SEC action this week offers six games and five in-conference contests. While Georgia sits idle, the other eleven teams from the SEC are preparing to commence hostilities.  Following the past two weeks, there are several questions that teams will be looking to answer this week.  Are Tennessee and Arkansas for real? Can Florida and Ole Miss find a consistent offense? I’m putting all of these questions aside for the moment, because I don’t think any of these teams are playing in the best SEC game this week.

Game of the Week:

Auburn (5-2, 2-2 SEC) at LSU (5-1, 3-1 SEC): 7:30 PM on Saturday 24 October (ESPN 2)

This game hasn’t meant as much in recent years since Auburn ceased to be a force in the SEC momentarily.  Gene Chizik’s new offense made a big impact in Auburn’s early season, but the “O” hasn’t looked as solid in their past three SEC games. LSU has been struggling to find an offense this season, but has a strong defensive unit which helped them win several close games so far this season. An LSU win ensures that the Bayou Bengals control their own destiny.  An Auburn win gives Alabama a nearly insurmountable lead in the SEC West and thoroughly mucks up the race for second place in the division.

Auburn’s offense seemed to be an unstoppable force earlier in the year, posting big numbers on the scoreboard and beating a very solid West Virginia team 41-30. I believe that coach Chizik and his offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn are on to something that will be effective for years to come in Auburn. Auburn currently stands second in the SEC in total offense and scoring offense. Last year, they ranked eighth and tenth respectively in those categories. While I love the new Auburn offense, it is hard to deny that the numbers have dropped dramatically in the past three games. The Tigers scored 26 in a win against Tennessee, 23 in a loss against Arkansas, and 14 in a losing effort against Kentucky. The back to back losses have sent a very promising season into a bit of a tail spin. Auburn was greatly exceeding expectations to date this year, now they’re just meeting them.

Recent offensive downturns aside, it has really been the defense that is letting Chizik down. Last year Auburn allowed an average of 18.0 points per game (5^th SEC) and 317.8 yards per game (6^th in SEC). This year’s defense isn’t faring as well, allowing 26.3 points per game (10^th in SEC) 367.6 yards per game (11^th in SEC). It is unusual to see Auburn in the bottom of the SEC with respect to defensive stats. Even in the last few “lean years” at Auburn, the defense played exceptionally well. Take a look at the stats below illustrating the slow demise of the Auburn defense.