LSU vs. Auburn: Predictions, TV and Live Stream Coverage for Saturday Night

There are several intriguing matchups in Week 6, but none have the championship implications of Saturday night's battle between Southeastern Conference foes the No. 5 Auburn Tigers and the No. 15 LSU Tigers.

Both programs are widely considered two of the best in the country, and the resulting battle on national television will have hardcore and casual fans tuning in to see which team has the better shot at the college football playoffs.

Here is all of the vital viewing information for the Week 6 showdown and the full breakdown of the marquee matchup.

Where: Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn, Alabama

When: Saturday, October 4

Start Time: 7 p.m. ET

Watch: ESPN

Live Stream: WatchESPN

Breaking Down LSU vs. Auburn

There are few games thus far in 2014 that have captured the minds of college football fans the way Saturday night’s showdown between LSU and Auburn has over the last week. Not only are these two programs SEC foes, but they are also ranked teams looking to move up in the next top 25 poll.

Auburn enters the game as the betting favorite (the spread is -7.5, according to OddsShark.com), and it looks to be carrying as much momentum as any team in the nation. After losing the national championship to Florida State to finish last season, the program has strung together four wins to start the 2014 campaign, including wins over Arkansas and Kansas State.

While it is still early in the season, Saturday’s game against LSU is a must-win due to the upcoming schedule for Auburn. It is dangerous for a program to look ahead, but with upcoming games against Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Georgia and Alabama, Auburn must dominate LSU on Saturday and set the tone for the next stretch of games.

If Auburn is unable to beat LSU, though, the wheels could come off very quickly.

Luckily for the team and the fans of the program, head coach Gus Malzahn is brimming with confidence and it’s rubbing off on his players. Auburn wide receiver Quan Bray talked to The Associated Press (via USA Today) about defending the SEC Championship and how LSU won’t hand the team a loss:

"

It's not going to be hard for us to win the SEC championship. We're the defending SEC champions, and we're going to try to defend that. And we're going to try to move on and be 13 seconds better. We're going to earn it. We put in the grind for that, so we're definitely going to come out and play ball. They're going to have to take it from us.

"

As good as Auburn is and as confident as the program is in its abilities, LSU has a roster full of talented players who would love to play spoiler and make a case that it should be one of the top contenders in the SEC.

ESPN’s College Football Twitter account pointed out that LSU has dominated Auburn recently:

A loss to Mississippi State was a devastating blow earlier this season, but LSU managed to beat the ranked Wisconsin Badgers in Week 1, and the team is coming off a huge 63-7 win over New Mexico State.

Both teams possess the stingy defenses that the SEC has become known for. LSU is currently ranked sixth in the nation, allowing only 13 points per game, but Auburn isn’t too far behind, ranking 15th and allowing 16.3 points per game. When it comes to the defensive matchup, it’s a push.

Auburn’s advantage comes on the offensive side of the ball. Led by dual-threat senior quarterback Nick Marshall, the offensive unit has been able to keep drives alive and control the clock using a run-first game plan accented by a succinct passing attack.

For LSU, the team has turned the reins over to freshman quarterback Brandon Harris and will give him his first career start, according to Randy Rosetta of NOLA.com. Malzahn understands the pressure on a freshman quarterback and will do everything in his power to get defenders in Harris’ face all game.

With pressure coming from every direction, Harris will make freshman mistakes and turn the ball over. If Auburn controls the clock and limits turnovers while forcing Harris to make mistakes, the program will take down LSU and continue its ascension toward the top of the polls.

Predicted Final Score: Auburn 36, LSU 27

Stats via ESPN.com.

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