The Tigers have started off their season strong, obtaining a 3-0 record and the top rank in the SEC. Although they’ve already beaten two strong teams in Clemson and Florida, the Tigers are now faced with an extremely grueling stretch of games after they play Southeastern Saturday.
Weeks 5 through 9 match the Tigers up against many of the best SEC programs right now, with a road game at No. 13 Ole Miss, a home game versus LaNorris Sellers and South Carolina, games against red-hot Vanderbilt and Texas A&M, and then a huge rivalry game versus No. 14 Alabama in Tuscaloosa.
All of these games pose challenges for the Tigers, and if LSU lets some of these games slip away, its season might be flipped on its head and playoff hopes could be lost.
Ole Miss will be the best-ranked team LSU has faced since then-No. 4 Clemson. LSU versus Ole Miss is always a huge game for bragging rights, with the two universities having a deep-rooted rivalry.
Ole Miss has an explosive offense led by quarterback Austin Simmons and a strong run game, boosting the Rebels to top five in the SEC for scoring, passing and rushing offense. On the other hand, their defense has been a question mark, giving up 58 points in the last two weeks.
LSU could play to its strengths in this game by focusing on shutting out the high-powered offense while targeting the weaker defense. If LSU dominates time of possession and doesn’t give the Ole Miss offense good scoring positions, the Tigers may put the same pressure on Simmons as they did on DJ Lagway for Florida and force turnovers.
LSU still would need to get past its offensive struggles for this contest. If things go wrong for the LSU defense this time around, Nussmeier and the offense will be forced to respond with points, something that LSU has not shown to be able to do effectively this year.
The Tigers follow the Ole Miss game with a bye week before returning to Tiger Stadium for South Carolina. South Carolina is led by one of the top quarterbacks right now, but his season has started off shaky. He had 337 yards and two touchdowns against two weaker opponents then got a concussion in Week 3, which took him out of the Vanderbilt game and made him questionable for Week 4.
South Carolina was embarrassed at home against Vanderbilt and looked hopeless without Sellers. The Gamecocks gave up 31 points and turned the ball over four times, leading to Vanderbilt completely dominating. This should be a major concern for South Carolina fans, as the defense does not seem to be able to hold things down with Sellers out.
It’s hard to say right now how this game will go, but the LSU defense can surely compete and even dominate this game. South Carolina even gives up the most sacks in the SEC and the Tigers are top five in sacks, so the LSU D-line may have a chance to eat in this contest.
This all being said, although LSU looks like the much better team overall right now, the South Carolina offense can still cause problems for the Tigers.
LSU then turns to one of the biggest storylines in the SEC on the road against this revamped Vanderbilt team. Vanderbilt is currently ranked top five in almost every defensive stat for the SEC and its offense is anchored by quarterback Diego Pavia and running back Sedrick Alexander. Overall, this squad is extremely well-rounded and has good experience.
This game could impose problems for the LSU offense, which has not looked great so far. Vanderbilt plays a style of gritty and smart football, dominating the ground game, leading to less turnovers and more time with the offense on the field.
Brian Kelly will have to find some sparks on offense this game if he wants to secure a win, but I could see this game turning into a tough defensive battle with a low scoreline. LSU’s rush defense will also have to step up against Pavia’s legs and force the Commodores to stray away from their normal game plan.
After the road trip to Nashville, LSU will come back home to face another hot team in Texas A&M. The Aggies are fresh off a thrilling win against No. 8 Notre Dame and look to be the biggest threat for LSU at the moment.
A&M has looked incredibly sharp, with sophomore quarterback Marcel Reed leading the Aggies to a 3-0 start while putting up 40 points in all three games. The Aggie ground attack has also looked dangerous, with Le’Veon Moss rushing for 168 yards and three touchdowns. The only real downside of the Aggies is the defense, which has allowed the second-most points to opponents in the SEC.
Again, if the Tigers’ defense holds up like it has all season, LSU should be able to make it out with a win, but this offense will most likely cause more problems than any LSU has played so far.
To finish off this grueling stretch, LSU will have to go into enemy territory and play Alabama at home. This game will be the wildest environment the Tigers will step into all season. After Alabama’s Week 1 failure in losing to Florida State, it’ll be looking for ways to salvage its season with playoff hopes looking distant.
Alabama has looked solid after its Week 1 blunder, getting a win against Wisconsin on the back of great Ryan Williams and Ty Simpson performances. Alabama may not have the stats or resume to seem like it’d pose a big threat to the Tigers, but this team has enough playmakers to cause chaos in this matchup.
Playing in Tuscaloosa is also not a task for the weak, especially in such a big rivalry game. LSU may look like the better team right now, but it’ll have to stay composed to walk away with a win. I’m sure there isn’t much that Alabama fans would like to see more than LSU’s top ranking snatched by an upset.
It’s only a matter of time to see how these matchups go for the Tigers. If the defense can continue putting up great performances and the offense can find some sparks, LSU can surely come out on top of any of these. Each of these games will be pivotal for playoff chances, and will show how legit this squad is.
