LSU/Auburn position units breakdown

I posted this on the SEC Rant but wanted to see what my P&G brethren had to say as well. I also made a few changes based on some new info from some Auburn fans.

QB--Advantage Auburn based purely on experience. Marshall has looked inconsistent at best so far this season. Harris will show the country LSU is set at QB the next 3 years but for now teh plainsmen get the nod.

RB--Advantage LSU. Auburn's leading rusher, Artis-Payne, has only 100 yards more than Fournette. Corey Grant has a whopping 212 yards on the season putting him behind Kenny Hilliard and nearly tied with our "other" frosh tailback, D-Willy. Our 4 guys are better than there 4 guys plain and simple.

WR--Advantage LSU. Auburn has 1 receiver statistically in the top 40 in the SEC, Duke Williams. Dural, Dupre, and Diarse all have more receptions and yards than Auburns second leading receiver and Dural is 2nd in the conference in receiving yards. Auburn has more combined experience, but LSU clearly has more production and talent at the position.

Offensive Line--Wash. While Auburn has given up 2 less sacks, both teams's lines have under performed all season and looked downright terrible at times. This position will be the biggest key in this game IMO. With a true freshman making his first start on the road, combined with a run heavy approach, LSU's line has to play dominant football for the team to have a chance at victory. Same with Auburn, and considering the talent/depth concerns at D-line for LSU they should have some success.

Defensive line--Advantage Auburn Lambert and Adams are both beasts and this line has consistently played well this season. This is by far LSU's weakest spot on the team where it has almost always been the strongest position in the past. For LSU, LaCouture has played well and true freshman Davon Godchaux has been a nice surprise so far inside. Rasco and Hunter are both animals at end but overall Auburn has more experience and depth here.

Linebackers--Slight advantage Auburn. It will be interesting to see how Cassanova McKinzy and Kris Frost bounce back from their injuries for this game. Anthony Swain, Tre' Williams, JaViere Mitchell and Khari Harding are all talented guys that filled in nicely last week. Kwon Alexander leads LSU's defense in tackles and is probably our best defensive player. Beckwith, Louis, Jones, and Riley have all played well this season and provide quality rotational depth. The one glaring weakness that slides the advantage to Auburn is LSU's version of Jake Holland. LSU has a starting middle linebacker that more closely resembles a high school tuba player in DJ "white mamba" Welter. "Run it right at 31" are most teams' keys to success.

Defensive Secondary--Advantage DBU Jalen Mills is an All-SEC hard hitting safety with CB speed and ball skills. Ronald Martin is second on the team in tackles and interceptions. Rickey Jefferson would be starting at almost any other SEC school. Jamal Adams is by far LSU's most promising defensive freshman with 18 tackles. Tre White, Jalen Collins and Rashard Robinson make up the best CB threesome in the country. For Auburn, whitehead and montcrief are decent, while Ruby Ford and Josh Hosley will start. Converted WR Travon Reed leads the team in interceptions

Special Teams--Wash.Both teams have done very well in both the kicking and punting game in both coverage and returns. Daniel Carlson does it all for Auburn while Colby Delahouysse has been very reliable for LSU. Fournette has returned every kick so far this season and averages 24 yards per return. Quan Bray has balled out on punt returns for Auburn but is very overrated.

Referees--Advantage Auburn. No contest here. It's a given that LSU will be penalized for shite they didn't do and Auburn will not get called for shite they do. That's just how it is on the plains, as it is tuscaloosa.

Coaching--Advantage LSU Les Miles owns Auburn. Chavis owns Malzahn. This is the type of game that brings out the best in Les and you can expect multiple 4th down conversions and ballsy calls.

In summation, these are two very evenly matched teams. 4 advantages for Auburn, 4 advantages for LSU, and 2 washes. The swing for War Eagle is this game being played in front of a loud, drunk and vindictive Jordan-Hare night crowd. The top 3 keys to this game will be how both offensive lines perform, whether Brandon Harris will get rattled/force throws/turn the ball over, and who can establish the run best. I see this being a classic LSU/Auburn smash mouth throw down with multiple injuries, highlight reel hits, questionable refereeing and a suspenseful ending. I also think Gus and Les are both going to pull some badass trick plays. However in the end, Auburn escapes with a 3 point victory 27-24 and improves their overall record against Les Miles to 3-7 while building LSU's young players' confidence along the way.

Auburn