OK, kiddos, settle in and gather around the tailgate.

It’s time for the annual LSU preseason Q&A when your expert here will tackle your questions and sort out the Tigers’ season a mere week in advance of kickoff.

Or maybe we’ll just fake it. Who knows?

But hang tight. You know the rules. Remain orderly. We’ll get to as many as possible.

The unvaccinated or unwashed should remain on Zoom and remember to unmute yourself.

Should be plenty to discuss here because, honestly, for a veteran team this bunch is harder than usual to get a handle on, with a lot of question marks.

But let’s give it a shot.

Yes, you in the front there. What you got?

Q: Wait a minute. Did you say tailgate?

A: That is correctamundo. As in tailgate as a verb. If nothing else, the area around Tiger Stadium should look, feel and smell like an LSU football game again.

Q: They stunk last year, didn’t they?

A: That was inside the stadium. We’re talking about the game-day experience of Tiger football.

Q: So things are back to normal?

A: Not quite. There are no pandemic restrictions in the parking lot — that’s the plan anyway — but you’ll need proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test to get inside the stadium. They’re trying to streamline the process but it could slow things down. The good news? As many fans as can fit in the place will be allowed. No masks for the outdoor areas.

Q: So no more cardboard fans?

A: Not a one. Good intentions or not, that awful, oneyear experiment is over.

Q: What’s the biggest game?

A: UCLA this week.

Q: Isn’t Alabama still on the schedule?

A: Of course. But the key is to make the Alabama game in November matter. LSU needs to establish from the start that last year’s 5-5 record was the unexplainable aberration — not the magic of 2019. UCLA on the road in the Rose Bowl is a lot bigger test than Mississippi State at home was last year — and you’ll remember how that 44-34 belly-flop set the tone.

Q: What’s the biggest key?

A: Chemistry.

Q: When did LSU start recruiting chemistry majors?

A: Football chemistry. LSU has plenty of talent. That’s not the problem. Never is. LSU had a lot go wrong last season but, bottom line, the Tigers never looked to be on the same page. Every team had distractions a year ago, but the opt-outs and whatnot seemed to affect LSU more.

But when it looked bleakest, what was left did seem to come together as a team in those last two games for an unforeseen upset of Florida and then beat Ole Miss in wild games. They really need to show at the Rose Bowl that there was some carryover to that late togetherness.

Q: But wasn’t the Florida upset all because a Gator threw an LSU shoe?

A: There’s an old football adage that you first have to put yourself in position to take advantage of the random thrown shoe. It wasn’t a fluke. Fortunate, maybe, certainly pretty dumb on the Gators’ part, but not a fluke.

Q: Cut to the chase. Is LSU going to be better?

A: A lot better.

Q: Why?

A: LSU will have a defense that fans will again recognize. Given the talent level, that mess from last year will never be properly explained. Trust me, this defense will be fine, mainly due to the up-front guys, where they are deep with playmakers on the edges.

Q: Offense?

A: A little more of a lottery there. Biggest concern is up front. Even though all five starters return, they have a lot to prove after last year’s struggles, which seem to have continued this August.

Q: Quarterback?

A: Head coach Ed Orgeron seems fine with Max Johnson. Hard to fault his play from last year. But he’s still got to prove it over the long haul. If he’s not the answer, the offense will be in trouble. Orgeron is still waiting for a running back to take over.

Q: Will cornerback Derek Stingley play some offense?

A: Probably not at the start of the season. He missed some August camp with minor ailments and can’t imagine they want to risk him early.

Q: What’s the SEC look like?

A: As usual it’s all been figured out in advance by brighter minds than mine. Alabama will win the West. Texas A&M is this year’s designated top contender. LSU is probably next in line, but Ole Miss and the Lane Kiffin mischief is also a trendy pick to make some noise. If Georgia doesn’t win the East nobody will ever explain it.

Q: So what’s LSU’s record?

A: I’m going with 9-3, with losses to Florida, Ole Miss and Alabama — which would be three in a row before bouncing back and finishing with an upset of Texas A&M.

But I’ve been wrong before.

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Scooter Hobbs covers LSU athletics. Email him at scooter.hobbs@americanpress.com