The Auburn Tigers (5-0) and LSU Tigers (4-2) are going in opposite directions.
The Florida State Seminoles may be the nation’s No. 1 ranked team, but the Auburn Tigers won’t be far behind when this week’s Top 25 rankings are revealed.
Since four of the nation’s Top 6 teams lost Saturday, Auburn is primed to leap to the No. 2 slot. It can be argued Auburn’s impressive showing against LSU might be enough to vault it to No. 1.
Gus Malzahn‘s squad absolutely dominated in every facet of the game.
Auburn gained 566 total yards compared to LSU’s 280. Auburn’s up-tempo offense still won the time of possession battle. And LSU’s offense was shut down, particularly on third down, by Auburn’s defense.
Auburn doesn't allow a third-down conversion for first time since vs. Mississippi State in 2008
— James Crepea (@JamesCrepea) October 5, 2014
Auburn quarterback Nick Marshall was extremely impressive. Marshall was 14-of-22 passing for 207 yards and two touchdowns. The quarterback was also second on the team with 119 rushing yards and two more touchdowns. Running back Cameron Artis-Payne led the team with 126 rushing yards.
LSU, on the other hand, may drop out of the Top 25 altogether.
Two major deficiencies have been exposed for Les Miles’ squad. First, the team’s quarterback play is far below average. Freshman Brandon Harris was overwhelmed in the first half before being pulled for Anthony Jennings. The two signal-callers combined to complete 8-of-23 passes for 142 yards.
Without the threat of a passing attack, LSU’s ground game loses its effectiveness.
Also, LSU hasn’t been able to defend mobile quarterbacks this season. Its defense was shredded by Marshall and Mississippi State’s Dak Prescott in recent weeks.
After years of losing talented underclassmen to the NFL, LSU is now feeling the repercussions.
Meanwhile, Malzahn’s program continues to build on a strong foundation. Auburn will now prepare for a Top 10 showdown against Mississippi State. The winner will be considered the favorite to win the SEC and potentially become the No. 1 overall team in the country.
