All it takes is one week, rather one result, to swing the complexion of an entire season, and Auburn football has felt the best of those effects of late.
Alex Golesh, halfway through his first season as Auburn's head coach, has the Tigers two wins from bowl eligibility thanks to a signature win. After a loss to Tennessee sent Auburn into an open week, its season resumed with an upset of No. 1 Georgia last week in Athens.
It was the sort of win that has eluded the Tigers in recent seasons, amid five years of misfortune. Golesh admitted this week the upset has put him on high alert, wanting Auburn to avoid a hangover in Week 8 when it hosts No. 17 LSU on Saturday, Oct. 24 (11 a.m. CT, ABC).
Here's a deeper dive into Saturday's contest, including analysis and a score prediction.
Our expert analysis, breakdown of Auburn football vs LSU
Lane Kiffin's first team in Baton Rouge has not exactly stormed out of the gates at 5-2 overall with a .500 record against the SEC four games into league play. Still, LSU looks classically Kiffin in some forms.
Quarterback Sam Leavitt enters leading the SEC in passing, and much like Golesh's arrival at Auburn, Kiffin retained LSU defensive coordinator Blake Baker, who has coached his unit into one of the best in the country.
Auburn will enter as a 7-point underdog, making an LSU victory more than plausible. But after the thrill of its upset in Athens, the biggest thing standing in Auburn's way will be itself.
Auburn football vs LSU scouting report: What we're watching
- Crucial downs bigger than ever against LSU: Whether on one or both sides, LSU boasts top-10 units nationally on first, third and fourth downs. Auburn's output on crucial downs has been pedestrian on the whole, but it'll need to be at its best this weekend.
- How can Auburn win line of scrimmage? LSU's defense has been among the league's best at causing problems in the backfield, top-three in the SEC in sacks and tackles for loss. Its offensive line has struggled to halt such havoc, too, meaning Auburn's play at the line of scrimmage could be an X-factor, for better or worse.
- Is Auburn football's secondary facing biggest test yet in Sam Leavitt? The Arizona State transfer was shaky to start at LSU, but he has rounded into one of the league's most-productive quarterbacks. Auburn's defensive struggles have largely existed against the run, but its pass defense has been far from lockdown.
Latest spread, odds for Auburn football vs LSU
Latest odds from BetMGM as of Friday, Oct. 23
- Spread: LSU, -7
- O/U: 51.5
- Moneyline: -280 LSU; +230 Auburn
Our expert score prediction for Auburn football vs LSU
- Score prediction: Auburn 33, No. 17 LSU 28
Why not? Kiffin may be on the lookout for Auburn "relief syndrome" after its massive upset of top-ranked Georgia, but with Golesh on high alert, the program has its best chance yet to turn a momentous result into sustained success.
In the week since Georgia, the tone inside Auburn's building has certainly felt different, beyond the high of victory. If the days of Bryan Harsin and Hugh Freeze are really behind it, Auburn would feel it for certain with back-to-back upsets.
Adam Cole is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at acole@gannett.com or on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @colereporter.To support Adam's work, please subscribe to the Montgomery Advertiser.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Can Auburn football deliver another upset against LSU? Our score prediction