Following three-straight seasons of at least 11 wins including winning the 2007 National Championship, LSU and head coach Les Miles appeared to be a lock for a top 10 ranking and double-digit win seasons for years to come.
Two years later, however, the Tigers are coming off two underachieving seasons in which they won just eight games in 2008 and nine last season.
The SEC powerhouse is approaching the 2010 season as an opportunity to get back to national dominance. It's not going to be easy, though, as LSU kicks off its season against North Carolina and then enters its league schedule with contests against Vanderbilt and Mississippi State.
West Virginia will meet the Tigers Sept. 25 in both teams' fourth game of the year.
While the Mountaineer offense is filled with plenty of potential playmakers, LSU is currently in search of a standout offensive weapon after losing running back Charles Scott who led the team with 542 yards rushing and four touchdowns last season.
One of the Tigers' lone returning playmakers from the 2009 season is quarterback Jordan Jefferson, who completed 61.5 percent of his pass attempts as a sophomore.
Jefferson won't have his favorite target, however, after receiver Brandon LaFell was selected in the third round of the 2010 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans. The loss of the second-team All-SEC selection is especially troublesome for Miles, as LaFell was one of the team's only offensive threats on one of the nation's worst offenses.
The Tigers ended the 2009 season 112th nationally in total offense, but thanks to one of the nation's best defensive units, LSU still managed a 9-4 season and a second-place finish in the SEC West. The Tigers finished 17th in the final polls despite a 19-17 loss to Penn State in the Capital One Bowl.
The favorite to replace Scott at tailback is sophomore Richard Murphy, who missed most of the 2009 season after suffering a knee injury, and junior Stevan Ridley, who rushed for 109 yards and a score in the team's spring game.
"I like what's going on on that side of the ball," Miles said of the offense. "We're better than we've been."
Wide receiver Terrence Toliver, at 6-foot-5, will likely be the Tigers' go-to target this season after hauling in 53 catches for 735 yards and three scores last season. Former quarterback Russell Shepard will once again serve in a do-it-all role for Miles after seeing time under center, at running back and receiver as a freshman in 2009.
His role is even expected to be increased after the hiring of new receivers coach and passing game coordinator Billy Gonzales, who worked with former Florida standout Percy Harvin.
The Tigers return three of five offensive linemen including guards Josh Dqoraczyk and Joe Barksdale and center T-Bob Hebert. Hebert, however, is
currently suspended from the team following his arrest April 30. Hebert started 11 games at center for the Tigers in 2010, but after suffering a broken bone in his lower leg during spring football, will be challenged by sophomore Patrick Lonergan for the starting spot.
The defensive side will once again carry the Tigers, however, despite only returning four starters from last year's top 10 squad. Linebacker Kelvin Sheppard returns to lead the unit one season off of his 103-tackle season. Sheppard recorded at least seven tackles in all but two games last season and had 13 tackles in three-consecutive games.
Safety Brandon Taylor and cornerback Patrick Peterson return to lead the secondary, which finished 29th nationally in pass defense last season.
The defensive line lost three starters, but the unit may be the strongest aspect of the team. The Tigers return senior Lazarius Levingston at defensive end while the team's top-10 recruiting class is highlighted by J.R. Ferguson and Jordan Allen.
West Virginia will have to play at one of the most feared places in the nation – 92,400-seat Tiger Stadium.
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