LSU to Again Face Tough SEC Schedule

Over the last 10 years in college football, one thing has become certain: The toughest conference in the country is the SEC.

Since Tennessee won the first BCS National title in 1998, the SEC has won three championships, two of them coming from LSU.  On any given Saturday, an SEC team can win.  That is why year in and year out, LSU has one of the toughest schedules in the conference and in the country.

After winning last year's national championship, it will be no easy task to repeat in 2008.  The Tigers lost many starters, including all-world defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey.

Andrew Hatch and Jarrett Lee are LSU's new options at quarterback after Matt Flynn's graduation and Ryan Perrilloux's dismissal from the team by coach Les Miles.  With two unproven gunslingers, the Tigers figure to struggle on offense despite the return of highly-touted running back Keiland Williams.

Adding to the Tigers' troubles is the usual brutal slate in the SEC conference.  While No. 1 Georgia clearly has the toughest schedule in the SEC, with road games at LSU, at Arizona State, at Auburn, and at Florida (Jacksonville), LSU must travel to face Auburn and Florida.

The game at Auburn is their first SEC game of the year, and they must face the other Tigers with an unproven Hatch, Lee, or both.  Including last year's last-second Flynn-to-Byrd touchdown pass that won it for LSU against Auburn, the two teams' games always seem to come down to the wire.  The last four meetings have been decided by six points or fewer, and the home team has won each time.

Throw in the fact that the officiating has not really gone LSU's way at Jordan-Hare recently, and this will be a tough game for Miles and Co. to pull off.

Florida will be no easy task either.  Urban Meyer's Gators don't exactly have an unproven quarterback with Heisman trophy winner Tim Tebow in command.  LSU lost their last meeting in Gainesville when JaMarcus Russell was the signal caller for the Tigers.  LSU beat themselves in that game with too many turnovers.

Will LSU drown in The Swamp again this year?  It's a good possibility.

I believe LSU will go 10-2 and end up as SEC West champions.  I don't believe Auburn has the talent right now to win 10 games, so I say they will come in second at 9-3.  The rest of the West is not quite on LSU or Auburn's level yet.  Here comes Nick Saban...