http://www.nola.com/lsu/t-p/football/index.ssf?/base/sports-2/122154259270850.xml&coll=1
BATON ROUGE — It has been said LSU has no real rival, the sort of opponent that produces a game that seems to mean everything each year regardless of records and polls and bowls and the like.
Senior LSU guard Herman Johnson disagrees.
“Auburn,” he said, when asked Monday whom he regarded as the Tigers’ top opponent. “I want to beat them there more than any other game. This is like the Super Bowl to me.”
The matchup of No. 6 LSU (2-0, 0-0 Southeastern Conference) against No. 10 Auburn (3-0, 1-0) stands as the biggest game Saturday. It is the only game matching teams in The Associated Press’ top 10, a group that contains five Southeastern Conference teams.
In six of the past eight seasons, the winner of the LSU-Auburn game has represented the West division in the SEC championship game. The other two years Arkansas won the divisional title. Though Alabama has ascended to No. 9 in the rankings, the winner of Saturday’s game will be in the driver’s seat in the division.
Coach Les Miles has been working this week to keep the Tigers focused on the long view, a hedge against lost focus if things don’t break LSU’s way, perhaps. Though everyone in the program understands this is a step up in competition and importance after LSU’s first two cupcake opponents, Miles stressed he does not want his players feeling as if the season is at stake.
“It just counts as one game,” appeared to be his mantra at his Monday press luncheon.
nola.com
9/16/08
Magnolia Tribune
