Joe Burrow Gets True Chance To Prove Himself vs. Auburn

Joe Burrow may have nearly won the starting gig at Ohio State. Joe Burrow may have beat out every other quarterback on the LSU roster. Joe Burrow may have gone under center for a team that was a 3-point underdog to a formerly No. 10 ranked Miami Hurricanes team and won the game by 16 points. Joe Burrow may be undefeated as a starting quarterback as we hit publish on this article right now.

But just how good is Joe Burrow?

Burrow will have the chance he’s long been awaiting to prove who he actually is, and that wish will be granted as he plays his first SEC opponent as the Tigers’ starting quarterback Saturday.

According to former Oklahoma and NFL quarterback Zac Robinson of Pro Football Focus, Burrow’s performance thus far is relatively average.

“We have Joe Burrow grading around the middle of the pack in FBS right now, and I think it’s been pretty indicative of his play. He’s been pretty average across the board but things that have stood out are the lack of big plays and his passing under pressure,” Robinson said.

Obviously, it’s not all on Burrow though. Far from it, actually. LSU has its fair share of woes on its offensive line, and its wide receiving corps isn’t exactly the most solid right now. Robinson made note of this.

“At the moment he’s just 6 for 14 on throws over 10 yards, and 1-13 for 3 yards passing under pressure, where on the other end he’s 20/31 for 288 and 2 TD’s from a clean pocket,” he explained. “He has suffered from 5 drops that could have helped him out a bit.”

Numbers aside, there’s no ignoring that Burrow has an ability to stay calm in the pocket and make plays - especially on the run - that are unlike most any quarterback LSU has had in the past decade.

Burrow has also made LSU one of the only six teams in the country to remain without a turnover.

Auburn is going to be like no other opponent the Tigers have faced this year, though. Both Orgeron and Burrow acknowledge this.

Kevin Steele’s defense is one of the best in the nation, ranking third overall in sacks (4.5 per game) and 15th in tackles for loss. (9 per game). Auburn looks to be doing equally well on offense, averaging 41 points per game over the course of a 13-game win streak at home.

Still, Burrow makes the formula to a win sound like no big deal. He’s got a contagious sense of confidence back it up, too.

“We’re going to have to throw the ball to win the game,” Burrow said. “If we can’t, we’re going to lose the game. It’s pretty simple.”

We’ll see if Burrow is right when No. 12 LSU faces No. 7 Auburn in Jordan-Hare Stadium at 2:30 p.m. CT on Saturday.