Auburn will travel to LSU for an SEC Tiger fight on Saturday. No. 2 LSU is 7-0, while No. 9 Auburn is 6-1, making this a very important matchup for both of them with big playoff implications.
Not Quite Perfect
Auburn’s one loss of the season so far came against No. 7 Florida two weeks ago by a score of 24-13. The Gators’ defense gave Auburn trouble all day, forcing freshman quarterback Bo Nix into three interceptions, which proved to be the difference in the game. LSU will provide another tough defensive test for Auburn this week, and they will have to have a game plan in place to deal with them.
Nix has been their leader on offense at quarterback so far this season, throwing for 1,301 yards, 11 touchdowns, and five interceptions. The freshman did not look great when Florida was able to apply pressure two weeks ago, but this is a chance for him to redeem himself against another top-tier defense.
Leading Auburn on the ground had been sophomore JaTarvious Whitlow, with 110 carries this season for 544 yards and seven touchdowns, but he’s out for a few more weeks after knee surgery. Kam Martin, Harold Joiner and D.J. Williams combined for 191 yards last weekend against Arkansas, and they’ll need to continue that to get the Auburn offense into third-and-short situations and to help keep LSU’s Joe Burrow off the field.
Auburn is currently averaging 36.3 points per game while allowing just 17.1. They have posted 433 yards per game this season despite only having 193 of them through the air.
The Auburn Tigers already have a win over then-No. 17 Texas A&M this season and a win over the second-ranked team in the nation this week would put their loss to Florida in the very back of a lot of people’s minds.
Flying High
LSU is currently ranked No. 2 in the nation and looks locked and loaded to deal with the SEC all season long. Not only do the Tigers have a top-notch defense with some of the top prospects in the country, including Grant Delpit, who will most likely be the first safety off the board in the 2020 NFL Draft, but they finally are getting the quarterback play on offense they have been searching for.
Burrow has had a very solid start to the season this year, putting him on a list for the nation’s top quarterbacks. The senior has thrown for 2,484 yards, 29 touchdowns, and just three interceptions. Combine that with his undefeated record, and it’s just what LSU has been wanting out of a quarterback for years.
Burrow’s top target so far this year has been Justin Jefferson, who has 48 catches for 759 yards and nine touchdowns. Getting it done on the ground for the Tigers is running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire. The junior has 547 yards so far this season with seven touchdowns.
While LSU’s well-known defense has been holding teams to just 20 points per game this season, their offense has posted 50.1 per game. They have averaged 539 yards per game this season as well, 220 more yards than they allow.
LSU is one of the most well-rounded teams in the country, but Auburn should pose a good matchup this weekend. They cannot overlook anyone this year if they want a chance at the College Football Playoff.
What To Expect
I believe this will be a really good SEC battle and a great game to watch. Auburn will likely put up a bigger fight than some would expect, but having a freshman quarterback against this stout LSU defense may prove to be problematic for them in critical plays of the game. I think LSU’s defense will be too much for Nix to handle for four quarters, and Burrow will put on another good performance in a top 10 showdown. I’m taking LSU.
