| LSU vs. Mississippi
GAME: Mississippi at LSU
TIME: 08:00 P.M. EST
VENUE: Tiger Stadium
Despite the inability to control its future, LSU maintains faint SEC title hopes.
To realize the chance to play for a conference championship, the ninth-ranked Tigers need to win their final home game of the season Saturday against Mississippi - and get some help.
LSU (8-2, 4-2), trailing No. 5 Arkansas by two games in the SEC West, must hope the Razorbacks lose this week against Mississippi State, setting up a showdown between the Tigers and Razorbacks next Friday.
Even if Arkansas loses to Mississippi State and LSU, the Tigers still need an Auburn loss to Alabama this weekend because Auburn would win a three-way tiebreaker for the SEC West title.
All scenarios could be moot come Saturday if the Razorbacks win, clinching the division championship.
However, that has yet to happen, meaning LSU needs to be careful not to overlook the Rebels (3-7, 1-5), despite their poor record.
"We're in an improved position, but again, we don't control our destiny," LSU coach Les Miles said. "The only thing that we can control is the games that are on our schedule."
The Tigers, undefeated at home this year, can become the first squad in school history to win eight games at Tiger Stadium in a single year.
LSU has the SEC's best offense and defense, averaging 421.4 yards while allowing only 231 yards and 10.4 points per game. Both defensive statistics rank second in the nation.
"This defense has got a lot of character. We're real physical," defensive end Chase Pittman said after LSU beat Alabama 28-14 last Saturday. "We don't like anybody being in the red zone. We take it real personal. When teams get down there it's kind of like a light goes off in our heads. Do not let them put it in the end zone."
The Tigers are outscoring opponents 302-50 at home, where they've won 12 straight games and 22 of their last 23.
LSU has won 13 consecutive November games and 27 in a row against unranked opponents.
JaMarcus Russell, who's 22-4 as starting quarterback, leads the SEC in total offense (249.4 yards), and he ranks first in the conference and fifth in the nation with a 172.4 passer rating.
With less than three seasons under his belt, the 6-foot-6, 257-pound junior already ranks second in school history with 45 touchdown passes.
"He's incredible. He's the best quarterback I've faced and this team has faced all year," Alabama defensive end Wallace Gilberry said. "He makes perfect throws. He's big. ... On film he looks slow, but he's very deceiving. He gets those long strides and he's moving."
Russell will be the focus for Ole Miss on Saturday as the Rebels try to beat LSU for the first time since 2001.
The Rebels haven't played since beating Division I-AA squad Northwestern State 27-7 on Nov. 4, which snapped a three-game losing streak.
Ole Miss has had plenty of near-upsets this season, and a win over LSU would be that much sweeter.
"It would mean a turnaround, a step in the right direction against a very good team on the road," Ole Miss coach Ed Orgeron said.
The Rebels close with two rivalry games, Saturday against the Tigers and next week against Mississippi State. They need one win to surpass their total from Orgeron's first season.
"We play an Ole Miss team that is 3-7, but their record does not depict what kind of football team they are," Miles said. "They are much better on offense. They are a powerful running team.
"We understand the history of this rivalry. We understand that it is a border war."
LSU - which leads the all-time series 53-37-4 - beat Mississippi 40-7 last year, the largest margin of victory since a 45-8 Tigers victory in 1982. |