Brian Kelly explains why LSU isn't on the level of SEC rivals Alabama, Georgia

Brian Kelly's only been in the SEC for a year but already knows the conference runs through Athens and Tuscaloosa, not Baton Rouge. At least not yet.

"The bar is set that you're playing for championships," Kelly told reporters at SEC Media Days when discussing the standard at LSU. "There's two programs that are a model of that," he added. "It's Georgia and Alabama... We're not there yet."

Kelly's correct. As much promise as the Tigers showed under Kelly in Year 1, Alabama and Georgia are the class of the conference. But LSU is pretty close.

The Tigers have a leg-up on the Bulldogs and Crimson Tide by returning 2022 starter Jayden Daniels. Alabama's Bryce Young and Georgia's Stetson Bennett left for the NFL this offseason and their replacements will have to learn quickly for both teams to stay atop the SEC.

One of LSU's toughest challenges off the field—which Kelly addressed—is how the team handles success. With a chance to stay in the playoff race last season, the Tigers faceplanted against lowly Texas A&M.

The program's had its share of ups and downs over the years, including the high of winning the national championship in 2019 and the misery of an 11-12 record from 2020-21. Despite LSU producing plenty of NFL talent, consistency has never been the program's strong suit.

"And one of the reasons why I'm in this position is that there wasn't consistency," confessed Kelly about how the Tigers job opened in the first place.

"So, building consistency, you've got to do it more than just one year. You've got to do it year in and year out," he continued.

Kelly's success in his first season raised the bar for what's expected in 2023 but his comments at SEC Media Days remind us that LSU has plenty to prove before it's considered to be on Alabama's or Georgia's level.

Kelly showed he can win in the SEC in his first year. With the Tigers, the difficult part is doing it twice.