Unlike our other annual rivals, the series with LSU has been extremely competitive in the past several seasons. In the last decade, the Gators and Tigers won four of six BCS titles at one point. But the romance of the series is lost behind our personal hatred of FSU, our anger towards SEC cousins Georgia and Tennessee, and our restored rivalry with Alabama. In my own case, LSU is a big deal to me, but I don't have anything against them. I don't like corn dogs, but that's it. (The one time I had a corn dog, it was force fed to me by my ex-girlfriend who was from Louisiana. True story.)
The series has been marked by several significant games. The ass kicking LSU gave the Gators in 2002 was the first sign Ron Zook would be a failure. But in 2003, unranked Florida gave the Tigers their only loss in their championship season. When LSU beat Florida in 2005, Urban Meyer choked up in the postgame press conference. 2006 was the original Jump Pass. In 2007, Les Miles gambled on 4th down every time to lead a second half comeback against the Gators. In 2009, Florida only needed 13 points, as the Gators rallied around the previously concussed Tim Tebow.
Florida is a touchdown favorite, essentially because if the Gators' offense is bad, the Tigers' offense is worse. UF is 84th in total offense and LSU is 91st. There is no Percy Harvin or JaMarcus Russell walking through that door folks. And if Russell came back, he would be fat and old. Instead, we have the double shot of awfulness in Jordan Jefferson and Jarrett Lee for the Tigers and the handcuffed John Brantley. (Maybe if Brantley sells out on the option, he'll be rewarded with something other than crossing routes.)
Saturday's game could cause a lot of heartburn for each fan base because defensive scores might win the game.