LSU's ranking should drop after poor performance against unranked Gamecocks

Through the first three quarters of the LSU versus South Carolina game, head coach Brian Kelly's Tigers looked even less impressive than they did against the USC Trojans.

The Tigers offense looked lethargic in the first half against a South Carolina defense that had yet to be anything to write home about despite going 2-0 to start the season.

The same issues seemed to be plaguing LSU: mediocre decisions by starting quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, a lackadaisical defense, and an inability to make in-game changes to improve their results.

At halftime, the No. 16 Tigers were trailing the Gamecocks 24-16 and the opening minutes of the third quarter proved equally futile for Kelly's squad. Poor passes from Nussmeier and dropped balls by wideouts led to a turnover on downs and a failure to score by the Tigers once again.

Just one possession later, despite the Tigers scoring a touchdown to bring the game within 2 points, Nussmeier got sacked and LSU failed to convert the 2-point attempt.

Yes, South Carolina is a fellow SEC program but the Gamecocks are a far cry from the team led by quarterback Spencer Rattler. Head coach Shane Beamer did what he could to reshape the South Carolina offense by bringing in Auburn transfer quarterback Robby Ashford from the portal, despite him playing behind LaNorris Sellers.

However, despite Beamer's best efforts, the Gamecocks haven't reached the level that they had over the past few seasons. South Carolina certainly hasn't looked like a team that should ever have a lead over the No. 16 team in the nation.

The only thing keeping LSU in the game was the Tigers' defense which looked rocky at times against the (usually) less-than-impressive South Carolina offense. By the end of the third quarter, the score was still 22-24 (SC) and Tiger fans were already saying their season was over, once again.

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