LSU Atlanta

The LSU Fighting Tigers

vs.

The UGA Fighting “IFs”

A quick look back: Well, Mikey didn’t get to visit the UFO Welcome Center in Bowman, SC (it was just too far away with too much to do in Columbia) but he was part of the large group of LSU fans who took over the Flying Saucer on Friday night. Gameday produced two big finds: Mikey found a great tailgate location in spite of the state fair mess, and the LSU Tigers finally found their defense in the second half, securing a 24-17 win and preserving hopes for another march on Atlanta. For a very good recap and grading of the team check out the BayouBengalBlog's Monday report.

Turning to the next victim, this week’s game has always been Mike’s must-win on the 2008 schedule. If you, dear reader, still reside in bayou country, be very thankful that you do not live in enemy territory. LSU Atlanta folks don’t need any further explanation. And as bad as it is to hear all of the yelping, roo roo rooting, and ultimately, whining of the Dawg Nation up close and personal, we in Jawja extend our heartfelt condolences to the Tiger fans who have to live in Alabama where delusion reigns supreme.

Mikey calls the UGA syndrome “Red Clay Disease.” Symptoms include an overwhelming sense of superiority and entitlement, selective memory, fear of Gators, hatred of anything orange, excessive whining, and occasionally, multiple personalities as revealed by this Heisman Trophy winner and “author.”

The Dawg Nation has few rivals for unmitigated gall, as evidenced by their “moral outrage” at being “shut out of the National Championship game” last year, conveniently overlooking the fact that they had not even won their division, let alone the SEC Championship. At least they earned a nifty certificate for their whining:

What has caused Les Miles and the Tiger team to circle this game is not just the specious argument they spewed out, but the fact that they whined the loudest right before, during and after the BCS Championship Game in the wake of their dismantling of the “mighty” Hawaii Warriors in the Sugar Bowl. At a time when the SEC family swallowed their differences and cheered for the Crystal to be kept in the warm confines of the South, UGA officials and supporters continued to complain about the “injustice” they suffered. Their sense of entitlement knows no bounds, and that’s one of the best reasons to serve them a thorough beatdown in Death Valley.

Besides the obvious desire to continue winning and keep the SEC crown, and hang onto some faint hope of another BCS run, LSU also needs to atone for two lopsided losses in our most recent meetings. In 2004, Nick Saban engineered his obligatory annual team meltdown with a humiliating showing in Sanford Stadium, and in 2005 a battered and exhausted Tiger squad limped into the Georgia Dome and sustained a 34-14 mauling by the Dawgs in the SEC Championship contest. Of course, perhaps it was the Bulldogs that were on a mission for those games in the wake of being taken down twice in one season when the 2003 Tigers climbed over them on the way to the top of the college football heap. Mike’s favorite cartoon of that year by our beloved Tiger Toon Dude celebrated our domination of the Dawgs:

So now it’s time to remind Uga that we have two crystal BCS balls, and he still has none.

Prediction:

Mike’s first prediction is that Mark Richt will pull a PR stunt to try to motivate his troops. You do remember the infamous “Black Out Game” strategy this year, and the excessive celebration of all excessive celebrations in their game against Florida? I expect Richt to ask his team and all of the fans to put on the underwear that they wore at the Alabama game outside of their pants to come to Death Valley. He will call it their “Brown Out Game.”

Seriously, this shapes up on paper to be a good matchup for LSU. If our depth and talent on the line of scrimmage shows up, we should be able to move the ball well on the ground while putting pressure on their talented and experienced quarterback when they have the ball. UGA showed they don’t like a fight in the trenches as Alabama hit them in the mouth and made them like it with a power running attack. And if you think our secondary has been underachieving this year, consider that UGA’s secondary is ranked below LSU in passing defense.

Georgia always seems to get the injury bug and this year was no exception. Our secret weapon is Strength and Conditioning Coach Tommy Moffitt, arguably the best in the business, and it is a big plus for LSU, especially late in tight and tough games.

Also give LSU the home field advantage. Even if it is an afternoon game, one can expect that LSU fans will be geeked up for an SEC showdown with a highly-ranked Georgia team. LSU is finding its 2008 identity just in time for this challenge. Jarrett Lee starts slow and then plays lights out. Our receivers and tight ends (especially Richard Dickson) are deadly weapons and Andrew Hatch provides enough of a threat and a change of pace to make teams prepare for many offensive possibilities. We will finally put together a complete game, beat Georgia and re-enter the Top Ten with a convincing performance. LSU 31, SEC East #2 17.

You'll see Uga's skid marks all the way down the interstate into Mississippi. For once, hearing the whining of the Bullpups from under the porch will be music to Mike's ears next week!

Great Pumpkin Sighting!

Your Pal,

Mike A. Tiger

ATL TIGERS – COME WATCH WITH YOUR FELLOW FANS at Rio Grande Cantina in Buckhead or at Buffalo Wild Wings in Alpharetta. There will be beer specials at both locations, and we always show the LSU Tiger Band Pregame before each game. This week we will be doing a football board at Rio Grande and a raffle at Buffalo Wild Wings. While our fundraisers usually help our LSU Atlanta scholarship endowment program, the proceeds from this week will go to a special Hurricane Gustav relief fund being handled by the LSU Foundation. PLEASE JOIN US AS WE CHASE THE BULLPUPS BACK UNDER THE PORCH!!!!!

P.S. Thanks to Loganville's resident Tiger and UGA thorn in the side Rick Barry for coining the phrase "Red Clay Disease." Give 'em hell Rick!