LSU now SEC, BCS title contender again

By Lee Roberts  |   Thursday, September 25, 2008  |  Comments( 1 )

LSU Tigers
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Last Saturday, LSU and Auburn waged another physical, tense battle which came down to the final minute. The same thing seems to happen every year between the two programs, so how the game was played wasn't too surprising. However, this year’s result was slightly different; after all, the road team finally won. And with that 26-21 victory over Auburn, LSU should be on its way to a berth in another SEC championship game.

After winning the BCS title a year ago and losing its top two quarterbacks, LSU garnered very little attention before the season. In the SEC, everyone focused on Georgia and Florida, while Ohio State and USC received most of the national publicity. Meanwhile, LSU head coach Les Miles was busy assembling another no-holds-barred defense and a diverse offense designed to minimize the responsibility for its inexperienced quarterbacks.

The offense is predicated on the power of its line and running game. LSU is currently second in the SEC in rushing yards, averaging 220 per game. Charles Scott is third in the SEC in rushing yards and is leading the conference with an absurd 9.0 yards per carry. Scott trails Georgia star Knowshon Moreno, who only has 61 more yards than Scott despite playing in one more game.

The other factor that now looks to be in LSU’s favor is the schedule. With a win at Auburn in the bag, the Bayou Bengals now only have what appears to be one daunting road game left – a trip to Gainesville. That sojourn comes after a bye week, giving LSU two weeks to prepare for Tim Tebow-led Florida. The Tigers still have Georgia and Alabama on the schedule, but both of those teams have to come to Baton Rouge.

It’s unreasonable to think that LSU will get through the schedule undefeated, but it already has a game up on its stiffest competition for the SEC West crown. The winner of the Auburn-LSU game has gone to the SEC title game six of the past eight years.

At this point, it doesn’t appear to matter if Andrew Hatch or Jarrett Lee is the quarterback. With the best offensive line in the SEC protecting them and the running game racking up yards by the handful, the QBs can relax and not have to press the issue. LSU is only going to get better, which means the Tigers are going to need to start being included in the national championship discussion.
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About Lee Roberts

Born in Richmond, Va, I moved south to UNC-Chapel Hill for college and received a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. I currently live in Charlotte, NC and cover Auburn, LSU and the ACC.
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