The Auburn Tigers enter their only home game in October with plenty of momentum, coming off their biggest game of the decade. Head coach Alex Golesh will look to make it two straight. 

Auburn will host the No. 18 LSU Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium in what looks to be a title eliminator for the SEC Championship, which both teams are on the outside looking in of. A win on Saturday would keep either team alive. 

Here are three storylines that I’ll be keeping a close eye on throughout the contest on the Plains. 

Momentum or Hangover?

After big games, like the one Auburn won last weekend against No. 1 Georgia, there could end up being a lack of focus against the next team. The SEC makes it a quick turnaround for teams to do so, and opposing head coach Lane Kiffin thinks that’s the case. 

On the flip side, Golesh was quick to shift the focus after throwing toilet paper at Toomer’s Corner on Saturday night. He believes that Auburn will be sharp for the affair that will put two teams of Tigers together on the Plains this weekend. 

We’ve seen it before, though, especially when the No. 1 team in the country goes down. The SEC is a gauntlet, after all, so Golesh and his team should be ready for another top opponent this weekend. 

Sam Leavitt’s Comfortability

LSU has quite the wild card at quarterback this season in Arizona State transfer Sam Leavitt, who can make hero plays as well as turn the ball over at an alarming rate. It’s led to the Bayou Bengals’ opponents gaining momentum defensively, despite times when they can score points in bunches. 

However, in losses this season, Leavitt has been turnover-prone. LSU’s loss to Ole Miss saw the quarterback throw an interception in the end zone to ice the game. In its loss to Kentucky, the Tigers lost the turnover margin by two in overtime. 

Especially in Auburn’s win over Georgia, Golesh saw his group force three turnovers on the Bulldogs, including two interceptions on Gunner Stockton, being the first two-game interception game of his career. Can the Tigers get to Leavitt and make him uncomfortable? That’s the key to turning the tide in this game. 

Maintaining the Offensive Identity

The Tigers were able to run for 192 rushing yards compared to only 174 passing yards in their win over Georgia. However, there could be issues against the LSU defense that is fierce up front. 

LSU allows only 88.1 rushing yards per game this season, which is the best in the SEC. Many opposing teams have had to throw the ball a lot against Blake Baker’s defense to open the 2026 season, and Auburn will most likely have to do the same. However, the legs of quarterback Byrum Brown could be more important from a scrambling standpoint. 

The run game has been a point of emphasis for Golesh since he stepped foot on campus at the end of last year. How that is implemented in this game against a stout run defense will be key to keeping the crowd in it. 

Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. Central with the game to be broadcast on ABC.

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