SEC Football: 6 biggest takeaways from the first 6 weeks of 2023 season

2. It will take LSU longer to hang with the top teams

LSU began the year ranked No. 5 in the preseason AP Poll — that reality feels distant.

At the midway point, the Tigers have two losses on their record, and despite securing a big comeback win against a ranked Missouri team, the defense remains a question mark.

Giving up over 1,200 yards and 94 points in the past two weeks is not something a team in playoff contention does.

But as far as the long term outlook for the program is concerned, it was not going to happen overnight.

Brian Kelly arrived last year in what felt like an odd couple. He gained an accent, starting dancing with recruits, and even defeated Alabama on a 2-point conversion.

All was right in Baton Rouge, but perhaps expectations were too high for 2023. And perhaps it is too early to compare Kelly and LSU to some of the top programs in SEC football.

Kirby Smart had success early at Georgia and Nick Saban rose to the top in his third year, but for LSU it appears that they are more on the level of Tennessee rather than Georgia and Alabama — for now.