2020 LSU Tigers football team

The 2020 LSU Tigers football team represented Louisiana State University in the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Tigers played their home games at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and competed in the West Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). They were led by fourth year head coach Ed Orgeron.

2020 LSU Tigers football
ConferenceSoutheastern Conference
DivisionWest Division
2020 record5–5 (5–5 SEC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorSteve Ensminger (3rd season)
Offensive schemeSpread
Defensive coordinatorBo Pelini (4th overall; 1st since 2007 season)
Home stadiumTiger Stadium (Capacity: 102,321)
2020 Southeastern Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
Team W L    W L 
East Division
No. 13 Florida x  8 –2     8 –4  
No. 7 Georgia  7 –2     8 –2  
Missouri  5 –5     5 –5  
Kentucky  4 –6     5 –6  
Tennessee  3 –7     3 –7  
South Carolina  2 –8     2 –8  
Vanderbilt  0 –9     0 –9  
West Division
No. 1 Alabama x$#  10 –0     13 –0  
No. 4 Texas A&M  8 –1     9 –1  
Auburn  6 –4     6 –5  
LSU*  5 –5     5 –5  
Ole Miss  4 –5     5 –5  
Mississippi State  3 –7     4 –7  
Arkansas  3 –7     3 –7  
Championship: Alabama 52, Florida 46
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • * – ineligible for postseason due to self imposed ban
    Note: Due to COVID-19, the SEC will play a conference-only schedule.
Rankings from AP Poll.

The season was not an easy one for LSU, who were the defending national champions. After starting the year with a stunning home loss to Mississippi State, the Tigers were only able to string together five wins. In addition to losing a record 14 players to the NFL draft the year before, All-American wide receiver, Ja'Marr Chase, opted out of play before the season. The Tigers also lost their starting quarterback, Myles Brennan, three games in and had to rely on true freshmen, TJ Finley and Max Johnson, for the remainder of the year. In spite of these obstacles, the Tigers managed to end the season on a positive note with wins over sixth-ranked Florida and Ole Miss, the former as a 24-point underdog. By comparison, LSU had already eclipsed more losses by their seventh game of the season than they had in all of 2018 and 2019 combined. Still, the victories over Florida and Ole Miss allowed LSU to avert its first losing season since 1999, when the Tigers went 3–8. The .500 season is the first for LSU since a 5–5–1 ledger in 1974.

On December 9, LSU announced a self-imposed bowl ban for the 2020 season. Although the Tigers did not finish the season with six wins, the NCAA removed bowl eligibility requirements for the 2020 bowl season.[1] This self-imposed bowl ban was enacted due to the ongoing NCAA investigation at LSU.[2]

Previous season

LSU began the year ranked sixth in the preseason AP Poll, and were projected to finish in second in the SEC West behind Alabama. In 2019, the Tigers secured an undefeated regular season that included wins over top-ten-ranked teams Texas, Florida, Auburn, and Alabama. In the SEC Championship Game, LSU defeated Georgia to win their first conference title since 2011. LSU was ranked No. 1 in the final College Football Playoff rankings of the season, earning them a spot in the national semi-final game to be played at the Peach Bowl. They dominated fourth-ranked Oklahoma in that game, 63–28, to advance to the CFP Championship Game. There, they defeated the defending national champions Clemson, 42–25, to secure LSU's fourth claimed national title in school history, the second undefeated champion in the CFP era, and the second 15–0 season among any team in the modern era.

LSU's record-setting offense was led by senior quarterback Joe Burrow, who won the Heisman Trophy by the largest margin in the history of the award, and broke several NCAA FBS records, including most touchdown passes (60), and highest passer rating (202.0). Burrow was drafted first overall in the 2020 NFL draft. He was accompanied on offense by 1,400-yard running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire, and two 1,500-yard receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson, the former winning the Biletnikoff Award as the best wide receiver in the country. LSU's defense was anchored by two All-American defensive backs in Jim Thorpe Award winner Grant Delpit and true freshman Derek Stingley Jr., while Linebacker Jacob Phillips led the SEC in tackles. Burrow, Edwards-Helaire, and Jefferson were drafted in the first round of the 2020 draft, Delpit was drafted in the second round, while Phillips went in the third. Both Chase and Stingley were not yet eligible to declare for the 2020 draft. Head coach Ed Orgeron was awarded several national Coach of the Year honors.

