College Football 2019: Predictions for the biggest games of Week 9

Auburn at LSU (Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS)

Spread: LSU -11

Joe Burrow is now the Heisman favorite after Tua Tagovailoa’s ankle injury against Tennessee last week, and he’ll have another opportunity to state his case on Saturday afternoon against a Top-10 opponent in Auburn.

Burrow has been ruthlessly efficient against every opponent, but Auburn has a strong enough front-seven that they could wreak havoc in the LSU backfield and force Burrow to be uncomfortable in the pocket. If they do, though, they’d be the first team to even make Burrow a little uncomfortable in 2019.

On the other side, can Auburn’s offense keep pace? Freshman quarterback Bo Nix has shown flashes of future stardom, but he struggled mightily three weeks ago in the Swamp in the only other environment he’s faced that would be any kind of equivalent to what he’ll see in Death Valley on Saturday afternoon.

This isn’t a vintage LSU defense, but they’ve shown improvement in their pass rush, and if Nix holds on to the ball for too long then LSU will get after him and force some mistakes.

As good as Auburn’s front-seven has been, they have been susceptible to the pass. Burrow and company will hit some big plays in the quick passing game with Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase. Combine that with the likelihood that Nix struggles at Tiger Stadium, and I think you have the makings of a multi-score rout in favor of LSU, setting up a No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown in two weeks in Tuscaloosa.

Pick: LSU 34, Auburn 13