With a rise in level of play comes a rise in expectations. It’s a tale as old as time, and it’s something coach Brian Kelly’s squad is set to face in a major way in 2023. In 2022, the Tigers came into the year unranked with relatively few, if any, expectations. However, LSU football excelled and made it to the SEC Championship. Now, heading into Kelly’s second year with the program, expectations have shifted, and star tight end Mason Taylor recently broke down how the team is handling it.
Coach Brian Kelly is facing plenty of new challenges as head coach of LSU football
When coach Brian Kelly was hired on as the new head coach of LSU football, no one quite knew what to expect. He spent over a decade at Notre Dame in his previous tenure, and while he was largely successful, his teams could never seem to get over the hump.
He frequently turned out 10+ win seasons and even took the Fighting Irish to multiple national championships. The issue was more surrounding the fact that he couldn’t win the big one.
Notably, Notre Dame is an “Independent” and doesn’t technically belong to a conference, so there was plenty of unknown about Brian Kelly’s teams in South Bend, IN.
However, things have changed now that he’s in Baton Rouge. SEC expectations are on another level, especially for a school like LSU, which has won a national championship – or four.
Star tight end Mason Taylor understands the shift in expectations heading into 2023
Even with everything facing coach Kelly, it’s important to remember that expectations face more than just him. It’s on everyone within the program, but the players appear ready to approach the plate and face it head-on. Star tight end Mason Taylor recently spoke on how the team is handling things and where his expectations stand.
“Yeah, it is a little bit more amped up, but at the end of the day, we’ve got to block that out and control what we can control and take it step by step and be where your feet are.”
“At the end of the day, if we win every single game, we’re in the SEC Championship,” star LSU football tight end Mason Taylor explained.
Furthermore, after being unranked heading into 2022, things have shifted, and the Tigers are No. 5 in college football ahead of 2023, according to the annual preseason AP poll.
Even with the way the media now views this team, things haven’t changed. Taylor and the rest of LSU football understand that taking things one game at a time could be the key to ultimately getting them to their goals.
“I mean, I’ll say, just take it slow; I mean, if I just do what I do every single game, I’ll be fine. At the end of the game, it’s a team sport. I’m not really worried about my individual goals. Other than that, I just want to win the natty, and anything less than that is not acceptable here.”
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