LSU's passing game versus Texas A&M's pass defense
Before this season, this LSU passing game was thought to be one of the best in the country. Garrett Nussmeier was one of the leading contenders to win the Heisman, and he had a duo of talented receivers — that being Aaron Anderson and Barion Brown — to chuck the ball around to, and a 6-foot-7 tight end in Trey'Dez Green that would pose as an impossible matchup in red-zone opportunities. All of that sounds great on paper, but that hasn't translated well to the football field.
LSU is averaging 253.7 passing yards per game, good for just 49th in the country, and its 7.2 passing yards per attempt is tied for 77th-best in college football. Nussmeier, who has notably been playing through an injury this entire season, has been asked to do a lot for this offense and, in turn, has put the ball in harm's way. He has five interceptions this season, and 17 over his last 20 games as LSU's starter. Again, a lot of that has to do with what LSU is asking of him, but he's also made some very poor decisions with the football as a result. It's also important to note that LSU will be without its starting left tackle, Tyree Adams, after he left last week's game against Vanderbilt with injury.
Just like with its run defense, Texas A&M has been perfectly fine at limiting traffic through the air — holding opposing offenses to 200.9 yards per game, the 45th best mark in the sport. They've forced some inefficient play from their opponents, with quarterbacks completing passes at a rate below 60 percent and sacking them on more than 10 percent of dropbacks, but have struggled at maximizing those opportunities with just two interceptions through seven games.
I do believe that LSU, playing at home, will be able to find success through the air. Nussmeier has still played well this season despite his limitations, and I don't think Texas A&M has faced a receiver room yet quite like the one the Tigers will line up. However, I also believe that the Aggie defensive front should get consistent pressure on the quarterback, which could lead to some high-leverage plays that could swing the outcome of this game. This is truly a coin flip in my eyes, so I'll do something I've avoided doing all season.
The edge goes to ... No one