Sept. 27 SEC Football Power Rankings
No. 4 Mississippi State Bulldogs – 52 points
No. 5 Auburn Tigers – 50 points
No. 6 Texas A&M Aggies and Tennessee Volunteers – 42 points
No. 8 LSU Tigers – 40 points
Underestimation of Mike Leach was rampant in the preseason. Repeatedly it was said his ‘Air Raid’ offense would not – make that could not – hold up against SEC defenses. Either it can (and will going forward) or LSU does not have an SEC-caliber defense. The proposition might be an ‘and’ rather than an ‘or.’ Bulldogs’s quarterback, K.J. Costello set an SEC passing record with 623 yards.
The Bulldogs had no rushing attack, but in Leach’s schemes that does not much matter. It certainly did not matter Saturday while new LSU QB, Myles Brennan connected on only 27-of-46 passes with a QBR of 32.2. The Bengal Tigers defense played as though LSU, defensive coordinator, Bo Pelini had never watched one play of the Texas Tech and Washington State Air Raids. Pelini was missing his best player with cornerback, Derek Stingley out from an undisclosed illness.
The Tennessee Vols and the Auburn Tigers played consistently with each team’s preseason expectations. Neither team gave indications of being more than a middle-tier SEC team.
In College Station, the Aggies disappointed. Jimbo’s offense gained over 380 yards, hampered by three lost fumbles. Two of the turnovers came from QB, Kellen Mond who was expected to lead the Aggies to an SEC West challenge. Mond finished the game with a QBR of 32.2.