LSU’s trip to Tennessee now has a kickoff time, and it comes with plenty on the line.
The Nov. 21 game at Neyland Stadium is set for 2:30 p.m., with ESPN or ABC carrying the broadcast. For LSU, the timing matters less than the path that leads there.
A win over Texas this weekend could turn the Volunteers matchup into a real College Football Playoff lifeline, especially if the Tigers can stack back-to-back victories over ranked teams. That kind of finish could help offset losses to ranked Ole Miss, Kentucky and Alabama.
But if Lane Kiffin and the Tigers fall at home this weekend, the playoff picture could be all but gone before LSU even boards the trip to Knoxville, Tennessee. LSU enters at 6-3 overall and 3-3 in the SEC.
Tennessee, meanwhile, is still firmly in the hunt. The CFP has the Volunteers at No. 13 after a 34-6 win over No.
6 Kentucky, and their two losses have both come by three points - one to Texas and the other to a South Carolina team that has been surging. Tennessee is 7-2 overall and 4-2 in the SEC.
The Volunteers still have Texas A&M on deck this week before finishing the regular season against Vanderbilt.
Tennessee also took a hit this week on defense. Tyree Weathersby, the team’s sack leader, is out for the year with a knee injury, according to multiple reports. He becomes the Volunteers’ eighth player to be sidelined for the season.
LSU has injury questions of its own. Linebacker Whit Weeks, one of the Tigers’ top defensive players, could still work his way back at some point. He was listed as “doubtful” on the SEC’s availability reports throughout the week of the Alabama game, but he was ultimately ruled out for a fifth straight contest.
In Other News...
LSU Just Added A Louisiana Linebacker Worth Watching Closely
LSU kept a Louisiana linebacker in the fold with the addition of JaMarquis Hudson, who flipped his commitment from Kansas to the Tigers. The move brings him back closer to home after he built his high school profile in Texas, and it also gives LSU another defender with real ties to the state and a clear connection to the programs staff.
Hudson said family ties to Louisiana and his relationships with LSU coaches played a major role in the change, and he has already developed a strong rapport with linebackers coach Chris Kiffin. He also knows there is work ahead, planning to add weight so he can better fit LSUs defensive scheme, which makes his development one of the more interesting things to watch as this commitment settles in. [Read more 🡒]
LSUs Alabama Grades Exposed One Bright Spot And One Big Concern
Pro Football Focus postgame grades offered a quick snapshot of where LSU held up and where it slipped in the loss to Alabama, and the numbers pointed to one clear offensive bright spot. Wide receiver Jackson Harris came out with the Tigers top offensive grade at 80.7, a sign that he was one of the few LSU players who consistently made his presence felt in a tough matchup.
The bigger concern showed up inside, where center Braelin Moore posted the lowest offensive mark at 49.3. On the other side of the ball, cornerback DJ Pickett led LSU with a 76.3 grade, and the defensive chart did not feature any glaringly poor performances, which leaves the focus on an offense that still has some sorting out to do. [Read more 🡒]
Will Wade Sent LSU A Warning After That Blowout
A big win over Texas Southern did not leave Will Wade sounding particularly satisfied, and that says plenty about where LSU is right now. Even after the Tigers handled business, Wade pointed to offensive inefficiencies and turnovers as the kind of slippage that can get exposed once the schedule stiffens, especially with Louisiana Tech and Gonzaga coming up next.
Donovan Dent said the message from the coach was all about staying locked in and not letting a lopsided result blur the bigger picture. For LSU, the concern is less about the final score from one night and more about whether the Tigers can clean up the details fast enough to be ready when the competition gets tougher. [Read more 🡒]