Auburn football schedule analysis: Grading the LSU Tigers

Here's a preview of the 2022 Tiger Bowl between Auburn and LSU.

The month of October starts off with a clash of Tigers in Jordan-Hare Stadium. Brian Kelly and LSU march into town for Auburn's fifth-straight home game to begin the season.

On paper, this may be one of the most evenly matched games Auburn plays in 2022. There are several unknowns for the Bayou Bengals, most notably along the offensive line. LSU's success may hinge on how that unit performs.

As for the other units? Here's a look at what they are heading into this season.

Quarterback: B

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LSU currently has a three-way quarterback battle that did not see any separation between competitors during the spring.

Myles Brennan is back for his sixth season with the Tigers after sitting as a primary backup for most of his career before suffering an injury when he got a shot at the starting job in 2020. 

Arizona State transfer Jayden Daniels threw 32 touchdowns to 13 interceptions during his three seasons with the Sun Devils, but had a 10/10 split during his junior year. Daniels also accumulated over 1,200 rushing yards at ASU, and could make LSU's offense a little more dynamic.

Freshman Garrett Nussmeier threw for 328 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions in four games last season.

Running Back: C+

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John Emery Jr. leads the way in a questionable running back room. Emery spent all of 2021 fighting through academic issues and is finally eligible to play. Penn State transfer Noah Cain will back Emery up.

This backfield may not see its true potential because of LSU's issues up front. Brian Kelly is going to have to do a lot to improve the Tigers' 3.3 yards per carry from last season.

Wide Receiver: B+

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This is a deep receiver room.

Kayshon Boutte (1,244 yards, 14 touchdowns in two seasons) is one of the best receivers in the entire country. Jach Bech (43 receptions, 489 yards, three touchdowns) Jerry Jenkins (43 receptions, 502 yards, six touchdowns) and Malik Nabers (28 receptions, 417 yards, four touchdowns) will back him up as viable options.

The Tigers should have one of the stronger passing attacks in the SEC.

Offensive Line: C

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This unit's ability to improve will go a long way in helping Brian Kelly open up the offense.

All five starters from a year ago are gone. Only one player from last season had a PFF grade higher than 70 (Garrett Dellinger).

Establishing better play at tackle and finding a consistent push in the run game will be important for LSU's offensive progression.

Offensive outlook vs Auburn:

LSU has some legitimate weapons on the outside. The biggest question is, can the Tigers actually get the ball to them? Offensive line play may come up huge for LSU this season.

Auburn may want to make some adjustments off of last year's gameplan, but not being able to get a push upfront should allow the home Tigers to send a little pressure at whoever is starting at quarterback.

Defensive Line: B+

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Senior Ali Gaye heads up one of the better pass rushing units in the nation. Sophomore Maason Smith is a potential breakout player on the d-line.

The Tigers are switching to a 3-4 defense this season under new DC Matt House, and should continue to send pressure as effectively as they did last season.

Linebackers: B+

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BJ Ojulari (54 tackles, 12 TFL, 7.0 sacks) will stand alongside Mike Jones Jr. (34 tackles, 2.0 sacks) and Micah Baskerville (83 tackles, 9 TFL, 2.0 sacks) in the back of the front seven. This is a rangy unit that prided itself (much like the d-line) in getting after the quarterback.

Rush defense is something the team needs to work on (140.8 rushing yards allowed per game, seventh in the SEC)

Defensive Backs: C+

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This unit has been a mess for a couple of seasons.

The self-proclaimed "DBU" produced 81st best pass defense in the nation last year. Thankfully Matt House can reset things in the defensive backfield after the departure of four starters.

Joe Foucha and Greg Brooks Jr. make their way over from Arkansas to help at safety. Mehki Gardner (Louisiana) and Jarrick Bernard-Converse (Oklahoma State) will help at corner.

Special Teams: C+

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Kicker Cade York left for the NFL early. Punter Jay Bramblett transferred over from Notre Dame, averaging 43.1 yards per punt during his time with the Irish.

LSU was 89th and 75th nationally in kickoff and punt return coverage.

Defensive outlook vs Auburn:

Both of these teams should apply pressure on each other. Getting the ball out quickly and testing LSU's corners and linebackers in coverage may be Auburn's best way to move the ball in this matchup.

It's not entirely clear whether or not LSU will be able to hold Auburn's rushing attack back for the entire game. Bigsby will get his fair share of touches.

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