Spring football is over. The transfer portal is closed. The calendar reads June. You know what that means? College football is almost here. It has now been five months since Michigan took down Washington in the national championship game in Houston, and we have made it through the hardest part of the offseason. We are well past the halfway point, and now, there's nothing but excitement to get us to the finish line. We are less than three months away from the start of the college football season, and LSU football is ready. Tigers fans can't wait to see their team take the field for the first time.
The 2024 college football season is shaping up to be one of the most exciting seasons in a long time, and it's because of all the changes that are coming to the game in 2024. Let's start with the expanded College Football Playoff.
It's going to be interesting to see how the first year of the new 12-team College Football Playoff goes. The four-team playoff era is over, and having eight more teams make it is going to make a huge difference.
First of all, college football fans can breathe a little bit easier during the regular season. There's no worse feeling as a fan than seeing your team lose a huge game in the first weeks of the season before conference play even starts. In the four-team playoff era, that's as demoralizing as it gets. You know that one more loss is the nail in the coffin, and even with one loss (or in Florida State's case, zero), there is no guarantee that you will make it. Now, power five teams that go 10-2 should be pretty safe, and even some 9-3 teams will likely be able to make it.
The other big change is more football and a longer season. The College Football Playoff committee recently released the schedule for the 2024 playoff, and it is going to be an exciting month. Instead of three total playoff games played in the span of a week, we will get to see 11 games spread out over the span of a month. That is going to be a lot of fun.
Another huge change to the college football world this year will be with the new conferences. The Pac-12 is gone as everyone except for Oregon State and Washington State found a new home. USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington are now in the Big Ten, Cal and Stanford moved to the ACC, and Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah are in the Big 12.
The Big 12 did lose two teams, however, as Oklahoma and Texas are making the move over to the SEC.
All in all, big changes are coming to college football, and it should make for an exciting season. Things are going to look different, and not everyone is a fan of the new changes, but there is going to more football and more good matchups. That's a plus.
Can LSU football get back to the College Football Playoff
The 2019 LSU football team is arguably the best team of the four-team playoff era. Joe Burrow led the way, and the Tigers finished with a 15-0 record and dominated their way to a national championship. That was the only season that LSU has made the playoff, however. They have had some good teams the past couple of years under head coach Brian Kelly, but not quite playoff caliber. With the playoff expanding to 12 teams, it will be easier for the Tigers to get in this year.
Now that 12 teams are getting in, the target win total for SEC teams should be 10 wins. It's certainly possible to get in with less, and a team that wins 10 games could be left out. However, looking at the format of things, it seems like 10 wins from a team playing in one of the top two conferences in college football will be in.
LSU football has a tough schedule as the SEC is loaded with tough teams, but they have a decent draw compared to other teams. They do have a tricky non-conference game against USC in Las Vegas to start the year, and they also play another Big Ten school in week four as UCLA will come to town (that whole sentence sounds weird, right?). In conference play, the Tigers have Ole Miss and Alabama, but they avoid Georgia and Texas. The Bulldogs and Longhorns are expected to be the two best teams in the conference, and maybe even the country as well.
The Tigers have a lot of upperclassmen that are expected to start next season, but a lot of people are also expecting some sophomores and even freshman to earn starting roles. Either way, if this LSU team is going to win big next season, they will need some players to step up. They should get that from a lot of their veteran players, but here is one younger guy that could make some noise for the Tigers in 2024.
Aaron Anderson, WR
Aaron Anderson just finished up his redshirt freshman season, and it was a productive one. A lot of redshirt freshman still spend the year on the bench, but he found a way to get on the field a decent amount and he gained a lot of experience. That should set him up well in 2024. Last year was Anderson's first year with the Tigers as he transferred over from Alabama.
Last season, Aaron Anderson hauled in 12 receptions for 59 yards and zero touchdowns. It wasn't a big year by any means, but Anderson made strides, and he is now expected to be a starting wide receiver for LSU football in 2024.
One big thing that will affect Aaron Anderson's 2024 campaign is quarterback play. LSU football was fortunate to have the Heisman winner last year as Jayden Daniels was the best player in college football, but the torch has been passed to Garrett Nussmeier. It's rare that a QB immediately comes in with no growing pains during their first season as a starter, so that's something to keep an eye on.
If Aaron Anderson gets good QB play, he should be able to have a big year. He got year one under his belt, and he is ready to make year two a season to remember.
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