SEC Football Fans, you no longer have to wait to watch your favorite teams play the sport they love. The SEC Football season kicks off this weekend and of the most intriguing matchups will be the LSU Tigers hosting the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the first game of the Mike Leach era.
LSU
LSU will debut a new starting quarterback as Myles Brennan steps in for Joe Burrow, who is now the starting quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals. LSU lost a lot of talent from last year’s title team. The cupboard is not bare for the Tigers, even as some key players, (Jamarr Chase, Tyler Shelvin) opted out due to Covid-19 concerns. On offense LSU returns: WR Terrence Marshall, RB Chris Curry, RB Ty Davis-Price, OL Austin Deculus, and OL Ed Ingram. LSU will also depend on a few talented Baby Tigers this year. Look for Freshmen: TE Arik Gilbert and WR Kayshon Boutte to provide an instant impact as they are slated to start their first ever game in Tiger Stadium. On defense, LSU will shift to a 4-3 scheme under new Defensive Coordinator Bo Pelinni. LSU will also break in a few new starters on defense with the majority of last year’s starters on NFL rosters. Key Defensive players are LB Damone Clark, LB Jabril Cox, CB Derek Stingley Jr., S Jacobi Stevens, and DT Glen Logan. Ed Orgeron has the Tigers prepped and ready for their opponent on Saturday. This Mississippi State team comes with a brand new Head Football Coach in the form of the Mad Passing Coach, Mike Leach.
Mississippi State
Mike Leach was hired to replace Joe Moorhead after a winning yet disappointing season for the Bulldogs. Bulldog fans have never seen anything like the Air Raid Offense in Maroon and White. Mississippi State fans and players have to be bursting with excitement as the season is about to get underway. Mike Leach brought more than a change of offensive philosophy with him. He also brought in former Stanford QB KJ Costello to run his offense. The Bulldog wideouts have been disappointing the past few seasons. There is a mixture of returning talent and newcomers in the WR Room which will bode well for the offense. The Bulldogs also return All-SEC RB Kylin Hill. The change in offense is expected to benefit Hill’s ability as a receiver and should make him even more dangerous. Key players on offense for the Bulldogs outside of Hill and Costello include: WR Malik Heath, WR Tyrell Shavers, WR Austin Williams, OL Charles Cross, G Dareuan Parker, and G Greg Eiland. Defensively the Bulldogs will run a new scheme. Zach Arnett brings his 3-3-5 Defense over from San Diego St. The front six looks very solid but the secondary has plenty of talent, but a severe lack of experience. If this Bulldog team has a weakness, it is definitely the secondary. Key Players on defense for the Bulldogs are: DE Kobe Jones, DE Marquis Spencer, LB Erroll Thompson, LB Aaron Brule, DT Jaden Crumedy, DT Nathan Pickering, CB Martin Emerson, and S Marcus Murphy.
The Prediction
So who will win this game between the SEC West foes? LSU is favored to win with a line of -17.5. The Tigers have plenty of talent but like I said earlier, these are the Tigers of last year. Mike Leach will be looking to prove that the Air Raid can work in the SEC. Ed Orgeron will want to give Myles Brennan plenty of chances to showcase himself against the young Bulldog secondary. I I feel LSU will win this game to start out 1-0 on the season. I think the Bulldogs will be competitive but LSU will just have to much of a home field advantage and overall talent advantage in their favor. The Bulldogs will put on a good showing but will head back to Starkville on the losing end. The final score will be LSU 56 – Mississippi State 38.