In the Wise Words of Katy Perry…ROAR!

But is a Tiger’s Roar the Swan Song of the SEC?

By Caroline Davenport

Stacy Revere / Getty Images

Disregard the cliche, teenage girl, chart-topping, pop music reference; the roar I'm talking about this week is the Tiger Bowl, where the LSU Bayou Bengals took on the Auburn War Eagle, aka Tigers (which makes so much sense, right?). LSU played a tough game against an undefeated Auburn squad, winning 35-21, and senior quarterback Zach Mettenberger passed for an unremarkable 229 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

This game had the potential to be exciting. LSU came out blazing, scoring 21 points on Auburn in the first half and leaving them with nothing heading back into the locker room. But Auburn did what they do best: weaseling themselves back into games at the last minute to keep things interesting. After scoring two touchdowns in the third quarter and one in the forth, they couldn’t quite seal the deal, and the game ended.

Yawn.

Could it be that there’s a virus going around the SEC? The same bug that Jadeveon Clowney came down with in the first week of the year? No, Alabama and LSU’s defenses are decent.

I’m talking about the offense! So far this season, LSU is ranked 44th over all in passing yards and 35th overall in rushing yards.‘Bama, the number one team in the nation, is even worse, ranked 58th in passing yards overall, and 90th in rushing.

Is it possible that these undefeated SEC teams are…overrated?

Historically, the SEC is known for their defensive expertise and powerful offenses that could annihilate teams. But are the teams of today giving a bad name to the teams of yesteryear?

Not necessarily. Right now, the SEC has a combined record, for the entire conference, of 50-13, with big stars like Johnny Manziel, Aaron Murray, and Jadaveon Clowney.

Comparatively, the Big Ten has a combined record of 63-11, with two less teams in the conference, and stars such as Devin Gardner, an injured Braxton Miller, and Trevor Siemian (who is he you are thinking? ‘Cuse football fans know him as the guy who beat our team up in the second week of the season).

 Granted, the SEC has had more conference games than the Big Ten has had so far, but maybe being unimpressed with Alabama last week was just the beginning of a trend, and LSU is continuing it for me.

As much as I love saying “Geaux Tigers” in a fake French accent and “Roll Tide” like a true Alabamian, I should really start thinking about learning “Hail to the Victors” or the baritone solo in the Ohio State fight song at some point.