Greg McElroy explains why Brian Kelly can win a national championship at LSU

On3 imageby:On3 Staff Report02/10/23

LSU might have finished the 2022 season with four losses, but it was a riveting campaign for many following along with the Tigers. It’s got some already thinking national championship with Brian Kelly at the helm.

Because by no stretch of the imagination did many people expect the Tigers to win the SEC West a year ago. And Kelly is only building further.

In fact, in a recent mailbag question asking whether Brian Kelly at LSU, Lincoln Riley at USC or Marcus Freeman at Notre Dame was more likely to win a national title first, ESPN analyst Greg McElroy didn’t hesitate when picking Kelly.

“It’s partly because of the place that he’s at,” McElroy explained. “If you look at how they overachieved so significantly in year No. 1, no expectations were there for Brian Kelly. Picked to finish fifth in the West, beat Bama, got things taken care of. And the fact that his previous three coaches at LSU, Nick Saban in 2003, Les Miles in 2007 and obviously Ed Orgeron in 2019. Three previous coaches all won national championships and almost got to a handful, as well. Les Miles got there in 2011.”

In other words, access isn’t an issue if you have success.

Recruiting is also typically strong at LSU, with a hotbed of talent that the Tigers have mostly drawn a fence around in the state.

“This is a program that has consistently been at the top of college football,” McElroy said. “Now you get a guy that maximizes the roster? I think they’re in a pretty good spot.”

Can LSU with Brian Kelly win a national championship?

One thing McElroy was quick to point out was that for as much success as LSU had in Year 1 under Brian Kelly, it’s not like the Tigers didn’t have their own hardships.

The starting offensive line was massively banged up through the middle stretch of the season. And the defense also took some hits.

“Remember, they lost their best player in the first game of the year, in the first series on defense,” McElroy said. “Maason Smith, he is their best player and was lost for the year on like the fourth defensive snap of the year.

“Well he comes back, now teamed up with Harold Perkins, you got an anchor on the inside, an anchor on the outside. And they’re going to be great on defense, Jayden Daniels is back. I think they’ve got a chance to make a run at it, maybe not this year but at some point probably in the very near future.”

Putting a bow on the conversation, McElroy left no doubt about his pick among the three head coaches listed in that mailbag question.

“I think Brian Kelly would be the first one that I think can get it done, understands complimentary football enough to get it done,” he said.