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You couldn't script a better get-right game than Auburn.
LSU is coming off that nasty loss at Georgia, but the Tigers thankfully don't have to sit with it for long. Today's tip is less than 48 hours after that road loss, so LSU can quickly erase the memories against another bunch of Tigers.
Auburn actually comes in as one of the hottest teams in the SEC, winning its last three games. No one will mistake Alabama and Georgia at home and at South Carolina for major triumphs, but they're wins nonetheless. Given LSU's Jekyll and Hyde act this year, the visiting Tigers still face a steep challenge today.
Because LSU should be MAD. LSU still hasn't come out of the gate and just smashed an opponent in almost two months. Even Vanderbilt was within shouting distance at halftime before the margin widened in the final half. I would be surprised if LSU doesn't come roaring out of the gate in this one, pressing early and bludgeoning Auburn down low to put the game away.
But Auburn can shoot a little bit, much better than Georgia on average and we saw how the Bulldogs did on Thursday. LSU will still have to defend and for goodness sake, keep them out of the lane. Georgia drove at will and it put LSU in severe foul trouble while also running up the Bulldogs score. Auburn is a little more reliant on 3s, which should be problematic in a road environment if LSU is sound defensively.
Look, the loss to Georgia was awful, but with so much foul trouble (especially for Johnny O'Bryant III), LSU still has a chance to show that it deserves a small asterisk. Beating Auburn today won't do that, but it's a necessary first step in getting off the mat. Expect LSU to figuratively throw the first punch and look more like the heavyweight that took down Kentucky than the lightweight that showed up in Athens.
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