LSU Football: Tigers look to blast pass Ole Miss in Week 5

LSU football hosts the Ole Miss Rebels in an under-the-radar showdown in the SEC West. Should the Tigers fear an upset?

LSU is having a season to remember, in a good way. They sit at the No. 5 spot in the AP Poll an are 4-0 with one of the best resumes in college football. The Tigers boast wins over Miami and Auburn, both of which were top-10 teams when they faced off against the Bayou Bengals. Miami has fallen since that season-opening matchup now sitting at No. 16, but Auburn sits at No. 10. Either way, both wins are impressive for the Tigers.

Now, they host Ole Miss as they continue SEC West play and I can tell you now that LSU isn’t worried about this game. They aren’t looking at this game the same way they looked at the Hurricanes in Week 1 and surely not like they looked at the Tigers of Auburn in Week 3.

The Ole Miss “Land Sharks” have struggled this season and as a result, no one is really taking them seriously and honestly, I can’t blame the world for that. When you struggle against the likes of Southern Illinois and Kent State, a conference as strong as the SEC doesn’t exactly want to claim you.

Will this one be all about Jordan Ta’amu and the Rebels or Joe Burrow and the Tigers? Here is how you can watch the matchup.

Date: Saturday, Sept. 29
Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
Location: Baton Rouge, LA
Venue: Tiger Stadium
TV: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN | FuboTV

Betting Odds

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

Point Spread: LSU -10.5
Over/Under: 59.5

Keys to Victory

For Ole Miss, the first thing they have to do is remember how to play defense. They haven’t exactly done too great of a job of that this season and as a result, they are trending downward in the SEC. The quickest way to fix that would be to knock off the No. 5 LSU Tigers.

It was this game last year that Shea Patterson exited with an injury and Jordan Ta’amu made his debut. Since then, it has been his world in Oxford. That may have been the best thing to ever happen to Ole Miss, but he can’t do it on his own. Ta’amu along with AJ Brown and DK Metcalf can put up points, that is no issue. The issue is the lack of defense. When your defense can’t get off the field, your offense doesn’t have the time to really make the game close.

For LSU, it will be about establishing their offense early and often. Even down offensive lineman, the Tigers have one of the best offenses in the SEC right now, especially in terms of the running game. They will need to show that off against the Rebels and keep their foot on the gas until the clock hits zero.

Prediction

This one is an LSU victory, plain and simple. As much as I am always a proponent of the craziness that could and always seems to happen- it doesn’t seem like that will be the case here. I am sorry to all my Ole Miss readers, but this one isn’t your game or really your season.

Look for the LSU running game to wear down the Rebels defense by the end of the first half, allowing the Tigers to really dominate from the start. I’m sure that like always Jordan Ta’amu and company will have shining moments, but it won’t be enough to really make this one a game.

Final Score: LSU 35 Ole Miss 10