Poor Pitiful LSU... They Get No Respect

LSU's battle cry this week is... We get no respect. Huh? OK, Rodney Dangerfield, whatever works for you. Apparently the LSU coaches are crying to their players that Auburn gets all the national attention. Poor pitiful me. Give me a break LSU. This is SEC football. We all get attention. Is that what it takes to motivate your football team?

"They get more attention if we're ranked over them or they're ranked over us," LSU senior strong safety Jessie Daniels said. "It's always been like that since I've been here." Maybe that's because the orange and blue Tigers have been the best team since Jessie's been in Baton Rouge.

"It's just strange to me," LSU offensive guard Will Arnold said. "I don't understand it. I guess we just got lucky and beat them. I feel like we need to go out and prove ourselves to everybody."

Did LSU deserve to win last year? Yes and No. John Vaughn missed the field goals; Auburn lost the game. Was LSU the best team? I'll let you make that determination.

But it's hard not to argue that Auburn was the best team in the SEC last season. The Tigers beat Georgia at the end of the year; the same team that beat LSU convincingly in Atlanta.

But that's enough of last year.

Will any of this talk matter on Saturday afternoon? It may for the first couple of series. And that could be crucial. But at the end of the day, it will be a battle between LSU's inexperienced offensive line and Auburn's revamped defense. Can Auburn contain JeMarcus Russell? Can the Tigers wide receivers step up and make the big plays if LSU shuts down the run?

That will determine Saturday's outcome, not a bunch a crap about respect.

Link: Football Saturday In The South