Not generally a fan of Mike Leach with his gimmicky style of play and eccentric "personality" that seems to leave most college football media members foaming at the mouth. But he has a couple of things going for the Bulldogs Saturday against a depleted LSU lineup that got even thinner with the announced absence of cornerback Derek Stingley. The Bulldogs have a solid 1-2 punch with graduate transfer quarterback K.J. Costello, who was solid while healthy at Stanford. Kylin Hill is one of the SEC's top returning running backs.They should have enough firepower to keep this respectable.

The Tigers have too many departures to warrant the point spread in this game. While Mississippi State will be breaking in a new offense, and because this is the first game for both teams, expect some sloppy play all around and a very close game.

Don't be surprised if this game is ugly. LSU is a team with nothing but new faces in new places, as it's had to replace numerous starters, as well as key coaches on its staff. Mississippi State, meanwhile, is installing a new Air Raid offense under Mike Leach. In the first game of the season after the strangest offseason of all time, I expect both teams to be rusty.

The Mike Leach hype is too much. Do we really believe that a system that spreads everybody out, including up front, is going to have a chance against fast and physical front sevens? No way, no how. This line is way too small due in large part to the uncertainty surrounding LSU’s roster. Don’t worry about it. They Tigers will out-athlete the Bulldogs.