Joe Burrow is fighting to win the starting quarterback job at LSU this fall after transferring from Ohio State, and he’s trying to adapt to life in the SEC while he’s at it. Auburn quarterback Jarrett Stidham has plenty of experience doing just that, and he is cautioning his counterpart to be prepared.
Stidham, who transferred to Auburn from Baylor prior to last season, was asked by Matt Zenitz of AL.com over the weekend if he has any advice for Burrow. He basically told the graduate transfer there are no days off.
“I don’t how it was up north, but people down south love their football. That’s No. 1. No. 2, the SEC, it’s a lot of fun. It’s a grind,” Stidham said. “Every single week, you’ve got to be on your game. There’s no cupcake teams in our league. You’re going to get somebody’s best every single week, so you’ve got to be physically and mentally prepared for those types of games and situations.”
The level of expectation at Ohio State is obviously as high as any school in the country, but Stidham is right that the SEC is more competitive as an overall conference. Stidham, who had surgery on his non-throwing shoulder after the season, spoke about the physical toll playing in the SEC takes on a QB.
“When you’re playing LSU, Bama, Georgia, [Texas] A&M, Ole Miss, Mississippi State every single week, it takes a toll on your body,” he said. “It’s a grind, but that’s what makes it fun.”
Burrow is confident in his abilities, and the fact that he didn’t earn a starting job at Ohio State doesn’t say much given all the competition he faced. While LSU coach Ed Orgeron has said he is holding an open audition for the QB job, the addition of Burrow should excite Tigers fans after the poor play they have seen at the position in recent years.
