Just like a crawfish boil on a crisp spring weekend, it’s a Louisiana tradition to oversell a product, especially when that commodity is for sale on the gridiron.

Naturally it is every diehard’s responsibility, dare I say livelihood, as a fanatic each season to cradle a fantasy that &uot;this is our year. This is the season hell freezes over and we win the whole gordita, baby.&uot;

But those purple and gold psychos who would follow the Tigers to hell and back just to tailgate (&uot;I think the sausage and boudin is done. Check that overDONE!&uot;) in their rigged out RVs unloosen their belts a little bit more when it comes to hype.

Such was the case after the 2001 Southeastern Conference championship season where the Tigers finished with their highest ranking, eighth, since 1987 when LSU finished at No. 6.

Preseason radio call-in shows in Baton Rouge and rampant throughout the state had misguided fans prophesying LSU would repeat as SEC champs, go undefeated and win the national championship &045; the last two assertions are often July and August ideals for these sportsmen.

No better stage could have been set for LSU than its opener at Virginia Tech, another summer magazine pick to contend for the Sears crystal football. With purple-and-yellow fever running at an unusual high, the Tigers got stomped in an embarrassing 26-8 defeat in Blacksburg,Va., and with it the prognostications of an elusive national title.

Now, comes Saturday with the first SEC battle of two top 10 teams in Tiger Stadium in 30 years. It is also a showdown between the last two SEC champs. No. 7 Georgia is hobbled with key injuries to star receiver Fred Gibson and tailback Tony Milton, putting the Bulldogs in a more precarious situation in a hostile arena.

With Sports Illustrated, the New York Times, USA Today and CBSportsline all sending reporters, a 2:30 p.m. CBS start and the ESPN GameDay crew parked outside Tiger Stadium, the cat-dog fight has everyone’s attention.

&uot;I know everyone wants to make this out to be the biggest game of the year, but I don’t mean to disappoint you,&uot; LSU head coach Nick Saban said. &uot;How would it look if we won this game, and then we lost to Mississippi State? Every game is an important game, this is a big game because it the game we play this week. (Georgia is) a good team, they are a ranked team, and we are a ranked team, but it is just that it is early in the season.&uot;

The last time LSU started a season 4-0 was in 1996 in Gerry DiNardo’s inaugural.

The Tigers had a shot to go 4-0 in 1998, but ironically it was Georgia, led by current Dallas Cowboy quarterback Quincy Carter, that foiled the Tigers plan and scored late to eek out a 28-27 win.

Once again, there has been some heavy talk this from those outside the LSU program door. Fans, sure, but insiders not even close.

Their boys and coach have routinely downplayed it. The question for Saturday is can LSU come close to pacifying their supporters’ expectations and avoid getting trapped in Fortuna’s magical web.

Chuck Corder

is a sports writer for The Natchez Democrat. You can reach him at (601) 445-3633 or by e-mail at

chuck.corder@natchezdemocrat.com.