00:00Let's talk about, let's set the stage for this one.
00:01In the Grove, one of the better atmospheres for tailgating in college football.
00:05LSU comes to town, Joe.
00:07By the way, did you know they opened up as a minus one and a half point favorite?
00:09That's not the case today as we sit here on Saturday.
00:12We're as high as two and a half at some outlets and a total of 57 and a half.
00:17Some might say, Joe, LSU is the most overrated team in the country.
00:19Is that you?
00:20No, it's not.
00:21And I understand why they're saying that because of the week one performance against Clemson.
00:25Now Clemson with three losses.
00:27Does it look as good?
00:29Look at that picture.
00:30In week number one.
00:30By the way, why do you have jeans on?
00:32That's going to get reported.
00:34That's the look now.
00:35Everybody wears it.
00:36You can't wear jeans.
00:37You don't have jeans on today, do you?
00:38No, not at all.
00:39There you go.
00:40But let me just say this.
00:42When you beat a week one opponent with six months of preparation, a team that was 70 and
00:48five over the past decade at home, and you go in on a week one and beat them 17 to 10,
00:53I think it's as good a win as anybody in the country, especially when that team was a top
00:5810 opponent.
00:59So, again, we look at it different ways.
01:02I think you're seeing the line movement right now because the home team has won five straight
01:06in the series.
01:07Another caveat, starting running back for LSU, Caden Dorm, doubtful for this game.
01:12It came out late yesterday.
01:14So, all of a sudden now you're seeing the one and a half push to two and a half with
01:18Trinidad Chambliss or potentially Austin Simmons, whoever starts.
01:22But, again, last year was 29-26.
01:24Game went to overtime.
01:26It's going to hinge on Garrett Nussmeyer and that offense being able, I believe, to run
01:30the football and then challenge that secondary over the top.
01:33When you look at Ole Miss last week, they contained a very good two-lane offense.
01:38But LSU's offense is different.
01:39They have playmakers at every level.
01:42Tight ends are good.
01:43Green and Bauer sharp.
01:44You look at the wide receivers as well.
01:46They all run a 4-3, 4-4.
01:48They're going to challenge, I believe, Ole Miss over the top and potentially push a little
01:52bit of tempo.
01:53But when you look at the defenses, that's where I give the edge to LSU.
01:5627% third down defense holding opposing offenses to 62 rushing yards per game, 3.7 yards per
02:04carry, Donnie.
02:05And only giving up 184 passing yards to opposing quarterbacks.
02:09You look at this Ole Miss rush defense.
02:11They're giving up $1.90 on the ground.
02:14Biggest game, whoever starts a quarterback.
02:17Simmons or Chambliss.
02:18Biggest game that they've had.
02:20I like the veteran quarterback in Nussmeyer.
02:22I think they win it outright.
02:23I'll tell you what's interesting, too, about that LSU schedule, Joe, because heading into
02:26the season, whoa, look at that start they're going to have at Clemson.
02:29What a big time win that was.
02:30Doesn't look like it's that great of a win.
02:32But game number one's on the road in that environment.
02:34Like, Clemson probably had aspirations, we're probably going to win a national championship.
02:37At least they thought that was going to be the case.
02:39Now, obviously, they're not even going to make the college football playoff, and they're
02:41basically out of it, and is Dabo coming back.
02:43But that 17-10 win, like, I don't want to knock that.
02:45But then you have Florida at home, it's 20-10, your defense played fantastic football, and
02:49then you go, well, Florida isn't that good.
02:51So where does that leave us, Joe, hype-wise for LSU?
02:54Because preseason, hey, they're going to beat Clemson, they're going to beat Florida.
02:57Wow, they're rolling into Ole Miss hot.
02:59And now you say, like, is those, or excuse me, are those actually good wins, and are
03:03they program builders for this season?
03:04Well, I understand that.
03:05But, you know, Florida, the week prior to LSU, loses to South Florida 18-16.
03:10They go on the road, it's a rivalry game.
03:12So you're going to get Florida's best shot, especially if they're upset about that or bitter
03:16about that loss.
03:18It was a defensive battle.
03:19But who has Ole Miss played?
03:20They beat Tulane.
03:21Are we putting Tulane's offense with Jake Retzloff on the same level as Nussmeyer and LSU?
03:27They beat Kentucky and got pushed to the limit by Kentucky in Lexington with Austin Simmons.
03:32They won that game 30-23.
03:34It was a four-quarter game.
03:35So where's the marquee win for Ole Miss right now?
03:38So if we're looking body of work, Florida and Clemson, to me, when they played them,
03:43are better quality wins than what right now Ole Miss has on their resume.
03:47Yeah, we'll get into some of these prop bets a little bit later in the show.
03:49But it's interesting where it's like, okay, who's going to go for Ole Miss at quarterback,
03:52but yet they're still the favorite in this game.
03:54You know Nussmeyer's going to be there, one of the guys that you're looking at
03:56in the Heisman Trophy race to possibly win it and put up, you know, battle-tested,
04:00been-there-done, that type of guy.
04:02962 passing yards on the season, six touchdowns and two interceptions.
04:06But also, talk to me about the running back position, Joe, on either side of the equation today.
04:09Are you going to be LSU enough to get that ground game to sort of keep that, you know,
04:13crowd at bay and say, you know what, we're here to play?
04:16Well, Kiwan Lacy for Ole Miss is definitely the better and more consistent runner in this matchup.
04:22If you look at Ole Miss' offense right now, they're averaging well over 200 yards per carry.
04:26He's averaging well over five yards per carry at 5.4 on the season with two rushing touchdowns.
04:33But the tempo is where Ole Miss catches you, right?
04:36They hit a couple of throws, they're running fast, and then all of a sudden running leans open.
04:40If it's more of a defensive battle early on, the way Kentucky got them into a slow type of movement,
04:47they built a 10-0 lead, that Ole Miss offense struggled until they were able to catch them in the fourth quarter.
04:53So this is the style that we're going to see.
04:55But if you're looking at LSU, Caleb Jackson, the bigger running back, and Harlem Berry, the freshman.
05:01Harlem Berry's, I think, minus 125 to score a touchdown today.
05:04They're going to utilize both of them, but it hinges on Nussmeyer.
05:07I think they spread them, throw it first to open up the run.
05:11But again, that's the key.
05:13Ole Miss' front seven, not the same as it was last year.
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