It’s a series that has created earthquakes and final-second comebacks.
It’s a game that has been played in the shadow of burning barns and championship hopes.
It’s a contest that, just last year, hammered the final nail in the coffin of the most successful head coach in LSU football history.
This Saturday, the LSU-Auburn game will once again represent a pivotal swing in the season for both teams.
Auburn is still alive in the College Football Playoff hunt, but a loss against LSU makes a playoff berth unlikely considering that the Plainsmen still have to play Georgia and Alabama.
Although LSU is not fortunate enough to be in the same boat as Auburn regarding postseason play, one could argue that there is much more on the line for the Fighting Tigers come Saturday.
LSU is coming off of a much-needed win against SEC East rival Florida after the Tigers suffered a deflating loss to Troy in the school’s homecoming game one week prior.
LSU needs to capitalize on any momentum generated from the Florida game if the team still wants a halfway decent bowl game, and a win against Auburn will go a long way come bowl season.
The implications that rest on this Saturday’s game are big for both teams, but perhaps the parties with the most on the line are two men who won’t be playing at all.
LSU coach Ed Orgeron and athletic director Joe Alleva need a win against Auburn like a fish needs water.
As I mentioned earlier, it was last year’s contest against Auburn that signaled the change of the coaching guard at LSU, and this year’s Auburn game may be equally significant from a coaching standpoint.
I don’t expect LSU to fire Orgeron should the Tigers lose this weekend, but the result will exacerbate any positive or negative feelings the impassioned fan base has for the first-year head coach.
This is especially true since the Auburn game represents a winnable game against a decent opponent.
There are still winnable games left on LSU’s schedule like Ole Miss and Tennessee, but those teams are fairly terrible, and beating teams that aren’t playing for anything is not as fun as ruining the hopes of a successful season.
Games against quality teams like Auburn are now a source of pride for an LSU team whose role has changed from championship contender to party-crasher in a matter of weeks.
Perhaps, the one man who needs LSU to start winning football games more than Orgeron is Alleva.
The fan base has no vote of confidence in the embattled athletic director whose future at LSU now lies with Orgeron’s performance.
This symbiotic relationship formed after Alleva gave a five-year contract to Orgeron whose combined record at previous jobs was 16-27.
If you think that seems a bit unwise, throw a 12 million dollar buyout on top of that five-year contract and now you have a gross display of misallocated resources.
The more LSU loses under the direction of Orgeron, the more likely it will be that Alleva’s tenure as athletic director meets its end.
There are many uncertainties as LSU meets Auburn on the gridiron this Saturday, but there’s one thing we know for sure; there will be more at stake than just a football game.
LSU freshman running back Derrius Guice (5) avoids getting tackled during the Tigers’ 45-21 victory against Auburn on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2015 in Tiger Stadium
