LSU lost battle on the lines at Florida

Ed Orgeron refused to avoid the obvious.

“We could not drop back and throw the football,” said the LSU head coach after his team’s 27-19 loss at Florida. “It was obvious.”

In an important early season SEC game, a game that is always decided on the offensive and defense lines, Florida’s was better than LSU’s.

Tigers quarterback Joe Burrow was sacked five times and hurried countless times. In the fourth quarter, Florida held the football for nine minutes and two seconds.

“We are going to have ‘tell the truth’ Monday,” said Orgeron. “There’s no way we can say we are going to put this aside and get ready for Georgia.”

As LSU head coach, Orgeron is now 1-2 against the Gators. In those three games, the Tigers have scored 10, 17 and 19 points.

In the fourth quarter, when Florida needed a big run, they got it. On the goal line, when the Gators needed to punch it in, they did.

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In the meantime, this season in the Southeastern Conference, the different “levels” of football are clearly established.

The kingpin Alabama, who keeps its very talented quarterback clean, scored 65 points at Arkansas. The Tide would appear to be on a collision course with Georgia in the SEC championship.

Those Bulldogs appear to be the only team in the league that can challenge Alabama in the trenches.

Florida in the East, and LSU, Texas A&M, and perhaps Mississippi State in the West appear to comprise the conference’s second tier.

This Saturday at 2:30 pm, LSU has a huge challenge against Georgia. Orgeron must rally his troops, who were spent physically, against one of the top five teams in college football.

Unbeaten Georgia allows only 13 points a game while their running game cranks out 245 yards per outing.

But, if strength of schedule is an advantage, LSU has it hands down.

The Tigers have run the gauntlet, opening the season against Miami and playing road games at Auburn and Florida.

Georgia has defeated Austin Peay, South Carolina, Middle Tennessee, Missouri, Tennessee,and Vanderbilt.

LSU could get two key starters, linebacker Jacob Phillips and guard Garrett Brumfield, back for the Florida game.

They will be needed.

Two years ago, Orgeron said that the key to beating Alabama was “having first round picks on your offensive line that can block their first round picks.”

If talent up front is most important, continuity might be second.

In the loss at The Swamp, LSU had a completely different starting offensive line than the previous year in Gainesville.

So, chalk it up to a huge learning experience.

There’s only one way to get to the next level right now. You have to beat those guys in the red helmets with that big ole G.