Link Gumbo: Expect the Aggies Best Effort

It’s their bowl game so I expect the kitchen sink

In the build up to the Bama game I admitted that it always felt like Bama took advantage of the bye week in terms of new strategies and wrinkles. It has been the opposite for us in this series with the Aggies. Most recent examples show us introducing the jet sweep motion into the offense with DJ Chark, unleashing Joe Burrow’s legs in that epic overtime game, and introducing the world to the clutch catching machine that is Jaray Jenkins.

I feel like the tables can turn this week because I see the Aggies pulling out all the stops to keep the crowd in their favor. Jimbo is coaching for his life and this series has not been a cake walk. I don’t know if there are any black friday specials on entire Kick Off and Punt Return Units, but now would be the time to buy. This will need to be Jayden’s best performance on the road year to date, and I think he will deliver that. I’m happy if it is 2001, but I would love for it to be 2007 all over again.

two things that worry me going into this weekend, the Aggies have an excellent pass defense and an excellent return game as well.

Like Max pointed out, we have moved to #5:

Football Moves to No. 5 in CFP Rankings – LSU (lsusports.net)

What I think I loved the most last night was watching Reese and Greg McElroy try to broach the subject of Bama sneaking into the playoff argument (which coincides with Clemson doesn’t deserve anything even if they win out, which is a pro Bama argument). Folks, I don’t think there is any way those back door artists can work this out. I do think they will play a role in our fandom if we lose to UGA and Bama gets a NY6 spot in front of us, but I’m not worried about that. If LSU does pull it out this week and next, our competition is USC, not Bama sitting at 8. They will keep getting jumped.

His credibility is pretty high right now, but he needs to keep momentum:

Brian Kelly says LSU winning SEC West was unrealistic. He did it anyway (theadvertiser.com)

As fans, we have been surprised the last two times winning the west. In 2019, we were surprised to see the greatest team in the history of the sport generate in front of our eyes. In 2022, we expected re building. What Brian Kelly really did was put us right back on track for the every 4 years train. And if JD comes back, I have a feeling we may get some 1st place division votes going into next year.

I have taken this series way too much for granted:

LSU looks for sixth straight win against struggling Aggies | AP News

While Arkansas has always carried the slog of cold weather and emotional recouping after the Bama game, this series has the last game of the year, play as hard as I can kinda vibe from the Tigers. I hope we keep that emotion

I love Kelly’s messaging this week:

LSU football: Brian Kelly wary of Aggies in role-reversal matchup (saturdaydownsouth.com)

The author is right in terms of expectations and conference records going into this game. And this is so random, but I see a slight exodus of some of the players on the A&M squad who are not bought into Jimbo. Could this be a game they treat as tape for their free agency coming up? Are they gonna play like this is a contract game (not contract year). I expect the absolute best from that defense, and it looks like BK is expecting the same.