Daily briefing: On LSU’s defense, a subdued Red River Rivalry and UCF QB John Rhys Plumlee
Ivan Maisel’s “Daily Briefing” for On3:
LSU has talent – and now it’s well-coached
No. 8 Tennessee goes into Tiger Stadium with a week off and one of the most explosive offenses in the nation. No. 25 LSU is playing the kind of defense the Tigers played a decade ago in the glory days of Les Miles. LSU is allowing 14.8 points per game, same as No. 3 Ohio State. The Tigers limited Mississippi State to 49 yards and three points in the second half, the same Mississippi State that hung five offensive touchdowns on Texas A&M. That LSU is 4-1 is a reminder that through the mediocrity of the past two seasons, the Tigers had talent. It’s the coaching that came up short. LSU has good coaching now. If coach Brian Kelly and offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock can find a way to unlock the downfield passing game, LSU will win.
Oklahoma-Texas doesn’t have usual spark
It’s the first Red River Rivalry in which neither Texas nor Oklahoma is ranked since 1998, and anytime you mention the name of former Sooners coach John Blake, that’s not a good sign for the crimson side of the Cotton Bowl. Oklahoma under first-year coach Brent Venables is giving up 70 more rushing yards per game than it did a year ago, and quarterback Dillon Gabriel may not play because of injury. Texas expects to get back its starting quarterback, Quinn Ewers. How effective he will be coming off a non-throwing shoulder injury and four weeks of rust is the question. The combination of running backs Bijan Robinson and Roschon Johnson is enough for the Longhorns to end their three-game losing streak against the Sooners. A win here won’t restore luster to either team, but it will point the winner forward for the second half of the season.
Transfer has revitalized John Rhys Plumlee’s career
The rise of quarterback John Rhys Plumlee at UCF is everything good about the transfer portal. Plumlee spent the past two seasons languishing behind Matt Corral at Ole Miss. Hey, a lot of quarterbacks would have languished behind Corral, a third-round pick of the Carolina Panthers last spring. But in five games under coach Gus Malzahn, Plumlee has had three 300-yard games and thrown seven touchdown passes; he also has rushed for a team-high 431 yards and four scores. Plumlee has a chance to throw for 3,000 yards and rush for 1,000, the Knights are 4-1 and college football is proving it can thrive without transfers having to redshirt.