No. 7 Auburn hosts No. 12 LSU at 3:30 p.m. Saturday in one of the biggest SEC games of the young season.
The winner will set itself up as potentially the top challenger to Alabama in the West, and the loser will start scrambling to keep itself in the national conversation.
The home team has won 14 of the last 16 meetings. Auburn blew a 20-0 lead last season, and LSU gave coach Ed Orgeron a much-needed 27-23 victory.
It’s going to be physical, Jordan-Hare is going to be rocking and it’s going to be a lot of fun.
All we know for sure is that the Tigers are going to win, but here are a few bold predictions about what else might happen:
1. LSU will turn the ball over
That might not seem like much of a prediction, but keep in mind that LSU hasn’t turned the ball over in its first two games and has protected the ball well under Orgeron.
But Auburn has a really good defense, LSU’s offensive line has been inconsistent and LSU has a lot of young ball handlers who are about to get their first taste of playing on the road in the SEC.
Butterflies and hard hits can lead to turnovers.
2. But so will Auburn
If LSU does turn the ball over for the first time this season, that won’t necessarily be devastating. It’s pretty good at taking the ball away, having done so five times in the first two games.
By the way, Auburn has six takeaways and four turnovers in its first two games.
LSU’s defense does some hard hitting, too, Auburn has some youth at running back, and there will be butterflies on both sides.
So one turnover won’t doom either team, but if either team takes the ball away more than it gives it away, that could make the difference.
It’s worth noting that LSU committed the only turnover in last year’s game.
3. The kickers will be key factors
Both kickers are making their SEC debuts, but LSU has a senior transfer who is 5-for-5 on field goals, and Auburn has a true freshman who is 3-for-5.
LSU’s Cole Tracy has made a 50- and a 54-yarder, and Auburn’s Anders Carlson has made a 53-yarder but missed a 54- and a 33-yarder.
It figures to be difficult for either team to find the end zone much, so kicking is likely to come into play on a few occasions.
If either team does better kicking field goals, it’ll have a big leg up on winning.
4. Devin White will make lot of tackles
Okay, so LSU’s junior linebacker always makes a lot of tackles, but this game lends itself to him potentially doing even more than usual.
He averaged more than 10 tackles per game last season and had 15 against Auburn.
In the first two games this season, he had eight (vs. Miami) and 11 (vs. Southeastern Louisiana).
Auburn will run the ball a lot, and White will track down ball carriers a lot.
5. LSU’s offensive line will have its best game of the season
Orgeron said he expects the LSU offensive line “to play its best game.” It’ll have to against Auburn’s dominant front if LSU is going to have a realistic chance of winning.
LSU has had to do some shuffling for a variety of reasons, but it gets left tackle Saahdiq Charles back from a one-game absence for an undisclosed reason, though it has been widely reported that he and four teammates were suspended. That allows Austin Deculus to move to right tackle to help Badara Traore, who has replaced the injured Adrian Magee.
This unit will respond to Orgeron’s expectation that it plays at a higher level than the inconsistent performance of the first two games. But that doesn’t mean Auburn’s defensive line won’t still make things hard on the LSU offense.
6. Jonathan Giles will introduce himself to the SEC
LSU has been unable to get the former Texas Tech receiver involved in any significant way thus far. He has one catch for 9 yards.
Maybe the first two opponents sold out to deny Giles the ball, maybe he and quarterback Joe Burrow are still getting used to one another, or maybe LSU had Giles playing possum in the first two games.
Whatever the reason, look for LSU to make a concerted effort to get Giles involved, and expect him to have a bigger impact than he had in the first two games.
7. It will be a low-scoring game
Both teams have really good defenses and offenses that aren’t quite the equal of them.
Auburn has a proven quarterback in Jarrett Stidham, and LSU doesn’t, which could make a big difference.
It will be hard for either offense to put together more than one or two lengthy drives. Any points by either defense or special teams could be decisive, because the points from the offenses will be hard to come by.
8. Burrow will open more eyes with his legs than his arm
Burrow has made some plays in the first two games, but LSU hasn’t asked him to do too much. Offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger has said he’d like to see Burrow run more often.
Though he’s not a great runner, Burrow is enough of an athlete to make plays on designed runs and to take off and make yards when defensive pressure demands it. The latter might come into play more than the former in this game, but either way, Burrow will make plays running the ball.
9. Nick Brossette won’t rush for 100 yards
Two weeks ago, this wouldn’t have seemed bold at all, but the senior has finally gotten his shot as the primary ball carrier and has taken advantage of it. He has rushed for more than 100 yards in each of the first two games.
Yeah, getting 137 against Southeastern Louisiana wasn’t a big deal, but getting 125 against Miami was. Getting 100-plus on Auburn doesn’t appear to be in the cards, but look for Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Chris Curry to provide more help in a physical game in warm conditions that will require a more even distribution of carries.
10. No matter the circumstances, Orgeron will end his on-field interview with “Go Tigers”
Okay, so this one isn’t bold at all.
Orgeron always ends his interviews with “Go Tigers.”
Les East is a New Orleans-based football writer who covers LSU for SaturdayDownSouth.com. Follow him on Twitter @Les_East.
