FEINSWOG: Tigers can pick score versus State

In trying to figure out how badly LSU would win this past Saturday night, I wondered what would happen if Tulane were to play Arizona. The answer, I figured, would come after LSU played Tulane.

Let’s see: LSU beat Arizona 49-3. The Tigers rolled over Tulane 49-7.

I guess that means Tulane would beat Arizona 4-0. Or something like that. Maybe 7-3.

Whatever. Makes no difference.

For what it’s worth, I think Arizona, which lost 20-3 to USC this past Saturday, would beat Tulane.

But Tulane beat Mississippi State a couple of weeks ago, and what do you know? Look who’s coming to breakfast this Saturday at LSU.

The Tigers entertain State at 11:30 a.m. and one can only hope it’s cooler than it was this past Saturday for the early kickoff. It was flat-out gross Saturday, so hot and humid that it was no wonder Tiger Stadium began to empty midway through the second quarter of the Tulane debacle.

The same thing will be happening this week, because State is awful. The Bulldogs finally got a win Saturday, beating UAB in overtime. That followed defeats to South Carolina and Auburn (both shutouts) and the aforementioned Green Wave.

All of which means that by this time Saturday afternoon, LSU will be 4-1, State will be 1-4 and the Tigers will have already known where Auburn stands for the week. That’s because Auburn goes to South Carolina on Thursday and you can bet LSU will be watching.

LSU needs all the help it can get from outside sources. Simply put, if LSU takes care of business – meaning it wins all the rest of its games, which is highly unlikely – someone else has to beat Auburn.

Scoreboard watching in September?

Meanwhile, back to LSU.

Consider that LSU has allowed in four games 3, 3, 7 and 7 points. This defense is so quick and powerful it has a chance to go down as the best in LSU history. Certainly it compares as equal to the unit LSU rode to the 2003 national championship. Ask Lester Ricard, the Tulane quarterback who transferred from LSU and is still looking for his senses that were knocked away in the second quarter.

Trust me that he wasn’t the only sore Greenie on Sunday morning. LSU is so speedy and hits so hard with so many guys it’s stunning.

Tulane offensive coordinator Frank Scelfo told The Times-Picayune, “I just think they physically beat us up. They beat up our receivers. They beat up our line.”

Accordingly, don’t be surprised if State gets shut out for the third time this year. The prediction here is, well, 49-3 or 49-7. That seems to be the common theme in Tiger Stadium.

But after that, it’s back to really serious business when LSU goes to Florida. Tiger fans knew all along the schedule was tough, with road games at Auburn, Florida, Tennessee and Arkansas, and that how LSU did in those games would define its season. The prevailing thought was LSU would be fortunate to win half of them.

So far, LSU is 0-1 on the road. State marks the last so-called tune-up in a season when LSU has to not only take care of business, but get some help along the way.

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Lee Feinswog is a Baton Rouge sportswriter and host of the television show “Sports Monday.”  Reach him at [phone] or . His book “HoopDaddy” is available at www.HoopDaddy.net.