Florida LSU Preview. Game Time: Sat. 7 Central NOTE: Written Oct 9

The Tigers Will Do Anything to Survive, Even if it Means Trying to Beat the All-Mighty Florida Gators.

Both the Tigers and the Gators are undefeated so far this year. The tigers are coming off a shocking road victory over Georgia in Athens last weekend. But on October 10, they have to face a whole new animal in Florida.

LSU has been officially given the title of “overrated”. After all, they have fallen into the number four spot in the nation by default, but they’re in no terms a team to be taken lightly.


Plenty of Pressure for Both Sides of the Argument.

The LSU fans and the players both know how important this game is. With the likes of Alabama, Ole Miss, Auburn and Arkansas on the upcoming schedule, the tigers simply cannot afford a miss-step this early on.

There is however just as much pressure on the Gators to get out of Baton Rouge with a “W” in one of their most intense road games of the year. If LSU were to win this game, Florida might just be the odd man out when it comes to the SEC this year. The way that this season’s SEC schedule pans out—the Florida, Bama and LSU threesome could very well turn into last year’s Texas, Oklahoma and Texas Tech catastrophe. “45-35” should ring a bell if you’re struggling to catch my drift.

As you should expect, Florida is loaded with talent, but LSU has its share of athletes as well.


Despite What You Might Think, LSU Can Compete

The tigers have plenty of talent on their roster; they didn’t start out ranked at number 11 in the AP’s pre-season poll without reason. The team’s offense has struggled without a doubt, but here’s just a taste of what kind of recruiting Les Miles and company have come up with in the past few years based on Rivals.com and NFL.com:

LSU’s new freshman “wildcat” player, Russell Shepard, is rated the best “athlete” in the nation coming out of high school. Averaging 6.2 yards per carry so far, Russell has proven he is an excellent talent and somebody that the defense has to specifically game plan for.

One of the nation’s best wide receiving group is also represented by LSU. According to NFL.com, Brandon LaFell is regarded as the top senior prospect at the position in the country. Not to mention, rival.com’s number one WR coming out of high school in 2007, Terrance Toliver, who also sports the Purple N Gold.

The Tigers' two main running backs, Keiland Williams and Charles Scott, are also rated among NFL.com’s top five senior prospects for this year’s draft.

Senior tackle Ciron Black leads the offensive line ranked among the top three on the NFL.com prospect list. He is a true mauler when it comes to the running game, and he’s somebody who can take away your best pass rusher as well.

As always, LSU’s defense can hold its own as well. With the likes of Patrick Peterson, the number one defensive back out of high school in 2008, and many other potential NFL first day picks, the tigers certainly have what it takes to handle any offense.


When it Comes Down to it, The Game is Really Just Up for Grabs

Both teams have the talent, and they both have the proper motivation. You could argue that Florida is superior on paper, but the game isn’t exactly played on paper, as the cliché goes.

The game will take place in Death Valley, one of the toughest places to play, so the Gators and Urban Meyer better make sure to not take the fightin’ Tigers "overrated" status for granted.


Written by Chase M. Bowman