Vendredi

by Chris Rinaldi

The Bayou Bengals head to College Station to renew their rivalry with Texas A&M (11 a.m., ESPN), as the Aggies and Tigers square off for the first time as members of the SEC. Tiger Nation has shed the doom and gloom that hung over it after the Florida loss after LSU's impressive win over South Carolina at Tiger Stadium last week.

While many fans are focusing on the Alabama game in three weeks, the Aggies cannot be overlooked, as they sit at No. 18 in the nation and are lead by their new coach Kevin Sumlin and their freshman sensation, Johnny Manziel, at quarterback. Moreover, the Tigers will take the field at 11 am on Saturday, a rare morning game for the program and fan base that cherish the traditional LSU night games.

This match-up has "trap" written all over it. The Tigers must ensure their focus is on Texas A&M on Saturday. Manziel is the best freshman quarterback in the nation, and appears to be one of the best quarterbacks, regardless of class. Manziel has passed for 14 touchdowns on the season, while only throwing 3 interceptions, and has compiled 1680 yards passing while completing his passes at a 67% rate. Not only can Manziel throw the ball, but he is mobile and can extend plays, allowing his receivers to shed coverage. 

With this in mind, LSU's two biggest strengths will be important on Saturday. The LSU defensive line must apply the pressure to Manziel and put him on his back in order to avoid breakdowns in the secondary.

The LSU offense must continue to lean on its rushing game, as they did last week against the Gamecocks, in order to keep Manziel off the field and control the time of possession. This won't be an issue if the offensive line dominates the front lines as it did last week. The offensive line will have to hold up in pass protection as well. They will face off against defensive end Damontre Moore, who has tore his way through opponents for 8.5 sacks only halfway through the season.

The last time the Aggies faced the Tigers in regular season play was in 1995, where A&M beat the visiting Tigers 33-17. However, LSU romped the Aggies in the Cotton Bowl two years ago to the tune of 41-24, which kicked off a 13 game winning streak for the Tigers, ending with last year's loss to Alabama in the National Championship. 

The two teams have faced off 50 times over the their history, with LSU holding the advantage 27-20-3. These opponents will have more than wins and losses on the line Saturday. Southwest Texas has become a hotbed for Miles to pull out of state talent and the recruiting rivalry between A&M and the Tigers will only intensify now that the two will square off every year as SEC West foes. 

LSU hopes to impress young high school prospects by adding to their win total against their now conference opponent, but more importantly, they would like to head into their bye week focused on avenging last year's BCS disaster against Alabama, with the goal of climbing back to the top of the mountain in the SEC West.