College Football Rankings 2017: Projected Week 4 AP Top 25
By Zach Bigalke
LSU thought that they were coming to Starkville to start their campaign to contend for the SEC West in 2017. Instead, they put themselves in a deficit in a 37-7 defeat against Mississippi State that will leave fans disheartened about where the season is headed. While the Tigers should remain in the AP Top 25 this week, they seem like a team on a downward trajectory entering conference play.
The Bayou Bengals struggled to pass the ball, as Danny Etling finished 13-of-29 for 137 yards. Derrius Guice was held to 76 yards on 15 carries on a day when the Tigers rushed for just 133 yards as a team. Mississippi State’s defense clamped down all around, holding LSU to just 270 total yards of offense on the day.
As a result, LSU is about to plummet down the AP Top 25. They will remain in the poll this week, but the margin of error is evaporating for the Tigers. They return to out-of-conference play over the next two weeks, with Syracuse and Troy visiting Baton Rouge. They should be 4-1 once they return to SEC play, but pollsters will likely show diminished confidence in Orgeron’s team this week.