LSU Football: Auburn a true test of SEC relevancy in Week 3

The race to Atlanta and the SEC title game heats up this Saturday afternoon when Auburn welcomes LSU football for a ranked showdown known as the Tiger Bowl.

Both Auburn and LSU are 2-0 and own wins from the opening week over foes that were ranked in the top 10 at the time of the game.

LSU posted a 33-17 victory over No. 8 Miami before shutting Southeastern Louisiana out last Saturday. Auburn, meanwhile, downed No. 6 Washington by five before putting 63 on the scoreboard vs. Alabama State in Week 2.

Jarrett Stidham has shown incredible growth, completing 68 percent of his passes for 386 yards and two touchdowns without an interception on 47 attempts. He’s also shown more diversity, carrying the ball 13 times for 31 yards and a touchdown.

Kam Martin and JaTarvious Whitlow lead the ground game for Auburn, rushing for 270 yards combined. Shaun Shivers is the big-play threat of the backfield, posting almost nine yards per carry.

The unit will be tested by an LSU defense that gives up just 8.5 points and under 300 yards of total offense.

On the opposing sidelines stands an LSU team that has overcome the loss of several players already this year to both injury and suspension. Joe Burrow, a transfer from Ohio State, claimed the quarterback job and has completed 21-of-44 for 291 yards with a pair of scores.

Through the preseason, several candidates fought for the starting running back job. Nick Brossette, though, claimed it and has taken off since, rushing for 262 yards on 41 carries with two touchdowns.

Here’s how you can watch this edition of the Tiger Bowl on Saturday before Auburn and LSU:

Date: Saturday, Sept. 15
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Location: Auburn, Ala.
Venue: Jordan-Hare Stadium
TV: CBS
Live Stream: CBSSports | Fubo TV

Keys to Victory

Which defense can continue to be a dominant run-stopping unit will go a long way in determining the winner of the Tiger Bowl. LSU enters allowing just 74 yards on the ground through two games, with Auburn nearly matching that at 74.5.

It will also be interesting to see if LSU can get more of a pass game going against an Auburn defense surrendering 227 yards a game through the air.

Betting Odds

Odds courtesy of OddsShark

Point Spread: Auburn -9.5
Over/Under: 45

Prediction

The experience that the Tigers of Auburn present at the key positions, including quarterback, give them a slight edge. This should be nothing short of a typical SEC grinder, with Stidham doing just enough in the end to claim victory.

Final Score: Auburn 23, LSU 17