College Football Odds: SEC Week 13 picks against the spread
Nov 14, 2015; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU Tigers head coach Les Miles before a game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
- Date: Saturday December 28, 2015
- Time: 7:30 PM Eastern
- Location: Baton Rouge, LA
- TV Channel: SEC Network
- Spread: LSU -5.5
- Over/Under Total: 53.5
It’s strange to think that after 11 years on the sidelines at Tiger Stadium, Saturday’s game against Texas A&M could be the last for LSU head coach Les Miles. Despite rising all the way to No. 2 in the first College Football Playoff rankings, three straight losses and what is reportedly an ongoing and widening rift between Miles and LSU athletic director Joe Alleva has led to a great deal of reports and speculation that Miles will be fired at the end of the regular season.
Will the situation have an impact on LSU’s game against the Aggies? It could. On one hand, the Tigers could be inspired to send their beloved coach out on a winning note or to somehow save his job. On the other hand, LSU players could already be looking ahead to a change of leadership or to their own future NFL aspirations, both of which could sidetrack their preparation for the game.
Texas A&M is confident heading into the game following a 25-0 victory over Vanderbilt that was the first shutout for the program in more than a decade. Though only in the middle of the pack in the SEC statistically by allowing an average of 370.8 total yards per game this year, the Aggies have improved tremendously under first-year defensive coordinator John Chavis, who will be facing his former boss for the first time since leaving Baton Rouge at the end of last season.
Despite its improvement, A&M will have its hands full with running back Leonard Fournette, who leads the nation with 1,582 rushing yards and ranks second in the country with 17 rushing TDs. Expect Fournette and quarterback Brandon Harris (who threw for a career-high 324 yards in last week’s 38-17 loss to Ole Miss), to be the difference in a LSU cover.
Next: Florida State at Florida