College Game Of The Week: LSU at Mississippi State
In the South, three things happen in the months between September and January: Eat, Sleep, Football. Football is how weeks are marked; everything that happens between Saturdays (or the occasional off-putting Thursday) is just filler, especially when you’re preparing to play a rival. Such is the case for this week’s College Game Of The Week: LSU Tigers at Mississippi State Bulldogs.
What makes this matchup special is the win-loss record. LSU beat Mississippi State every meeting they had – until last year. LSU (8) lost at home 34-29, which means they are looking to return the favor this year.
Another factor in this match to consider is LSU’s lack of play this season. The Tigers' season opener against McNeese State was cancelled last week due to lightning. In this case, the lack of season experience can be both good and bad.
The good: Mississippi State has no idea what tricks LSU has up its sleeve. They basically have no film to watch or schemes to dissect. They can’t examiner each key player to find trends and predictability. LSU ran eight plays against McNeese before the storm set in; nowhere near enough film to adequately assess an opponent.
The bad: LSU didn’t have a warm-up game for their SEC opener. It’s not like they are heading into this game wide-eyed and bushy tailed, but without having a game to try things and adjust accordingly, it’s going to be interesting to see what LSU brings to the table, specifically on defense. In their last meeting, LSU’s defense allowed 570 yards, which was – statistically speaking – the worst performance by an LSU defense in the 10 years Les Miles had been head coach of the Tigers.
Regardless of game cancellations and past performances, both teams are looking to prove something: LSU is going to want to put Mississippi State in their place and Mississippi State will be trying to prove their worthiness of a #25 position in the ranks.
Watch the LSU Tigers take on the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Saturday, September 12 at 9:15pm ET on ESPN.
Other games on Sling TV this weekend (all times Eastern):
Utah State at Utah - 9pm Friday, ESPN
South Florida at Florida State University - 11:30am Saturday, ESPN
Buffalo at Penn State - 12pm Saturday, ESPN2
Miami at Wisconsin - 12pm Saturday, ESPN2
Miami (Ohio) at Wisconsin - 12pm Saturday, ESPNU
Jacksonville State at Auburn - 12pm Saturday, SEC Network
Indiana State at Purdue - 12pm Saturday, ESPNews
Washington State at Rutgers - 3:30pm Saturday, ESPNU
Fresno State at Ole Miss - 3:30pm Saturday, ESPN2
Eastern Illinois at Northwestern - 4pm Saturday, ESPNews
Middle Tennessee at Alabama - 4pm Saturday, SEC Network
Oklahoma at Tennessee - 6pm Saturday, ESPN
East Carolina at Florida - 7pm Saturday, ESPN2
Ball State at Texas A&M - 7pm Saturday, ESPNU
Kentucky at South Carolina - 7:30pm Saturday, SEC Network
Temple at Cincinnati - 8pm Saturday, ESPNews
Boise State at BYU - 10:15pm Saturday, ESPN2
San Jose State at Air Force - 10:15pm Saturday, ESPNU