There are four matchups between ranked teams during Week 6 of the college football slate. The annual Red River Rivalry between the third-ranked Texas Longhorns and the 12th-ranked Oklahoma Sooners will garner the majority of the attention. Notre Dame, fresh off their last-minute win over Duke a week after their last-second loss to Ohio State, traveling to Louisville to take on the 25th-ranked Cardinals is an intriguing matchup as well.
The Kentucky Wildcats going to Athens to take on the Georgia Bulldogs does not look as intriguing, but Kentucky will put up a fight. But the most fun matchup of the slate between two ranked teams might take place in the battle of Tigers in Columbia between LSU and Missouri.
LSU entered the season ranked fifth in the country and with the highest of expectations. Their goal was to win the National Championship. After representing the SEC West division in the SEC Championship game a year ago, they certainly had room for such lofty expectations. But they've already dropped two games, making that goal nearly unattainable. They need to win out and get some help.
That starts this week. Will they win this week? It isn't a lock. Missouri is tough. But these bold predictions? These are locks to occur in this matchup.
2) Malik Nabers will accumulate at least 150 receiving yards
One could argue that Malik Nabers is the best receiver in the country not named Marvin Harrison Jr. He certainly has played like it. In five games, Nabers has 40 receptions for 625 yards and five touchdowns. That means on average, Nabers is racking up eight receptions, 125 yards and a touchdown *each* game.
The only player with more receiving yards on the season so far is the player Nabers and LSU football will be playing against: Missouri's Luther Burden III. Nabers has only exceeded that 125 mark in two of LSU's five games, but he also has a 237-yard masterclass performance against the Mississippi State Bulldogs. 188 of those came in the first half.
Malik Nabers has outgained Mississippi State 188 to 7 in the first half pic.twitter.com/BNLPnfjEmh
— SEC Mike (@MichaelWBratton) September 16, 2023
LSU football and Malik Nabers' matchup is pretty favorable. Missouri allows 242.4 passing yards per game through five games this season. That number ranks ninth in the SEC in between Arkansas and Mississippi State. Nabers had 130 and 237 yards against those respective teams. It seems reasonable that Nabers will have his way against this secondary too.
1) Both teams will score at least 30 points
LSU has had trouble slowing down some of the more dynamic aerial attacks that they've played against. In Week 1 against Florida State, Jordan Travis threw for 342 yards and four touchdowns against LSU's secondary. Later on in the season, Arkansas' KJ Jefferson threw for 289 yards and three touchdowns against the Tigers, but he did also throw two interceptions. And then last week, LSU got absolutely torched by Jaxson Dart and Ole Miss. Dart completed 26 of his 39 pass attempts for 389 yards and threw for four touchdowns.
This week's challenge for LSU is no cakewalk either. Missouri's Brady Cook has been excellent all season long. Cook has yet to throw an interception on the season and has completed 74.5% of his passes. Missouri is also averaging 304.4 passing yards per game, which ranks fifth in the SEC. And, Missouri has the aforementioned Luther Burden III, who himself has been one of the best receivers in the nation too.
LSU football's offense has been game for any and all shootouts this season too. They lead the SEC in passing yards per game at 353.4 and rank sixth in the nation in that statistic. Only against Florida State did LSU fail to score at least 30 points in a game this season, and they've held only Grambling State and Mississippi State below that threshold. This game will see both Tiger teams score at least 30 points.
Follow Us
Subscribe