One of WagerWeb.com's preseason national title favorites opens their season tonight with a rare early conference football game. Coach Les Miles' second-ranked LSU Tigers, +700 to win the BCS national championship, start against SEC West foe Mississippi State tonight at 8 in Starkville. Most pundits have the Tigers as the likely opponents for top-ranked USC on Jan. 7 in New Orleans. However, there are a few questions surrounding LSU, including at quarterback. Fifth-year senior Matt Flynn takes over under center, replacing still-unsigned No. 1 overall pick JaMarcus Russell of the Oakland Raiders. Flynn has started a game before, and it was a memorable one - he led LSU to a 40-3 upset of Miami in the 2005 Peach Bowl, in which he was named MVP. "The thing he needs to do, just one thing, is play very comfortably within the scheme and not try to make too many plays, and just do the things that he did that last time he started," Miles said. The Tigers also lost receivers Dwayne Bowe and Buster Davis to the NFL, among others, but they do return star WR Early Doucet and defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey, who could be the top pick in the 2008 NFL draft. This game screams blowout, as Mississippi State has lost seven straight to the Tigers by a total of 295-81, including scores of 51-0 and 42-0. Last year LSU won 48-17.
Yet watch out for the Bulldogs in this game. They are at home, and the chances for an upset are usually greater early in the season, especially in the opener. Plus, MSU is playing for Coach Sylvester Croom's job this year. Croom is upbeat about the season, even though the Bulldogs haven't had a winning one since 2000. "People are very passionate about Mississippi State football and I'm looking forward to this game and this season with a great deal of excitement," said Croom of his program, which is finally off NCAA probation. So even though LSU is an 18-point WagerWeb.com favorite (over/under 46) and returns 15 starters from last season's 11-2 team, take a chance on Mississippi State covering in front of the home fans. And welcome back, college football!
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