We asked the crew at 104.5 ESPN Baton Rouge to predict the score for Saturday night’s showdown between LSU and Ole Miss. The homer collection hasn’t picked against LSU all year. Does that continue?
Jacob Hester, Co-Host Off the Bench: In a game that feels like a 50/50 situation, it’s going to be LSU with an extra week to prepare and Death Valley at its absolute peak that will be the difference. 34-31 LSU
T-Bob Hebert, Co-Host, Off the Bench: I do not respond to text messages and e-mails from Hunt Palmer. He is a wonderful person, though. He has a great golf swing, and the Cubs are the best professional sports franchise of all-time.
EDITED: If this game were a murder investigation, Chief would be forced to take me off the case. If you’ve come here looking for objectivity, you’ve come to the wrong place. I think Ole Miss is the better team on paper , BUT there are a lot of unknowns in this game. Both defenses have not seen an offense like the one they will see on Saturday. And then there is the most powerful intangible element of the matchup: Death Valley on Saturday Night. The place where opponents’ dreams come to die. Wouldn’t it be so sweet if an entire offseason worth of Ole Miss’s dreams found their way to a swampy grave this Saturday Night? 35-32 LSU
Taylor Sharp, Video Producer, Off the Bench: I’ve gone back and forth on this game for a while. LSU has so many injuries so initially I thought Ole Miss would smash. For some reason I can’t get behind the Rebels in big games, maybe it’s Lane Kiffin. I’m actually going to pick the Tigers in this one. LSU must establish the run though, Kiffin coached teams always struggle against physicality. On defense you have to win on 1st and 2nd down. Make the Rebels offense more predictable on 3rd and long. 42-38 LSU
Alondra Villareal, Audio Producer, Off the Bench: To be honest, I don’t know why. Call it women’s intuition. 34-31 LSU
Charles Hanagriff, Co-Host, Live at Lunch: I like the spot for the Tigers, coming off a bye with Ole Miss on the road for the second straight week. The 6:30 kickoff with great weather expected should see Tiger Stadium at its best. 33-30 LSU
Hunt Palmer, Host, The Hunt Palmer Show: I think this game goes to the fourth quarter tight. I just don’t know that I’ve seen enough from LSU’s secondary to feel like they can run with Ole Miss for four quarters. I think both offenses make some big plays, but a late big play by the Ole Miss pass rush wins it. 34-24 Ole Miss
Jacob Beck, Audio Producer, The Hunt Palmer Show: At this point, there shouldn’t be any concern about whether or not LSU’s offense can score (they’ve put up 34+ in every game since the opener) . The question will be can they slow down this Ole Miss offense. With a packed Tiger Stadium, I think they play above their ability similar to how South Carolina contained LSU in the 1st half. But Lane Kiffin is too good a play caller and LSU’s defense is too porous for this to be anything but a shootout. LSU 41-38.
Matt Moscona, Host, After Further Review: Before the season, I picked LSU to win this game because of the situation. Ole Miss is playing a seventh consecutive game, including back-to-back road conference games, while LSU is coming off an open date rested and with two weeks to prepare. Lane Kiffin is 0-4 at Ole Miss on the road against ranked teams. Brian Kelly is 15-2 all-time at home off a bye. The situation still favors LSU, but Ole Miss is the better team. I think this game mirrors the season opener against USC, a lower-scoring game than most think with someone having a chance to win it late. My favorite play is the under, but I don’t know that I trust the LSU defense to get that key stop. I’ve got a slight lean with the Rebels. 30-27 Ole Miss
Matthew Musso, Audio Producer, After Further Review: Toughest game to pick by far this season. Each team has aspects of the game that favor their side. I believe it is a legitimate coin flip. In that scenario, I favor the better team top to bottom, and that is Ole Miss. Brian Kelly was clear he did not want a shootout, but that would actually favor his team as LSU has been the more consistent offense. I think this game is ultimately decided by the defenses, and for that reason I have to side with the better unit, and that is Ole Miss. 28-24 Ole Miss
Paul O’Neill, Video Producer, After Further Review: It will be an electric atmosphere in Tiger Stadium Saturday night and that will help fuel the Tigers. Both teams have great passing attacks, and we should be in for a great QB duel. LSU is still missing weapons at WR and has holes at every level on the defense because of injury or youth. The Ole Miss offense has the potential to give the Tigers defense fits, especially if WR Tre Harris plays. If it is another shoot out between the Tigers and Rebels, I could see the Ole Miss defense making more plays to seal the game. Ole Miss 34, LSU 27
