The traditional Friday game after Thanksgiving between Southeastern Conference Western Division foes LSU and Arkansas at 1:30 p.m. on CBS means more to the Tigers than winning the Golden Boot, the 24-karat gold trophy in the shape of Louisiana and Arkansas.
LSU (10-1, 6-1 SEC) will most likely need a win against the Razorbacks to make its second appearance in the SEC Championship in the last three years, barring an Ole Miss loss to Mississippi State on Thursday night. Ole Miss and LSU currently have identical 6-1 SEC records, with LSU holding the tiebreaker because of its 17-14 win against the Rebels on Saturday.
“Hopefully everybody feels that sense that we have a chance to do something really special,” said LSU offensive guard Rodney Reed. “It’s the final game now so we can just let everything out.”
More importantly, the game has national implications as the Tigers rank No. 3 in the Bowl Championship Series. A win keeps LSU’s Sugar Bowl and National Championship hopes alive. That is why the Tigers must keep their focus on Arkansas (8-3,4-3), which has won its last four games.
“This is a really good football team,” said LSU coach Nick Saban at his Monday press luncheon. “It’s going to take one of our best efforts of the year probably to have the kind of success we’d like to have in the game.”
The Razorbacks spoiled LSU’s season in 2002, keeping the Tigers out of the SEC Championship game and propelling Arkansas to Atlanta with a 21-20 victory in Little Rock.
The Tigers led the game 20-14 with 40 seconds left in the game. But Arkansas capped a 3-play, 81-yard drive with a 31-yard touchdown reception by DeCori Birmingham from Matt Jones with nine seconds left.
“I think it was a tough loss for everybody,” Saban said. “This is a different year. They’re a different team, so hopefully we’re going to have the right mental attitude … I’m sure everybody remembers that game and that’s going to have something to do about it, but I don’t think that it’s going to be the sole motivating factor for the players in their competition.”
LSU defensive tackle Chad Lavalais said he has been reminded of that loss many times this season.
“I heard about it all offseason,” Lavalais said. “During spring workouts and summer workouts when we had maybe three sprints left, coach always used to remind us ‘remember those last three minutes of Arkansas’ where everybody just kind of laid down and just gave up.”
Saban said the Arkansas game is always a battle. He said the Tigers’ 41-38 win against the Razorbacks in 2001 is another example of that. LSU led Arkansas 41-25 with 8:21 left in the game before the Razorbacks’ comeback rally fell short. It was a win that helped LSU get to the SEC Championship game.
“Every time we play these guys, the last two years we’ve played them, they always come back in the game,” Saban said.
Players who live far away do not have to worry about missing Thanksgiving Dinner.
Saban said he will let the players go home early from practice on Wednesday and then some of the player will go to his house. Thursday the team returns for a team Thanksgiving dinner.
“I can only do it for an hour or so because I’ve got to go to do the radio show,” Saban said. “And these guys have things to do and places to go. Once they get full, they ain’t interested in hanging around me.”
LSU quarterback Matt Mauck’s family lives in Indiana, but he said there is always somebody to share the holiday with.
“I think [Saban] realizes it is tough because a lot of times these guys are used to being home around the holidays,” Mauck said. “I think he tries to make it available for people to come to his house and a lot of times the other coaches, the position coaches will have players over.”