For much of this season, LSU’s gotten to play the role of the underdog.
Nobody expected much from these Tigers. Underdogs against Mississippi State, Florida, Ole Miss, and Alabama, LSU’s found a way to win games it wasn’t supposed to win.
After you win enough of those games, there comes a point where you are expected to win. [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] has gotten LSU to that point. No. 7 in the playoff rankings and controlling its own destiny in the west, LSU’s going to find a new part in this play. Nobody is sleeping on the Tigers anymore.
Once the hunters, LSU is now the hunted. It no longer sets the trap, but rather tries to avoid it. It’s a whole different ballgame now.
Last week, I wrote about how LSU had everything to gain and nothing to lose with Alabama coming to town. A loss wouldn’t have meant much in the grand scheme of things but a win would have — and it did.
Now that LSU has gained everything, there is something to lose. And LSU’s opponents know that too.
LSU’s playoff hopes are alive and the Tigers have their sights set on an SEC Championship and maybe more. That can lead to some slip-ups, especially for a group that hasn’t been in this position all year.
LSU’s first test in its newfound role comes on Saturday with Kelly taking his crew to Arkansas to face Sam Pittman and his Razorbacks.
Arkansas’ will see that No. 7 next to LSU’s name. The Hogs know they can spoil LSU’s season with a win.
At 5-4, Arkansas is a good team. The record may not be what Razorback fans had hoped for, and the Liberty loss stung, but it’s a talented group that’s well-coached.
They’re playing for bowl eligibility and to keep that Golden Boot. Pittman, unlike Kelly, can still play that underdog card to get his team up for an 11 a.m. CT kickoff.
Arkansas will have the home crowd behind it, too. These are the spots where top-10 teams in LSU’s position are liable to drop one.
Full disclosure — I think LSU is going to win this game. I think it’ll be close, but I like the matchup.
When it comes to the trap game narrative, I think Kelly is a steady hand that does his job when it comes to limiting emotional volatility. However, these guys haven’t been in this spot before and sometimes coaches can’t do anything to make up for inexperience.
LSU is riding high right now, much higher than anyone thought it’d be. That momentum should be able to wake LSU up. There’s also the possibility of winning the division on Saturday – and that certainly means something too.
A new situation will allow us to evaluate this team from a different perspective. Good teams respond when they’re up and when they’re down.
Now that LSU is up, the Tigers need to find a way to execute just as they have been doing the last few weeks.
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