LSU blogger: "Frankly, I hope we win"; meanwhile, LSU players and coaches try to appear concerned

So LSU bloggers and fans are actually worried about Vanderbilt, even if Tiger coaches and players aren't.

Richard Pittman with an excellent LSU blog called "And the Valley Shook" highlights these key matchups or factors in the game:

• LSU QB Jordan Jefferson vs. Vandy CB Myron Lewis.

• Vandy's receivers vs. LSU's back seven.

• Vandy's O-Line vs. LSU's D-Line.

• Vandy's D-Line vs. LSU's O-Line.

• The performance — or lack thereof — of both team's return games.

The fact that an LSU fan even considers the Commodore lines as capable of creating legitimate matchup problems shows how far we've come.

Here's how Richard ends his post: "I'm not sure where this game will be won or lost. Frankly, I hope we win..."

Meanwhile, listen to the LSU coaches and players. Les Miles is calling Vandy a "very fine" football team. Translation: If we slip up and only win by eight points like we did in Seattle, then don't be too hard on us. Would he call Florida or Alabama a "very fine" football team. No. Miles' descriptions of Vanderbilt sound a bit like Bobby Johnson's descriptions of Western Carolina last week. And like Tommy Tuberville's descriptions of Vandy before a certain game in Nashville last year.

Oh, and LSU's players are saying things like they really respect Vandy because they're good football players even though they're maybe not as fast or as big as other teams. Kind of like the Auburn player last year who said that Jared Hawkins was surprisingly good for a white running back.

I'm not predicting an upset right now, but I'm feeling better and better about this game. Wasn't Auburn a 14-point favorite last season? Weren't their fans quietly grumbling about a new coordinator and wondering why certain players weren't playing and why they weren't destroying weaker opponents? And weren't the coaches trying to act concerned about Vanderbilt while the players were just being patronizing to them?