Vacations tend to alter the demeanor of the participants; people tend to lose their inhibitions and loosen up. However, the same can be said about the effects of confidence. Thanks to either the Destin beaches or the talented roster, LSU’s Brian Kelly recently talked openly on the Paul Finebaum show about his expectations for the 2025 Tigers. The relaxed and candid Kelly also weighed in on approaching tough schedules and playoff selection.
Brian Kelly Embraces Pressure, Weighs in on Playoffs
Kelly is High on LSU
“I’m bullish on this team as well. And look, every coach that’s here believes they’ve got the best team they’ve ever had. We know our roster. This is the best roster that we’ve put together. It’s part of a process that has taken a little more time than we wanted, but we’re doing it the right way. And we’re pretty excited about what our football team looks like.”
Kelly responded to Finebaum’s mention of the excitement surrounding LSU by echoing the sentiment. Close followers of the program know about the offseason roster improvements. Regardless, some coaches would prefer to temper the expectations and use the television appearance to remind the team to focus on the process rather than the results. Kelly chose to invite the pressure. His quarterback is probably one reason he’s speaking freely.
Can Nussmeier Meet the Standard?
“His ability to overcome some of the setbacks that he had. Win our last three games, where he really played at a high level. That’s gonna continue…then, he’s got arm talent and anticipation. He can make those tight window throws that the NFL coaches really really like and GM’s. I think he’s the complete package when it comes to that.”
The head man at LSU didn’t shy away from the fact that Garrett Nussmeier struggled at times last year, but Kelly admired how Nussmeier responded. Earned or not, there’s a natural expectation of progression as a second-year starter. The rising senior has a skillset that makes him special if he matures from the neck up.
LSU’s Week One Wipeouts
“It is a challenge, there’s no doubt. But everybody’s got challenges. And now we’ve got to rise up to that challenge of playing a great team. And Dabo’s done an incredible job there. This could be one of the most talented teams he’s had, but we believe that we’ve put a football team together that can go on the road. And when you go on the road, Paul, in this league, you’ve gotta be better defensively. And that’s really the key here. We are going to be better defensively. Blake has got some weapons now on the defensive side of the ball.”
The confidence in the Baton Rouge air is currently as prominent and inescapable as the humidity. But if Kelly loses his fourth consecutive season opener, LSU will once again enter its SEC schedule with little to no room for error to ensure a spot in the playoffs. A good team won’t skate through the conference with only one loss. It will take a dominant team.
Kelly Talks Playoffs
“You know, when I was at Notre Dame, we played for the national championship, and it was the old system. It was done by a computer. Today, it’s very subjective. What we’d like to see is maybe a combination of some of the analytics. Some of the strength of schedule components…I think we can streamline it a little bit more with more data. And I think the more data you have, so you’re not just looking at the right-hand column. It can’t just be about that. It’s gotta be about the best football team…if we can add a little bit of the metrics, if you will, with subjective decisions, I think we find a better place.”
We whittled this quote down as much as possible to express that Kelly pretty much agrees with his SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey – records aren’t enough when all schedules aren’t created equal. The college football playoff criteria will undoubtedly be questioned as long as the playoffs exist, but we think it’s fair to say that more data and context can only help. The problem is getting different conference leaders to agree to prioritize useful evidence over self-serving information.
Main Image: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images
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