Auburn-LSU: Which SEC West Tiger Will Be Crowned Top Cat?

Auburn travels down to what is one of the most intimidating venues in the Southeastern Conference on Saturday. The Tigers of the Plains are on a two-game skid with issues on both sides of the football. 

The Bayou Bengals welcome Auburn after a week off from a 13-3 loss to Florida two weeks ago. Offensive woes are the name of the game for LSU, but the defense has been the catalyst for all their wins so far this season. 

Here are some keys to look for as these two Tigers meet for the 44th time.

1. Execution, Execution, Execution

Both squads will be looking for execution on the offensive side of the ball. Auburn has had problems moving the ball effectively during the last two games against Arkansas and Kentucky. 

There has been quite a bit of speculation among the Auburn faithful about quarterback Chris Todd and his arm, whether defenses have finally figured out the offense, and the play-calling in general.

LSU has their own offensive issues, ranking dead last in the conference in yards per game (295.0) and 11th in points per game (23.0). It is just as important to the Bayou Bengals to get points on the board as their Alabama counterparts.

2. LSU's Brandon LaFell and Auburn's Ben Tate

Brandon LaFell is just a remarkable athlete who has given LSU chances to win in each game. He is third in the SEC in receptions (4.5) and has caught five touchdown passes so far this season. Regardless of Auburn's susceptibility on the ground, look for LaFell to be a main target for the Bayou Bengals in moving the ball. 

Running back Ben Tate has quietly put together an outstanding season so far. He averages 122.3 yards per game, good for second in the conference and seventh nationally in rushing. In the midst of the offensive problems recently, Tate has been a consistent force against opposing defenses.

Giving Tate the ball and holes to run through will make things easier for the Auburn offense. 

3. Scoring early will be the key

Whoever gets the first points on the scoreboard will have a big advantage over the other team. Both teams have struggled offensively recently, which only makes scoring all the more important for both squads.

If LSU scores first, it will give them some leeway and allow the defense to take care of business against the Auburn attack. LSU is 14th nationally in scoring defense (14.5 points per game) and ninth in turnover margin (+1.17). 

If Auburn scores first, LSU will have to make sure not to press the panic button early. However, the more points that Auburn piles on, LSU will have to respond. The same goes for Auburn if the Bayou Bengals start to score often.

4. Can Auburn's defense hold?

Auburn's defense has been ripped apart the last two weeks.  If you noticed, it was about this time last year that Auburn's defense was having problems holding teams due to their play in the first part of the season.

The main key to the defense is to hold LSU to three-and-outs often and get the offense opportunities to score.  Field position, whether to defensive stops or creating turnovers, should be the main goal for Auburn. 

Another key factor to the Auburn defense: Hold the running game. It is expected that LSU's Charles Scott will carry the ball quite often during the game. Forcing LSU to be one-dimensional could put pressure on LSU's Jordan Jefferson. 

5. Can LSU's offensive line hold?

Speaking of pressure, Jefferson has been sacked 18 times so far this season. LSU hasn't run much on the ground either, only averaging 123.8 yards per game. Although Auburn has been susceptible against the run, they do feature quite a number of pass rushers.

If LSU's line can hold the likes of defensive end Antonio Coleman, defensive tackle Mike Blanc, and linebacker Josh Bynes, then the Bayou Bengals should have an easy time moving the football.

Final Analysis:

Both sides have holes for the other to exploit. Picking this game isn't as easy as it may seem. 

If you have been paying attention, you'll notice nearly all of the points can go back to the first point: Execution .

It is as simple as whoever executes their plays better will win this football game. 

That being said, I will go out on a limb and predict an upset. I still believe the reason Auburn has lost two straight is because of shortcomings brought upon themselves, not by their opponents.

LSU has a better defense by far than Arkansas or Kentucky, but Auburn's running game still has been consistent in all its games to this point. Look for Tate to have another big day. 

If Auburn can stop committing stupid penalties on offense, they will be able to play another close game and walk away with a victory in this year's edition of the Tiger Bowl.

Auburn 28, LSU 24