LSU vs Texas A&M: Who are the experts picking to win
It all comes down to this. The final regular-season game in the Ed Orgeron era. Last week against ULM, Orgeron became the fourth coach in school history to win 50 games. His overall LSU record sitting at 50-20, can he get to win No. 51 on Saturday night?
To do it, the LSU Tigers will need to beat Texas A&M and Jimbo Fisher. The former LSU assistant has been linked to the job opening ever since week one following the loss to UCLA. In 2017 the Aggies lost at UCLA to begin that season and ended up with Fisher as their head coach after the season. Wouldn’t that be something? To do it again? Not likely but with Fisher in town, perfect timing for his friend Scott Woodward to interview him.
The Aggies are currently 8-3 and could easily get to 10 wins after the LSU game and their bowl. The Tigers are 5-6 and a victory could help avoid their first losing season since 1999. Following that campaign over 20 years ago they fired their head coach. Orgeron has already been given his walking papers and looks to avoid setting another historic marker in LSU history. But can they do it?
We look at how the experts see it:
Patrick Conn, Site Editor
I really struggled with my prediction this week, but I always come up with the same conclusion. There should be a lot of emotion in this game. With it being Ed Orgeron’s last game, you would expect plenty of it. I am just not sure they can overcome everything in front of them in this one. LSU has the second-worst redzone percentage over the last three games, hard to win when you can’t score.
Texas A&M 24, LSU 3
Adam Hunsucker, Daily Advertiser (USA TODAY Network)
The Orgeron era ends with a dud as Texas A&M manufactures enough offense to dash LSU’s bowl hopes.
CBS Sports
Jerry Palm: LSU
Dennis Dodd: Texas A&M
Tom Fornelli: Texas A&M
Chip Patterson: Texas A&M
Barrett Sallee: Texas A&M
David Cobb: Texas A&M
Shehan Jeyarajah: Texas A&M
Pete Fiutak, College Football News
LSU will come up with an inspired effort for a whole slew of reasons.
It’s the regular season finale, it could be the last ride of the current era, and there’s a shot at going bowling and salvaging something out of the season with a win.
It’ll be hanging around well into the third quarter, but the Texas A&M’s No. 2 scoring defense will hold firm when it has to.
LSU just doesn’t score, and A&M allowed just 15 points per game. Don’t expect fireworks.
Don’t expect 74-72 like 2018.
CFN Panel
Eric Bolin, RazorbacksWire.com: Texas A&M
Adam Dubbin, GatorsWire.com Texas A&M
Jeff Feyerer, CFN: LSU
Pete Fiutak, CFN: Texas A&M
Dan Harralson, VolsWire.com: Texas A&M
Phil Harrison, BuckeyesWire.com: Texas A&M
Jeremy Mauss, MWwire.com: Texas A&M
Kevin McGuire, NittanyLionsWire.com: Texas A&M
Zac Neel, DucksWire.com: Texas A&M
Big Game Ben Niewoehner, CFN Texas A&M
Johnny Rosenstein, SportsBookWire.com: Texas A&M*
Scott Steehn, WinnersandWhiners.com: Texas A&M
Joe Vitale, UGAWire.com: LSU
Clucko the Chicken, CFN: LSU
CONSENSUS PICK: Texas A&M
Kerry Miller, Bleacher Report
A&M clamps down on defense and the 2019 national champions fail to qualify for a 2021 bowl.
247Sports
Chris Hummer: Texas A&M 24, LSU 21
Brad Crawford: Texas A&M 23, LSU 10
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