Heading into the first ever Magnolia Bowl, it seems the 2008 LSU football team can be summed up by an event that very few people actually saw.The thousands of purple and gold faithful that made their mass exodus from Tiger Stadium last Saturday, as Troy led LSU 24-3, had witnessed perhaps the most inept 30 minutes of LSU football this decade.The Trojans had outgained the Tigers, 255-63, in one half. Trojan receivers were breaking open in crucial situations, LSU quarterback Jarrett Lee had thrown his customary pick six, and the Troy defense was handling junior tailback Charles Scott better than almost any Southeastern Conference team has this season.Then, just as acceptance of the loss began to sink in, LSU came to life. The Tigers ran and threw the ball at will, and the defense stuffed the Trojans on all but one second-half possession. When all was said and done, LSU had racked up 30 fourth-quarter points on the way to a 40-31 win.Ladies and gentlemen, the 2008 LSU Tigers: a team that offsets its outstanding highs with devastating lows.Case in point: Tiger Stadium, Nov. 8, 2008. Even when compared with epic moments such as the Earthquake Game or the 2007 Florida slugfest, junior defensive tackle Ricky Jean-Francois’ block of a potentially game-winning field goal by Alabama has to be considered one of the most raucous moments in Tiger Stadium history.After playing its most complete game of the season, LSU made the type of play that defines a season to send the game to overtime. And just as it seemed it would happen, that good would prevail over evil — or former LSU coach Nick Saban — the Tigers killed their hopes of victory just three plays into the extra period.That dark day capped off a nightmarish five-game stretch that saw LSU go 2-3 in a 29-day span with embarrassing losses to Florida and Georgia, not to mention the mother of all stomach punch losses to the Crimson Tide.The heartbreak of it all was enough to offset a magnificent start to the season. Sure, it’s easy to write off LSU’s thrilling 26-21 win at Auburn two months later, but the future looked bright back in September.Following an abysmal first half, LSU rebounded with 23 second-half points and a win that brought back memories of 2007.Flashbacks abounded again a month later. The Tigers came out of halftime against South Carolina and put on a defensive clinic reminiscent of 2003, or even of 1958’s Chinese Bandits.  LSU held the Gamecocks to less than 50 second half yards and sacked quarterback Stephen Garcia six times on the way to a 24-17 win.But the same defense everyone thought had turned a corner against South Carolina gave up 443 yards and 52 points to Georgia seven days later.Nobody knew before the season Auburn would be struggling for bowl eligibility in November or that Florida and Georgia would combine for 103 points against LSU. And of course, who could think Lee’s mind-numbing pick six against Auburn would become a trend? A season-long, soul-crushing trend.Speaking of which, there is Lee’s play to consider. The redshirt freshman’s performance this season is a microcosm of the entire year. He has thrown interceptions that have made things worse in close games, put the lead out of reach in losses to Florida and Georgia and probably made a few fans’ heads explode.But for the seven touchdowns he’s thrown to the opposition, there are the makings of an elite college quarterback elsewhere in the tape.The touchdown pass to Demtrius Byrd against Alabama was a thing of beauty. The second and third quarter scoring drives against Florida were fantastic exercises in game management and execution. The comeback against Auburn was almost Favrian, showing guts along with just the right amount of luck.And then we’re back where we started, Troy. Where, if you’re willing to forgive him his past sins, Lee showed gamesmanship not often seen from football’s most seasoned veterans.He was booed by his home stadium starting even before kickoff and pulled for a true freshman after throwing an astonishing seventh interception returned for a touchdown.Lee responded by completing 18 of 26 passes for 204 yards and a touchdown in the second half.Say what you will, but Lee and this batch of Tigers have been entertaining at the very least. They’ve raised our hopes and dreams to the highest and then smashed them back down our throats. It’s not like we aren’t used to it — many of us are New Orleans Saints fans. It’s not exactly the BCS, but we’ll get over it.As we prepare for the first ever Magnolia Bowl and a possible trip to the Cotton Bowl, be assured there are still a few peaks and valleys left on this roller coaster ride of a season.—-Contact David Helman at [email protected]