College football preview: Predicting the first loss for every Top 25 team

College football 2018 preview: Predicting the first loss for every Top 25 team

ATLANTA, GA - JANUARY 01: UCF Golden Knights quarterback McKenzie Milton (10) celebrates a touchdown during the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl between the UCF Knights and the Auburn War Eagles on January 1, 2017 at Mercedes-Benz stadium in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

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Devin White #40 of the LSU Tigers (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

No. 8 Miami and No. 25 LSU will meet on Sunday night at AT&T Stadium, better known as Jerry World. Miami is ranked 17 spots ahead of LSU but only favored by 3.5 points so there isn’t much separating these two teams as rankings suggest. When you compare personnel groups, this game is basically the equivalent of the Spider-Man pointing at Spider-Man meme.

Both teams are built around great defenses, especially at linebacker and defensive back, and both have serious questions to answer on offense.

Miami has the best trio of linebackers in the country in Shaquille Quarterman, Michael Pinckney and Zach McCloud and LSU probably has the best individual linebacker in Devin White. Both teams’ secondaries are probably top five, top ten at worst, in all of college football. LSU has an edge on the defensive front with Miami losing three defensive tackles to the NFL Draft but gets former five-star Gerald Willis and both defensive ends return as well.

The skill positions are the least of Mark Richt and Ed Orgeron’s concerns. The offensive line and quarterback are the two biggest unknowns for teams on both sidelines in this game. Miami has more continuity at quarterback with Mailk Rosier returning but he was completely ineffective against teams with top-tier defenses (like LSU’s) down the stretch last year. LSU will be relying on Ohio State transfer Joe Burrow to lead the offense.

Mark Richt and his staff are much more proven and have experience on Ed Orgeron and first-year, first-time offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger which gives the Canes an edge. Expect this is to be a tightly contested, low-scoring game. It could very easily go either way but I think Miami knocks off LSU in Week 1 to hand LSU their first loss of the year.