LSU Football: Welcome to Arkansas Razorbacks hate week
By John Fye
LSU Football will play their second SEC game of the year this Saturday in Baton Rouge for the “Boot” trophy. That means it’s officially Arkansas hate week.
LSU Football (2-1) put their 2023 season back on track with a convincing road win over Mississippi State on Saturday. The Tigers moved up a couple of spots in the AP Top 25 rankings and are back in the New Year’s Six bowl game discussion.
Another lopsided win over an SEC foe will likely push LSU back into the top 10 and into the College Football Playoff talk.
Standing in their way is Arkansas, a university whose sports programs annoy SEC fans about as much as anything.
The Razorbacks (2-1) are heading down the opposite path from the Tigers, losing their Week 3 home game to BYU 38-31. We greatly respect the Cougars, but their win in Fayetteville is embarrassing for the SEC.
The Razorbacks have KJ Jefferson under center for what feels like a 10th season. They’re also known for giving team fits with challenging play in the trenches on both sides of the ball. LSU experienced such a dynamic in 2022 but escaped Arkansas with a 13-10 win.
The paradigm has shifted some for Sam Pittman’s team in 2023. The Razorbacks’ offensive line looks sketchy, and their defense surrendered 38 points to a team from the Utah with considerably less talent on their roster. Jefferson didn’t play his best game either, throwing for 247 yards, a touchdown, and an interception.
LSU Football is an early 17.5-point favorite for Saturday’s game. Such a point spread is almost unthinkable, considering how often the Battle for the Boot is a knock-down, drag-out fight. Nevertheless, the Tigers look like a massive mismatch for the Razorbacks in 2023 and will benefit from a raucous home crowd.
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Barring additional changes, Saturday’s Battle for the Boot is the last we’ll see it played annually. The SEC’s addition of Oklahoma and Texas in 2024 has resulted in a new scheduling format that will push Arkansas to an every-other-season opponent for LSU.