LSU is hoping to compete for a playoff spot as [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] enters year three and the playoff expands to 12. LSU needs to win some big games to get there.
The Tigers host Alabama and Ole Miss in Tiger Stadium. Both games should attract national attention and have playoff implications on both sides.
However, for LSU to get where it wants to go, the Tigers need to avoid the trap losses. The SEC is getting tougher with the arrival of Texas and Oklahoma and being consistent week to week matters more than anything else.
Great teams don’t just win the big ones, but they avoid the letdown spots. LSU is lucky to get its toughest games at home, but that means LSU will play in some charged road environments against teams looking to play spoiler.
Here are three trap games that could derail LSU’s season if the Tigers aren’t careful.
South Carolina
LSU will open conference play against South Carolina in Week 3. By then, LSU will either have a big win or an equally big loss thanks to the Week 1 showdown with USC.
LSU will be favored over USC, so there’s a decent chance LSU enters the South Carolina game 2-0 with a potential top-10 ranking.
South Carolina isn’t a rivalry game and the Gamecocks aren’t expected to factor into the SEC picture. LSU will be confident, which gives South Carolina a chance to give LSU a scare.
LSU is hosting UCLA the next week, so this isn’t necessarily a look-ahead spot. But South Carolina is a tough place to play and LSU is inexperienced at some spots.
The Gamecocks defensive line is one of the few DLs in the country that can pose a challenge to LSU’s elite offensive line and if the Gamecocks wreck LSU’s game plan early, this could be a long one.
LSU will be a double-digit favorite in this one and I expect it to handle business, but the Tigers need to exercise caution.
Texas A&M
We can debate whether or not a game on the road at Texas A&M is a trap game, but it’s gotten LSU before.
LSU took a trip to A&M to close out the 2022 regular season. With a trip to the SEC title game already clinched and a New Year’s Six bid on the line, LSU fell flat against the Aggies.
This year, the A&M game comes at a tough time. It’s two weeks after the Ole Miss game and follows up a road trip to Fayetteville. It’s the final contest before the Alabama showdown, but a bye week separating the two should remove some of the look-away factor.
A&M still has plenty of talent and Mike Elko’s initial transfer class was strong. The Aggies have a good QB with Connor Weigman and that could threaten an LSU defense with a new coordinator.
Oklahoma
LSU will close out the regular season vs. Oklahoma. There’s a chance this is anything but a trap game. If OU and LSU have strong seasons, this game may take the national spotlight.
But the Sooners have a brutal schedule and it would be a surprise to see them pushing 10 wins at this point. On the other side, LSU could enter this one with a trip to Atlanta on the horizon.
If that’s the case, LSU can’t overlook Oklahoma in its inaugural year in the SEC. The freshness of this matchup along with it being senior night should help prevent the letdown, but it’s one to watch.
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