one final look back at 2020. (Yes, we really ought to.) It's fairly obvious the Tigers struggled on defense last season. It was pretty bad. Ed Orgeron is banking on it, having hired Daronte Jones to work the unit back into shape. Still, even if the defense improves, don't expect a 2011-style team that crushes opponents from start to finish. As our own Wilson Alexander, college football isn't built that way anymore. You want predictions for LSU-UCLA? Oh, of course you do. And oh, do we have them. Our crew is back, ready make picks and go 100% on the season. (Yeah, right.) If you want to see picks from Scott Rabalais, Wilson Alexander, Sheldon Mickles and sports betting and gaming director Zach Ewing, here you go. Remember, for entertainment purposes only. Sheldon Mickles is also back with three UCLA players to keep an eye on, as well. And if you're lucky enough to have power, and if you've got a chance to watch some college football this weekend, Sheldon's got you covered with the top five games to watch. By the way, in case you missed it, the line for LSU-UCLA has made a significant move this week. The Tigers opened as 4½-point favorites last week, but the number has moved to 3, probably because of two factors: 1) UCLA looked strong last week against Hawaii (admittedly a weak opponent), and 2) the LSU team, obviously, had quite a hectic week leading up to this game. To our paying subscribers: Stick with our team, and thank you for supporting our sportswriters’ work. Better yet, support all our great journalists who have done EXTRAORDINARY work during and after Hurricane Ida. If you’re not already, please consider becoming a digital subscriber and continue to support our journalism. Click here for a special offer from us. As a paying subscriber, you'll enjoy full access to our award-winning coverage, faster-loading web pages with fewer ads and much more. Until next time, Perryn Keys |