LSU’s beat writers are leaning hard toward the Tigers in Saturday night’s Week 4 matchup with Texas A&M, a game that carries College Football Playoff implications for both teams and kicks off at 6:30 p.m. on ABC.
The predictions were unanimous, with every pick pointing to LSU.
Scott Rabalais sees an emphatic finish from LSU, projecting a 33-17 win. He framed the game less as revenge for last year’s 49-25 loss to the Aggies and more as a “must-win game to remain in CFP contention.” Rabalais also pointed to Marcel Reed’s past success against LSU before saying the Tigers’ defense will finally have the answer.
Jon Blau also backed LSU, 31-20. He wrote that “Marcel Reed isn’t Trinidad Chambliss,” noting that Texas A&M’s quarterback is dangerous as a runner and has already hurt LSU with 170 rushing yards in two meetings. Still, Blau expects Princewill Umanmielen and Jordan Ross to help contain Reed, while also looking for Sam Leavitt to be steadier than he was last week.
Koki Riley’s pick was LSU 28, Texas A&M 17. He cited Texas A&M’s uneven start, including a double-digit home loss to a rebuilding Kentucky team and being outgained by Arizona State the week before. Riley also pointed to the offseason NFL departures that stripped the Aggies of 10 players, saying none of that suggests much success for Texas A&M in Death Valley against an LSU team that also badly needs a win.
Reed Darcey had LSU 31, Texas A&M 21. His case centered on the Tigers bouncing back and on Texas A&M’s lack of pass-rush production, with the Aggies ranking last among SEC teams in sacks with four and tackles for loss with 14 through three games. Darcey also said LSU needs to lean on the run game more often than it did against Ole Miss, especially on first and second down, adding: “No need to get cute.”
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LSUs Poll Position After That Win Says Plenty About The Tigers
LSUs latest surge still came with a familiar caveat in the polls, even after a convincing 35-6 win over Texas A&M. The Tigers held at No. 11 in the Coaches Poll and slipped one spot to No. 11 in the AP Top 25, a ranking that says as much about the national crowdedness around them as it does about their own performance. Floridas climb to No. 8 after beating Ole Miss was one of the bigger shifts near the top, but LSUs place remained a reminder that one big win does not always bring a corresponding leap.
For LSU, the more interesting part may be how little room there is left for error if the Tigers want the respect that usually comes with a late-season push. The AP list and the coaches version both showed movement elsewhere, with teams dropping out and others collecting votes, but LSU stayed planted just outside the top tier. In a week when some programs rose sharply and others faded from view, the Tigers were left in the middle, good enough to stay in the conversation but still waiting for the kind of change in perception that only comes with another statement win. [Read more 🡒]
LSUs SEC Push Suddenly Depends On How Far These Backups Can Go
After bouncing back with a win over Texas A&M in Week 4, LSU enters the heart of SEC play with a very different kind of test ahead of it. The Tigers are trying to keep momentum going after the loss to Ole Miss, but the bigger issue now is survival depth, with injuries thinning out key spots across the roster and forcing the next wave of players into the spotlight.
That has pushed backups like Landen Clark, Jackson Harris, Davhon Keys and Tamarcus Cooley into more important roles than LSU likely planned this early in the season. With linebacker Whit Weeks, quarterback Sam Leavitt, wide receiver Phillip Wright III, tight end TreyDez Green, linebacker Charles Ross II and safety Dashawn Spears all on the injury list, the Tigers push through the SEC may come down to how steady those reserve pieces can be while the staff waits for help to return. [Read more 🡒]
LSUs Texas A&M Grades Revealed One Breakout And One Lingering Concern
Pro Football Focus latest grading from LSUs game against Texas A&M offered a tidy snapshot of where the Tigers found traction and where they still have work to do. Jackson Harris came out as the highest-graded offensive player with a 92.0 mark, while Tamarcus Cooley paced the defense at 87.7, giving LSU a couple of bright spots to point to after a matchup that demanded consistency on both sides of the ball.
The same report also flagged the Tigers rougher edges, with Jayce Brown drawing the lowest offensive grade and Dylan Carpenter landing at the bottom on defense. For LSU, that kind of split matters because it reinforces the difference between isolated standouts and full-game reliability, leaving the staff with clear evidence of who is elevating the group and where the lingering concern still sits. [Read more 🡒]