The last thing LSU needs is a bad road loss at Arkansas to stop the Tigers from going to Atlanta.
While the LSU Tigers control their own destiny to get to Atlanta out of the SEC West, the Bayou Bengals have to play an annual rivalry game up in Northwest Arkansas first…
That’s right. The Battle for the Boot is on tap this weekend, as No. 7 LSU will take on unranked Arkansas in Fayetteville. These SEC West teams have played annually since the Hogs joined the conference in 1992. While it is a nice tertiary rivalry for both parties, there is so much more at stake for Brian Kelly’s Tigers team than there is for Sam Pittman’s Hogs this Saturday. Yessir!
It would be such a shame if LSU lost for the third time this season on Saturday afternoon…
LSU has to avoid the potential trap game vs. Arkansas on Saturday afternoon
The Tigers have three more games between now and possibly in Atlanta. They will play the Razorbacks in Fayetteville on Saturday, will host UAB at home next weekend on Senior Day and then play Texas A&M in College Station to round out the regular-season slate. LSU should beat all three teams, but Arkansas, and potentially even a downtrodden Texas A&M team, can play spoiler.
What gives Saturday’s game in Fayetteville such a trap game feel to it is comes right after the huge home upset of Alabama. This is a rivalry game, one that is on the road with an 11:00 a.m. CT kickoff against a Hogs team that has largely underachieved this year. For the first time all season, the Razorbacks could play up to the potential they had coming into it. Plus, they need a win badly…
See, the Hogs lost a dumb one in the non-conference to Liberty last week. That dropped the Razorbacks’ record to 5-4 on the season. With LSU, Ole Miss and Missouri left on the schedule, Arkansas has to win at least one of them to achieve bowl eligibility. Given that LSU and Ole Miss are top-25 teams, it might all come down to Battle Line in the end. Then again, LSU can get got…
Keep in mind that the Bayou Bengals lost to Florida State before we knew that Florida State was decent. In short, the gap between LSU and Arkansas is not as big as you think. While there is a lot to play for on both sides of this rivalry, LSU cannot afford to take its foot off the gas vs. Arkansas. The Hogs had the talent to go to the New Year’s Six at the start of the year, so they have a chance.
If LSU plays with composure and discipline, the Tigers can improve to 8-2 with an Arkansas win.
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