Preseason

SEC Media Days

In the preseason media poll, LSU was predicted to finish in second in the West Division behind Alabama. LSU received the second-most votes (tied with Georgia) to win the SEC Championship Game.[3]

Schedule

LSU Tigers announced its 2020 football schedule on August 7, 2019. The 2020 schedule consists of 7 home, 4 away, and 1 neutral site game in the regular season.

The Tigers had games scheduled against Nicholls, Rice, Texas, and UTSA, which were all canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[4][5][6]

DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendance
September 262:30 p.m.Mississippi StateNo. 6
  • Tiger Stadium
  • Baton Rouge, LA (rivalry)
CBSL 34–4421,124
October 37:30 p.m.at VanderbiltNo. 20
SECNW 41–72,000
October 1011:00 a.m.at MissouriNo. 17
SECN Alt.L 41–4510,013
October 246:00 p.m.South Carolina
  • Tiger Stadium
  • Baton Rouge, LA
ESPNW 52–2421,855
October 312:30 p.m.at Auburn
CBSL 11–4817,490
November 2111:00 a.m.at Arkansas
SECNW 27–2416,500
November 286:00 p.m.at No. 5 Texas A&M
ESPNL 7–2023,607
December 57:00 p.m.No. 1 Alabama
  • Tiger Stadium
  • Baton Rouge, LA (rivalry)
CBSL 17–5522,349
December 12[b]6:00 p.m.at No. 6 Florida
ESPNW 37–3416,610
December 192:30 p.m.Ole Miss
SECNW 53–4821,905
^[a] The game between LSU and Missouri was originally scheduled to take place in Baton Rouge. However, in light of Hurricane Delta, the game was moved to Columbia, Missouri.
^[b] The game between LSU and Florida was originally scheduled to take place on October 17. However, due to COVID-19 management requirements in response to positive tests and subsequent quarantine of individuals within the Florida program, the game was rescheduled for December 12.[7]
Schedule Source:[8]

Personnel

Coaching staff

Current staff as of February 10, 2020

Head Coach Ed Orgeron
Name Position
Ed OrgeronHead coach
Steve EnsmingerOffensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach
Bo PeliniDefensive coordinator/linebackers coach
Scott LinehanPassing game coordinator
James CreggOffensive line coach/running game coordinator
Mickey JosephWide receivers coach/assistant head coach
Kevin FaulkRunning backs coach
Bill JohnsonDefensive line coach
Corey RaymondCornerbacks coach/recruiting coordinator
Bill BuschSafeties coach
Greg McMahonSpecial teams coordinator
Tommy MoffittStrength and conditioning coordinator

Rankings
Further information: 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings
Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking.
NR = Not ranked. RV = Received votes. т = Tied with team above or below. ( ) = First place votes.
Week
Poll Pre 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Final 
AP 6 (1) 6* 6 (1) 6 (1) 20 17 RV  
Coaches 5 5* 5 (3) 5 (1) 17 16 RV  
CFP Not released Not released

References
  1. "DI Council approves football bowl eligibility requirements waiver". NCAA.org (Press release). October 14, 2020. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  2. Scarborough, Alex. "LSU football self-imposes one-year bowl ban for 2020 season". ESPN. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
  3. "Preseason SEC media poll, All-SEC Team announced". SECSports.com. Southeastern Conference. September 23, 2020.
  4. Talty, John. "SEC moves to conference-only 2020 schedule, pushes back start of season". AL.com. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  5. Dellenger, Ross. "Sources: SEC Adopts Conference-Only Schedule With Sept. 26 Start". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  6. Dellenger, Ross (7 August 2020). "SEC's New Schedule: Winners, Losers and... Mizzou". si.com. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  7. LSU at Florida Football Game Postponed
  8. "2020 LSU Tigers Football Schedule". FB Schedules. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
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