The LSU football team has survived multiple suspensions, deftly avoided a quarterback controversy and emerged victorious from the “Game of the Century.”
Now, one more test separates the seemingly destined Tigers from the Southeastern Conference championship game in Atlanta on Dec. 3.
No. 1 LSU will take on the No. 3 Arkansas Razorbacks on Friday in a Senior Day game that has quietly shaped up to be one of the toughest and most important tests of the season.
“This is probably the biggest game for us because this determines whether we go to the SEC Championship or not,” said senior safety Brandon Taylor. “The media hyped up the Alabama game a lot, but this is still a big game for us.”
LSU and Arkansas sandwich Alabama in the BCS polls, making it the first time in BCS history three teams from the same conference and division hold the top three spots.
This SEC West dominance has created a murky championship picture. The Tigers could theoretically lose Friday’s matchup and still reach the conference championship, but a win would clear the dust and make things simple.
“We know if we just take care of our business, we’ll be where we need to be at the end of the year,” said sophomore defensive end Barkevious Mingo.
Arkansas has recently made it hard on the Bayou Bengals to end their season on a good note. LSU coach Les Miles is 3-3 against the Hogs, and the two teams are separated in the series by one point in those games.
“I think it’s been that we’ve lined up against some very talented Arkansas teams,” Miles said. “I think that those teams at the back end of their season are also playing for something, and that, for me, is the reason [these games are so close].”
The Razorbacks rose to the top of the BCS rankings on their high-octane, SEC-leading passing attack, orchestrated by junior quarterback Tyler Wilson.
Wilson is ranked No. 11 in the nation with 292.3 passing yards per game. He’s thrown for 3,215 yards and 21 touchdowns with five interceptions this season. Taylor compared Wilson to his predecessor Ryan Mallett, who contributed to LSU’s 31-23 defeat last season, and is now a backup for the New England Patriots.
“They’re kind of similar, same arm strength,” Taylor said. “He’s very accurate, and he makes a lot of smart decisions.”
Wilson may receive some help by way of injuries to sophomore safeties Craig Loston and Eric Reid, but Miles said he expects the two back for the game. If the two don’t play, senior safety Derrick Bryant and freshman defensive back Ronald Martin, who saw the first action of his career last week against Ole Miss, were mentioned as alternatives.
Bryant and Taylor will share the spotlight Friday with 23 other seniors on Senior Day, the celebration of the class’s last game in Tiger Stadium. Taylor said a win Friday would replace his first interception in the stadium against Vanderbilt in 2009 as his favorite Death Valley moment.
Along with their seniors and a championship berth, the Tigers will be playing for “The Boot,” a 24-karat gold trophy shaped like the two states that represents the two teams’ border state rivalry.
“It’s a rivalry game,” said senior offensive lineman Will Blackwell. “It’s bragging rights. It’s one of those games that gives 364 days to talk bad about the other team. … It’s been a tough series, and we want to get that Boot back in Baton Rouge.”
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