Both teams beat Texas A&M, which gives the closest thing to an apples-to-apples comparison. LSU beat the Aggies 35-6 at home. Kentucky won 31-21 in College Station, the better road result than anybody expected from the Wildcats. LSU's one loss came at Ole Miss, 32-24. Kentucky's came at home against Alabama, 45-17, and that blowout is the result that should worry Lexington most. The last ranked SEC team to visit Kroger Field won by 28.
McNeese63-14
Youngstown State45-13Kentucky has won 3 straight, but the South Carolina win came with a warning. The Wildcats fell behind 17-0 in the second quarter before outscoring the Gamecocks 35-17 the rest of the way. You can come back from 17 down against South Carolina. Against an LSU team that has scored 35 or more in 4 of 5 games, that hole might not be climbable. LSU has won 2 straight by a combined 98-20, although one of those wins came against an FCS opponent.
The early forecast for Lexington is mild, about 75 degrees and cloudy with light wind and little chance of rain. That's a week out and will change, but for now weather isn't a factor. LSU opened as a clear road favorite on the early board. Kentucky is 2-1 in the SEC to LSU's 1-1, and the winner of this game stays in the conference conversation for another week.
What decides it is simple. If Minchey can keep a short-handed LSU secondary honest and Kentucky avoids another slow start, Kroger Field gets loud and this stays close. If LSU's offense plays like it has at home and Kentucky goes 3-and-out early again, it looks a lot like the Alabama game.