LSU had one of its toughest weeks in more than a year on Saturday in the loss to Mississippi State. ESPN writer Ryan McGee has thought it was bad enough to be included in the weekly “Bottom 10” on ESPN.

McGee pegged LSU with Oklahoma, another potential College Football Playoff contender which lost last week.

“With two teams, this week’s Coveted Fifth Spot is a crowded place, almost as crowded as the line at a “2020 College Football Playoff” apparel clearance sale in Norman and Baton Rouge,” McGee wrote.

That came after an opening editor’s note that said, “The SEC is back! Except maybe LSU.”

LSU is trying to bounce back at Vanderbilt this week after it missed its best played last week when Derek Stingley Jr. was out with an acute illness that required him to be hospitalized.

Instead, LSU had to start a true freshman and a sophomore who was projected to open the season in a backup role at cornerback and allowed Bulldogs quarterback K.J. Costello to pass for an SEC record 632 yards, including five touchdowns.

“Having Derek not there really hurt us, obviously but I’m glad that he’s healthy,” Orgeron said Monday at his regular press conference. “Obviously, he makes a difference on our team. We need that. It’s a position of need. We’re very short there, but we’re always going to put his health first.