This season, The Plainsman will make staff picks of Auburn's weekly matchups. Also look for our selections for the national showdowns in the "Plainsman Pick 'Em" section in the print edition of our publication.
Here are our picks for No. 12 LSU at No. 7 Auburn (2:30 p.m. CST, CBS).
Nathan King, sports editor:
Let's make one thing extremely clear: Auburn was unbeatable at home last season.
Minus a 24-10 win over Mercer, when the Tigers committed five turnovers against an FCS opponent, Auburn outscored its 2017 home opponents by an average of 40-16. Dating back to the last time LSU came to The Plains, an 18-13 last-second Auburn victory, the orange and blue Tigers have a 13-game winning streak inside Jordan-Hare.
Until proven otherwise, I'm not betting against Gus Malzahn at home. He routs decent conference foes and makes national championship participants look silly. To me, 2018 LSU falls in the category of decent conference foes.
Auburn's front seven should have no issues getting to Joe Burrow and bullying a struggling LSU offensive line. On the other side, Jarrett Stidham won't have the easiest time against Dave Aranda's talented defense, but we said the same things about top SEC defenses last season. Stidham finds a way to produce at home.
LSU will need defensive and special teams scores to pull this one out, which aren't totally out of the question, especially after last season's game. But give me Auburn over the Bayou Bengals at every position across the board. LSU's powerful defense will keep it from being a blowout, but I don't see the purple and gold Tiger offense producing much.
Prediction: Auburn 31, LSU 14.
Tyler Roush, assistant sports editor:
Playing at Jordan-Hare isn't easy, especially for any ranked team coming to The Plains.
Joe Burrow will have to show off his ability to evade the Auburn defensive front, and his offensive line will have to find some way to keep him off the ground. Nick Brossette is the opposing Tigers' best option on offense, but I don't see him running wild in this one.
Jarrett Stidham has proven that he can get the ball downfield and show off against talented teams at home. I can see him launching the ball at will against Ed Orgeron's squad.
Though I give Auburn the edge and might at home, I feel like this one could be different in the bayou.
Prediction: Auburn 35, LSU 21
Zach Tantillo, sports reporter:
The last time Auburn and LSU met, Auburn stormed out to a 20-0 lead. It looked like the game was already over, but Auburn’s conservative playcalling let LSU come back. The loss sparked an incredible run for Auburn’s offense where the Tigers averaged 40.4 points a game during the rest of the regular season.
Auburn gets the edge in quarterback play as Joe Burrow struggles with accuracy, throwing a sub-50 percent on the season so far. Auburn will be in his face all game with its front seven and may cause him to make a mistake or two.
Gus Malzahn will not make the same mistake again and will have his foot on the gas the entire 60 minutes.
Prediction: Auburn 29, LSU 17
Jake Wright, sports writer
Auburn and LSU have a lot of similarities through two games. Both have one of the top defenses in the country, and both have shaky offensive line play as well. The big reason Auburn has the edge is that Jarrett Stidham is the better quarterback, and the LSU offensive line is a little more vulnerable. One of LSU's defenders in K'Lavon Chaisson is out for the season with an injury too.
Auburn's front seven should live in the back field and make Joe Burrow's afternoon hectic. Burrow is completing less than half of his passes through two games. It will be tough for Nick Brossette to run on Auburn with an inconsistent passing game.
Stidham is superior to Burrow and will be able to make plays down the field to stretch LSU's defense. With Malzahn's scheme, pace, misdirection and the balance Auburn has on offense, I think that LSU will wear down throughout the game.
Prediction: Auburn 34, LSU 14
Sumner Martin, sports writer:
Saturday's matchup inside Jordan-Hare will be a wild one, with two of the conferences most athletic defenses going against each other in an old fashion SEC West showdown.
Don't expect to see many points on the board, with both offenses still somewhat unproven at this early point in the year. Auburn's offensive line, other than last week's blowout against Alabama State, is still yet to put a whole game together. LSU had a solid opener with new quarterback Joe Burrow against a Miami team that looked a bit overrated, so the question remains, can they be as efficient in a raucous environment against a proven defense.
Ultimately, I think Auburn's defensive front behind the home crowd will be too much for LSU Saturday afternoon. Stidham won't have to do much this game, just be smart and don't make any big mistakes.
Prediction: Auburn 24, LSU 10
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