The same issues that plagued Georgia last weekend in Athens are rocking LSU as we speak, heading into the Auburn game this Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Lane Kiffin's team has several players we know won't be suiting up in Week 8. Tight end Trey'Dez Green, linebacker Whit Weeks, and nickelback Dashawn Spears won't be playing. EDGE Princewill Umanmielen and receiver Jackson Harris are question marks.
Kirby Smart's team had similar misfortunes last weekend during the Dawgs' 27-24 loss to Auburn. Georgia was missing safety KJ Bolden, running back Chauncey Bowens, receiver Isaiah Canion, receiver Thomas Blackshear, and safety Tyriq Green. Former AU Tigers EDGE Amaris Williams was ruled out for the year during the offseason with an ACL tear.
Could lightning strike twice?
Could another preseason darling in the conference fall to an Auburn program that had little hope after entering the bye week 3-2 and coming off an ugly loss to Tennessee on Rocky Top?
Key players being absent again on the other side only works in Alex Golesh's squad's favor.
Auburn excited to get back out in front of home crowd, Alex Golesh says
What's also working in Auburn's favor is having 88,000 screaming fans at Jordan-Hare Stadium backing the team against No. 18 LSU.
So says Golesh, anyway.
"The excitement to get back home, the excitement to play at Jordan-Hare, the excitement to play in front of our fans," Golesh prefaced before saying, "I can't tell you how geeked our guys are to get right back out on the field.
"We're going to need our crowd. We're going to need it to be juicy, rocking as it always is, and we need a huge week of prep. Like I said, right back to the fundamentals, right back to making sure schematically we're right, and go and compete at a high, high level on Saturday."
An upset of the caliber of the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry shocker last Saturday is likely hard to rebound emotionally from. Having the support, pomp, and pageantry of a game day on the Plains helps bridge the emotional gap.
Auburn has the injuries of its opponent working for the Tigers for a second straight weekend. This time, Auburn also has the intangibles of home-field advantage in Lee County, Alabama.
There will also be the natural motivation to send Lane back to Louisiana after LSU's third loss of the season. After spurning Auburn to stay at Ole Miss in 2022, Kiffin has been nothing but a troll.
Perhaps the planets are aligning for an unlikely Toomer's roll. Again.
2026 could just be one of those years.
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